The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-07-06

Will H1dUSl dAu nC1
mother. Mabel's mother is a widow, as
mine is. Strange to say, l have never
seen her, and have never entered her
house.
The day has come and gone, and l
am sitting by a winters fire, talking
by fits and starts to my old mother
about one thing and another. 1t all
comes back to me as clear as the 0
day sun. The years that have passed
since then and now melt away, as
though they have never been.
Not an hour ago 1 left Mabel's house,
and ! am gazing now at her blue eyes
and fair face, which appears before
me in the fires glow. I have been
talking a great deal during the night
to Mabel and her mother, relating what
stories Of the sea within my own ex-
perience I deemed would be most in
teresting to them. Mabel's mother
and l have shaken hands for the first
time. She is fair, like her daughter,
and her eyes are blue; but not that
beautiful blue which makes Mabel's so
charming. Her behavior to me has set
me thinking.
When I entered her house, her cold
hand greeted me in a fairly cordial
manner; but l noticed even then that
although her lips smiled, her eyes did
not. When Mabel smiles, her yes
light up; there is no soul in a smile
when.the eye plays no part in it. Up
on my leaving MabeIs house her
mothers hand lay dead in my palm,
and it did not return the pressure Of
mine.
Her husband had been a small
builder, and when he died, had left
barely enough for the support of her.
self and Mabel. So much 1 learned be-
fore l went to her house.
! Now, what has set my thoughts
cold hand which lay dead in my palm?
No, not that alone. What else, then,
in connection with that? A simple
thing-a passing expression on her
face, that was there but a moment, and
then was gone.
In this way: We have had tea, and
the ~tea-things are cleared. / am talk
ing and talking, and Mabel and her
mother are listening. l, full of my
theme, am Numbering away on some
startling experience-startling to them,
/ mean-and Mabel's eyes are fixed On
my face, and my eyes are fixed on hs7s,
when an unusual stiffness arouses me
from my dream.
For l am dreaming. The magnetic
influence of a presence that I love Has
cast a spell over me, and has made
me unconscious of everything else
about me. Fol the matter of that, Ma
bel and I might be alone in the world.
An unusual stiffness, l say, and it is
what I mean; for, although before l
receive this new impression the sound
of my voice is the only sound to be
heard in the room, and although no
person but myself has spoken for
many minutes, the new silence is diff
ferent from the old. There are
thoughts that move like living things
within you, and here are some work
ing their spell Upon me. And under
their influence my eyes wander from
Mabel's face to meet her mothers.
Well, l see a frown there, that is all;
but a frown that tells a story 1 cannot
read as yet. 1 am striving to spell
out that story now.
II was not a shadow from the fire
falling on her face, and distorting the
lines there, or playing on it to its dis
advantage; it was a frown like a black
cloGd. And when l bid her good night
her hand lies cold and dead in mine.
AND Mabel's good night? 1t is as
kind and warm as ever it was; and
she does not see that my mind is
troubled, being, mayhap, unconscious
of the cause.
I come home, where I Inn surrounded
by the shells that a dead man gath
cred when life was strong within
him. 7 gaze into the fire, and l see
Mabel's face; I gaze upon the shells
and l see the tokens of a dead mans
love. Ay, in these dull, inanimate
shapes 1 see the star that illuminates
the world, and beauties 1.-THE Star
Of Love.
/ turn toward my mother, with a
shell at my ear. In reality she is {
small, shriveled woman, in whom one
would imagine but little sentiment
could abide. l have noticed lately that a:
she grows older her form shrinks, anC