The true northerner., 1898-02-16

wanted hadly TO run away, but could
not. OF course there are seldom many
passengers for Chelmsford. This time
there was but one. caught a glimpse
of his face at the window of carriage
where he sat alone. and my heart SEEM
ed TO stop beating. A moment later he
stood before me. Ii was Harberton. He
was exactly as / remembered him.
There was nothing in his appearance
or manner TO account for the dread in
me. We exchanged greetings, but no
word passed between us. We traversed
the leafy lanes as in dream. but they
and myself were visionary-he alone
was real And all the time the memory
of the telegram l had omitted to send
kept recurring 20 my half paralyzed
brain
81 knew it could not be Harberton,
yet felt convinced it was none other.
Dull wonder whether or not mother
would see as | did ran through my
mind. but ! was in reality too stupefied
to be capable.o of anything lk-e consec-
utive thought
1.-The path we troi .ed 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 Harber-
ton, who till then had done nothing
but make me dread his presence, waved
in return courteously, almost gayly.
II can't tell you how that day passed.
1t seemed like long drawn out night
mare. i kept saying to myself: Il am
asleep / shall awake soon. Har-
berton sat in my mothers cool, dark
ened room, talking of me, as gathered
while pacing restlessly within and
without or smoking in chair outside
the window. She seemed to speal 7x-
iously about my FUTURE suppos ie
most only sons reared by mothers, lad
been rather wild-and he appeared to
reassure her. She was quite soothed and
happy in his company. l moved about
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. / fancied / must be
mad, and feared the sound of my own
voice.
"Harberton went as he came, through
the byways carpeted with moss and
overhung with brier roses, still holding
no speech with me, who followed dog
like. Midway down the lane the even
ing haze caught radiance from shaft
of the sunset, and into the glory of it he
passed along. For moment dared not
enter. When did, ne was gone.
well, in a short time l was able to
laugh at the occurrence as absurd.
Mother seemed to feel happy in some
sort of delusion. / didn't care to ridi-
cule She never asked me to send for
Harberton again. She always said.
when it is time, he will come.
"She got more fragile daily. One
night she looked SO ethereal that, fear
ing to leave her, sent the nurse to bed
and staid in her room. All was hushed,
and l must have dozed off, to be reused
by mothers voice saying gladly: oh,
you have come for me! That is so good
of youf -,
1.-THE light of the harvest moon filled
the room, eclipsing the feeble glow OF
the night light.
Mother had raised herself to sit
ting position and was looking p eager
ly, joyfully, her thin hands extended.
Bending. over her / saw distinctly the
figure O $'arberton. Starting forward,
l rushed, s ord her, but before 1 could
reach her sld,. ae sank back inert. Har-
berton had vanished, and the moonlight
revealed only her dead face lying peace.
fully smiling Oh the pillows.
That's lot of years ago now, but
I've never been able to reduce it to com
mon sense. Can you, old chap?'-Black
and White