The indicator., 1897-04-10

the time the memory Of the telegram
l had omitted to send kept recurring
to my half-paralyzed brain.
II knew 1t could not be Harberton,
yet felt convinced 1t was none other.
Dull wonder whether or not mother
would see as I did ran through my
mind; but l WAS in reality too stupe-
ned to be capable of anything like con-
secutive thought.
The path we trod lay through the
orchard into the rose garden, whereon
the low windows of my mothers sum-
mer parlor opened. AS we entered the
garden. she saw us-saw him!-and
waved her thin hand in welcome. And
Harberton. or what took to be Har-
berton. who till then had done nothing
but make me dread his presence.
waved in return courteously, almost
gayly.
Il can tell you how that day passed
II seemed like long drawn out night
mare. l kept saying to myself: L am
asleep. i shall awake soon' Harber-
ton sat In my mothers cool, darkened
room, talking of me- as I gathered,
while pacing restlessly within and
without. or smoking In a chair outside
the window. She seemed to speak anx-
iously about my future-I suppose, like
most only sons reared by mothers,
had been rather wild-and he appeared
to reasure her. She was quite soothed
and happy in his company. I moved
about; l would go to the stables to
speak to the men or wander aimlessly
about, but there was ever that awful
sense of all being an illusion. l fan
cled l must be mad. and l feared the
sound of my own voice.
1T was perfect day, still and balmy
the air being heavy with the fra
GRANGE OF the roses-but to me It
seemed endless. Still 1t came to
close at last. In the cleaning Harber-
ton bade mother farewell She blessed
him as they parted. standing
dumbly by, and he holding her hand
said. gently, with his old. soft drawl:
1 shall return soon.'
"Harberton left as he came, through
the byways carpeted with moss, and
overhung with briar roses, still hold
Ing no speech with me, who followed
dog like. Midway down the lane the
evening haze caught radiance from a
shaft of the sunset. and into the glory
of 1t he passed alone. For moment
dared not enter When | did he was
gone.
well. in short time | was able to
laugh at the occurrence as absurd.
Mother seemed to feel happy In some
sort of delusion. didn't care to ridi-
Guile. She never asked me to send for
Harberton again. She always said:
When IL is time he will come
She got more fragile daily. One
night she looked so ethereal that. fear
ing to leave her, 1 sent the nurse to
bed. and staid in her room. All was
hushed. and l must have dozed off, to
be reused ly mothers voice, saying
gladly: "oh. you have come for
me. That Is SO good of you.'
"The light of the harvest moon filled
the room, eclipsing the feeble glow
CT the night light.
Mother had raised herself to a sit
ting position and was looking up eaE-
erly, joyfully, her thin hands extended.
Bending over her. I saw distinctly the
figure of Harberton. Starting forward,
l rushed towards her, but before I
could reach her side she had sunk back
inert. Harberton had vanished, and
the moonlight revealed only her dead
face lying peacefully smiling on the
pillows.
That's lot of years ago now, but
I've never been able to reduce 1t to
common-sense. Can you. old chap?'-
Black and White.