El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-20


before she would return with strange
light in those eyes 1 knew so well, and
many's the time it all ended with a
night Of tears.
81 know listened to the murmur-
ings of the flowers, and flowers are not
safe confidants, though women folks
think they are. They rustic and tell
each other all they know. One has but
to listen and the secret is out, carried
far and wide by the birds, their lovers.
eft was a dreary, bitter night, and
the little one knelt before the fire with
her slender hands, that trembled so they
stirred the lace about the wrists, out
stretched before the blaze. She seemed
to see a face in the red ashes.
Now, she murmured, if that does
not fade for one whole minute I shall
take it as good omen and go. I heard
the words and trembled. Oh, how I
was torn in twol The one pride of my
life had been to tell the truth to every
one, and here was my mistress making
that burden for the first time. It was
a struggle, and somehow habit won.
The minutes passed, and I announced
it in choked old voice, but she did not
seem to know that; only sigh of pleas
ure and tear of regret mingled, and
with pathetic gesture she threw her
hands in the air, as if throwing all care
to the winds and accepting fate. Then
she came and stood before me, as she
had done SO often as a tiny one, and
looked up at me.
AT half past -, old friend, don't
fail to tell me. 1 shall be listening with
all my heart. You need not strike very
loudly. 1 shall hear-I shall be sure to
hearr And she had gone slowly up the
stairs. Time felt a weight upon me as
I tolled the minutes out. I am only the
servant of time, just to speak the words
he tells me, to keep a straight. fair rec
ord of how he flies.
Click took, tick tockl felt as if 1
should smother. At 10 1 struck the
number out. Never before had known
how loud was my voice. We are all of
us what we are made. Each one in this
world has so much to do, no more, no
less. Tick tockl The very heaviness of
my trouble was making me dim and
uncertain.
81 heard the master of the house and
his friend and guest-the man liked.
the elder, quiet man-close their doors,
and everything was still except my
voice. Would that could crush it out
''They say that things like myself
can neither feel nor suffer, but the bur-
den of my thought was, Could I save
my mistress? The wish was so great
that it overpowered everything. It was
near the half hour, when suddenly
everything seemed to come to stand
still All power of movement was taken |
from me. 1 could go no longer.
''For the first time in my existence |
failed to tell the time
''My little mistress was above, wait |
ing, waiting, but did not dare to stir |
until the appointed hour.
81 don't know how late it was when |
found her standing in the hall, pale /
as the ghosts that are said to haunt the
woods at midnight.
You have failed me-failed mel |
was all she said. And her slender fin
gers worked at the big bolt that barred
The door. It was at length forced back
% its rest, and the maiden, all muff1ed
n a heavy cloak, had drawn it and was
gone.
''What I tell you now heard from
he whispering flowers The guest was
} learned man who thought a great
leal, then gathered the best of these
heaven sent gifts and, setting his hand
o paper, told them to the world. On
hat night he had opened the window
# his room and was watching the clouds
8 they chased each other in the old
moons light. and somehow the noise of
he hall door closing aroused him. He
ooked and saw slender figure hurry |
ng across the lawn.
In moment he was out. In the
weet scented garden where the high
vail rises against the banks of the river, |
nd where a little boat rocked upon the ,
lde, he found the maiden on the grass
nth the young lovers head upon her
nee. The young man had waited for
er to come with the key to unlock the
oor. which was half hidden by the
ines which covered all the wall. I'm
atlently he had paced to and fro; then :
led to clir'b in order to hasten to his 8
ldy's window and give signal He
ad slipped and fallen and in some way
1rned his foot IL
eat a glance the elder man took in e
u the scene. and a touch of pain tight
ned the firm mouth as he said: You
card cry of distress and came to find
lie cause. So did 1. Let me help you, u
~ child, for this is no place for you {
nd the young man was as brave in f
lat moment as the elder and replied n
t is my fault. 1 was going home late [
nd tried to shorten my road across the $
arden. L.
" 'Trespassing, said his senior, is !,
1T the worst of sins. Sir, 1 will help G
III, and being very strong he lifted =
} the young man and made him lean |
his weight upon his shoulder, and, 81
If carrying him, drew him from the u
Irden. ~
"The young man left the village in a +,
uays aloiie' Inc roa6 or11ted out RI