Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-19
MR.. HARBERT0N.

In spirits or nonsense of that sort. Yet
something that / never quite understood
once happened to me. You all know
about that kind of thing and perhaps
you can explain it.
After / left OXford-withOut honOrS-
[ spent lot of time loafing at home. 1t
was a slow part of the country, nothing
much to shoot, and mother, an invalid,
couldn't stir out of her room.
L didn't mean deliberately to deceive
her, but what life is there Tor healthy
young man, stuck down there, hanging
round siekroom from one month to an
other? He must come to the surface to
brea the, whether the air be wholesome
or not. At first when / cut for Il day
or two | would call it business, but the
mater knew old Findlay had always
managed the investments and the money
and all that. So when L took Il run up
to town and didn't return at night | had
to invent a friend and pretend L had put
up with him. That came as easy as
lying always does. Only mother, who
had little to interest her. insisted ON
hearing all the particulars-how my
friend looked, what he said and the rest.
L got into lot Of tight places at the
start till | thought of man l had
known two years before and kept u de-
scriptiOn of him.
'Harberton was his name. He was
cruising on the Mediterranean for his
health when / was on the Sayonara with
the Blakes. he was q queer chap-be-
heyed III occultism and rot of that sort,
and we. all laughed at him for it, We
never thought him i'll. merely lazy One
moonless night, after dining on his
yacht, we lounged on deck, with those
myrlads of stars making us feel jolly
smart.
"Harberton lay on a steamer charlie
used to pass the night there-gazing at
the sky with his lnscrutable eyes. We
had all been laughing and chatting when
he came on deck. But somehow the i'm
menSIty OF 1t all Sobered US and we were
quiet. and solemn, when Harberton,
pointing heavenward. said in his languid
affected drawl, Tomorrow I shall know
what those have to tell We believed it
to be merely one of his poses, but in the
morning we were horribly startled by the
news that he was dead. He had died.
lying there IN his chair, during the night.
We'll, Harberton's name occurred to
me When | was forced to invent story
TO satisfy mother, and, though [ couldn't
write story to save my life, whenever
began Jawlng about him everything
came quite pat. Often [ blessed his mem
DRY when l could go off for few days
have a good time and return to find
mother quite pleased.
This went on for awhile, till mother
began to bother me with request to
ask my friend to visit us at Frampton
Chelmsford. | tried hard to get her eff
the notion. | said that he was busy or
Ill; that entertaining guests would hurt
her, and all manner Of things. But she
seemed set upon it-talked nothing else.
The doctor said it was a sick fancy, that
IN her weak state any craving must be
hundred.
THUS cornered l wrote letter urging
My dear Harberton-I hadn't the re-
hottest idea what his Christian name
waste come to us even for day.
Mother insisted upon adding a line-she
q his.
begging him to come that she might
have an opportunity of thanking him for
his friendlinesS toward her son. [ did
feel mean when [ took the invitation
into another room and burned it.
Next morning he was to arrive. /
meant to fake up a telegram somehow
giving an excuse for his absence, when
| went to the station on pretense of
meeting him. My mother was strangely
we'll that morning. Her customary las
situde and pain had vanished She was
reclining on a couch drawn close to the
open window. Her cheeks were almost
rosy and there was lace arrangement
over her white hair that made her look
prettler than / had ever seen her She
was all Impotence to see Harberton and
hurried me off to the station half an hour
too soon.
Nov, you needn't believe what fol
lows unless you like. l often doubt il
myself. | knew something was to hap-
engine, and as l watched the train sweep
around the curve of the line I wanted
badly to run away. but couldn't. 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 a carriage where he sat
alone and my heart seemed to stop beat
ing. A moment later he stood before me-
1t was Harberton. He was exactly as |
remembered him. There was nothing in
the dread in me. We exchanged greet
lngs, but no word passed between U.S.
we traverSed the leafy lanes as in a
dream, but they and myself were vision
ary-he alone was real. And all the time
the memory of the telegram | had
omitted to send kept recurring to my
Unparalleled BRAIN
Il knew it could not be Harberton, yet
felt convinced that it was none other.
Dull wonder whether or not mother
world see as did ran through my mind,
bur was in reality too stupefed to be
capable of anything like consecutive
thought.
The path we trod led through the
orchard into the rose garden, whereon
the low windows of my mothers summer
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 Harberton, who till
then had done nothing but make me
dread MS presence, waved IN return,
courteOusly, almost gayly.
u can't tell you how that day passed.
1t seemed like a long drawn-out night
mare. kept saying to myself: L am
asleep. l shall awake SOON HarbertOn
sat III my mothers cool, darkened room.
talking of me. as | gathered while pacing
restlessly within and without or smoking
in a chair outside the window. She
seemed to speak anxiously about my flu
ture-I suppose. like most only sons
reared by mothers. | had been rather
wild-and he appeared to reassure her.
She was quite soothed and happy in his