The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-05-28
The Lamp Has Gone Out.
For the Democratic Advocated

For the Democratic AuNOcdle
We had called at her earnest solicita-
ton. They had reviewed the past four
years of their acquaintance. He had told
her of woman he had known before. 1t
was late now and time for him to go. He
had risen once to leave her, but she had
led him on to speak of this other woman-
enjoying as most women do, the process
Of sticking pins in her own heart. He
was a very handsome man, with manners
rarely fascinating. He loved this woman
Of whom he was talking, 50 spoke ami
matedly and we'll, warming up to his sub
iect with eyes kindling and cheeks 8 low
inc. Quite unconscious, with a man $
blindness, that the warmth with which he
spoke seemed to be drawn from the woman
who sat there a few feet from him, a woman
who felt as though she were slovly ly dying,
yet whose lips uttered the right words at
the proper msment and whose calmness
and coldness of half an hour, after fomr
years Of the most passionate, demonstra-
tive love. had fooled him into the belief,
that she. like him, had only felt frendli-
ness.
The lamp in the middle Of the room
was burning low The shadows i'll the
four corners were deepening and slowly
closin" into the center 4 belated cat,
out under the widow, contributed Il few
mournful notes to break the silence. 1t
had hardly finished before an energetic
Young chicken, some distance away, gave
an early morning crow. The contrast
made her smile
Meantime the man had finished speak
ING, and was gazing into yacancy-his
mind keeping on though his lips had
ceased. She arose and with slow grace OF
movement went to his side. Standing
beside him while he still sat, she raised
her hand softly smoothed his hair. He
was used to her caress and thought moth
ing Of it. "Then you have never loved
me as you do her q She spoke almost
playfully, and besides the calmness of her
tone had quite convinced him. He could
not see her face and her hand only touched
his thick smooth hair ''No: | never
have. | have loved her for seven years. 4"
Something within her seemed to break
and leave her-something which would
only be hers again in eternity. All men
tai and physical pain went too. "Tell
Inc, in what that she possesses, do fall
short p ''Oh ! she is very different from
you; she is not pretty woman nor bright
one-but what she is, she is. And-she
has been as true as steel to me.
The lamp sent up one long bright fame.
1t fell on them showing the bright, hand
some face of the man, and the sharp,
ray-tinted one of the woman. He reached
for his hat at is very late. [ must
60. She walked with him to the door.
He stopped to kiss her good night. She
drew back from him in an instant, but not
out of his arms. ''She was true as steel
to you, she repeated looking him square
ly in the eyes "Have | loved you as
we'll? Silence; broken only by their
quick labored breathing, then as an uner
ring huntsman deals death at one blow to
gallant stag-he answers "No, | was
not first. He kissed pair of stOne-iike
lips three times then left with some
thing of the same feeling, perhaps that
the hunter feels for the stag which has
died so bravely. Dumbly she turns.
The room is in darkness. Z.