Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-15

Aoht VI Az MS
streaming over the building and bath
ing her tiny fingers in a flood of gold.
l did not speak even in a whisper, while
the picture of my entire childhood was
unrolled before me; blu thoughts like
these glided athwart my brain: WAS i
once that happy hearted, wild romping
chlld, whose greatest care was to please
her parents, and whose greatest grief
the loss OF some woodland Det?'
Even while | sat gazing, the scene
slowly faded, and out from the dim mists
that had EMBODIED the figure nearest the
enid rose fair clear the second pic
ture before me.
i A slender, beautiful maide stood in
the moonlight beneath the rustic porch
draped with honeysuckles that climbed
over the farmhouse door. 1t was Daisy,
but a child no longer. She wore a neat
but simple dress of pale pink muslin, and
a single white rose plucked from the bush
beside the doorstep, adorned her hair.
Suddenly a firm step came up the walk
leading to the farmhouse. 1t was a
young and frank-faced man who Joined
her; and Daisy blushed and they went in
and sat down together in the moonlight
by the west room window. Eloquence
was not necessary to love in those days
and Daisy and Charles Gordon sat long
in the moonlight and talked together.
Charles always thought he must leave
at nine, but he is in no haste tonight.
ELL, Autl past zen, elCNGu cues ny, ana
there they stand in the moonlight. When
they part a tender kiss burns on Daisy's
cheek and a slender gold ring CLEANS on
her finger. She and Charles are betroth-
ed and she goes to her to sleep
the first dream of a happy plighted love.
For a momen I stretch out my hands
toWard the Made in the farm house,
but the scene grows dim, the figures fade
and another picture unfolds before my
view.
1t was a bridal scene. Charles had
grown more grave-looking, for he was a
business man now, and three years had
added lustre to Daisy's fuller figure.
Both We're trusting and beloved, and saw
none but clouds OF gold in the long vista
of their future.
1 could only sit, and gaze longingly and
eagerly while the phantasm faded away
from my gaze. Another picture now rose
before me.
1 saw myself clad in a cheerful morn
ing robe. Charles had prospered in bust
ness, gold poured into his Golfers, and
with gold came Fashion, with Ambition
and Pride, and a score of demons in her
brain. 1t whispered:
You are young and you are beautiful;
in the great world you would be an ac-
queen. Pu your husbands
wealth to use! Let not your beauty fade
out in the nursery; your child will get
on well enough in the nurses care: live
in the world and shine like a queen!"
And his was the beginning of the
which darkened the picture. /
saw the glitter of the ball, the splendid
the silver plate, the say equip
age and the stately apartments, and
amidst it all, through the opened door
of the neglected nursery l saw a pale,
drugged four~--year-old child slowly dy-
ing! The end came. The tiny rosewood
casket closed over the features of the
child who died of motherly neglect. l
saw a strong man bend in conVulsed grief
over his dead boy, and then go out silent
ly, and, growing graver day by day, turn
to his business again. l heard frantic
bursts of grief from the stricken moth
er's mouth and clasped my jeweled hands
in anguish.
A long pause fell between; and then,
another, the last picture fell before me.
1 recognized it's f~aithfulness at once. Ten
years interviewed between this picture
and the preceding one. l had not chang
ed save to fuller and perfected beauty.
Everything was as plain as day. The
magnificent furnishings of the home, with
Persian carpets, costly tables, bronze and
marble statues and china and silver
wares; and through these walls moved.
a cold and beautiful woman of ice.
I shrank from the po%rtraiture with dis
may. But while l sat and gazed into
the picture gHded a pale, care-Worn man,
wearing the same expression I had often
seen upon my husbands face. How
changed he looked from the hopeful.
manly Charles Gordon who had stood be-
fore me in the moonlight. He had been
a grave and silent man ever since his boy
died, but there was now some fresh trou-
BILE eating away his life.
What has brought this about?" !
asked.
In a moment my question was an
sWered. Into the magic picture came a
shadoWy finger which pointed to the
paper-streWn table at which my husband
sat. l gazed and beheld d revelation, and
mechanically my eye ran over every
paper he opened. The catalogue was
fearful-a long array of ~bills-plate, fur
niture, statues, jewels, silks. a long ar
ray of which l recognized distinctly my
own agency. And, balancing this cata-
logue. stood a tangled trade, empty coff-
ers, with the word. "Panic!' written as
with a pen of fire. While he sat and UNI
folded each paper and laid it aside, l stole
nearer and gazed upon the one he had
just taken. 1t was my latest bill, the
bill for my ball-dress. l made a move-
ment to snatch it from him and the spell
was broken.
What is it, Daisy? You alseep here.
myself seated in the great velvet chair.
and my husband standing beside me.
Did fall asleep? l must; but you.
Charles, you have not slept" I said, for
just then ] noticed that he was in his
coat and full dress.
Il have been up late. looking over some
papers I brought from the store. But I
was just going up stairs. You should he
asleep before this" he added. half re-
provingly. his eye wandering with a sort
or panied look over my toilette.
why do you not speak to me, Charles.
You are in some great trouble. Oh
Charles, I have had a dream this even,
ing that has shown me myself in nv trle
light. ! am nothing more thar nothine,
| am a drag instead of a %helpmate. Speak
to me, Charles, and tell me that VOL, do