The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-19

this Of hers. 1t seemed TO cut him
through and through
That's ALI" she said, as she turned
away. "Screw down the lid and get
done"
Bor the last time Maskelyne strug.
Gled to move or SPEAK, and succeeded
in saying Mercy
What mercy did you show her?" said
Allonby. "Get done, men"
Maskelyne heard them begin 10
tumble with screws.
Mercy" he said again; but at that
moment he was shut off from all light
and hope.
"1e shall have "a grand funeral" he
heard Allonby say, as if to console the
men for what they were compelled to
do. Everything shall be done just as
the family itself would do it for him.
have seen to all that myself 1t is
beginning now-there's the 'Miserere.'
He almost thought that he did hear
the "Miserere." He was now alone. and
he certainly heard 1t. Suddenly loud
Shrek rang throughout the house,
| whereupon his distress became so great
| that he awoke.
1t was broad daylight, the sun was
shining into the room, He mechanically
! looked at his watch; it was nearly 7
| O'Clock, but--and he shuddered as he
| became aware of it--he still heard the
| funeral psalm.
The singing seemed to come from out
side. He was able to get out of bed but
| barely awake yet, and still much un-
| der the influence OF that dream. Thank
| God, however. he was at last beginning
| 10 recover the Use of his limbs. lie
! drew aside the curtain and, though
| half blinded by the light, saw a little
| group of people Just turning round a
corner of the drive to a point from
which they were visible from the house.
They looked like people in a process
son-nay, what he saw even seemed
to fit on TO his hideous and grotesoue
dream. Had it been dream? Was he
| dreaming still? For this really and
truly looked very like a funeral process
sion. Two boy acolytes headed it;
then came young men bearing crosses,
with boy on each side of them. each
carrying a candle. Then came a boy
| with incense and another with holy
water. and after them the priest in his
blcl1 biretta and black and white vest
ments. Maselyne's breath became
quick. That fiend Allonby had said
that all should be done properly. and
ii was being done properly, for behind
the priest walked a group Of the Mask
elyne tenantry. All came slowly up tc
the house, and behind these was the
coffin. covered with a heavy black pail
And now the wall of the "De Profun-
dis" rose and fell. and still Maskelyne
who in the two or three minutes thar
had elapsed had not had time to shake
| off the Stupor of sleep and the horror
of this dream which had accompanied
it. wondered what could be the signifi-
cation of this. Was his dream, rs
dreams sometimes are, to some extent
true? Was his grandmother dead. Oh
was that dream still going on?
He reused himself! He was not
dreaming, and his grandmother, II
dead. would have been borne out Of
the house, not brought into it, AnC
then thought came into his minC
that made his heart stand still.
1t was Mary whom they were bring.
ing home! Mary was dead-that was
why Allonby had said she was well
knowledge of the whole truth came
to him in tiash--Alary had been deac
for some days. Mrs. Philip MoleswortI
that was why she would not or coult
not speak TO him. His grandmothel
did not know-they had kept the trutf
from her-but she knew enough T.
make her try to do good to Mary by
bringing him back to her
He had come back and he loved her
and He tainted No on,
came near him. He was nothing t
, any of them at that moment. He la!
, where he fell: sometimes half con
scious-he never knew how long.
About 8 o'clock in the afternoon II,
went downstairs. He would go as h,
had come, unseen and unspoken to
How could he speak to them How
, could they speak TO him? The trestlet
on which her coffin had rested wer,
still standing in the middle of tn
hall. The floor was strewn with fallel
white rose-leaves and broken flower
2 from her funeral wreaths--and as h,
, looked on them he knew that the res
, of his life would be as broken and shat
tered as those white flowers.