The Somerset reporter., 1900-12-13


had added luster to Daisy's fuller fig
ure. Both were trusting and beloved
and saw none but clouds OF gold in the
long vista Of their future.
could only sit and gaze longlngly
aud eagerly while the phantom faded
away from my gaze. Another picture
now rose before me.
l saw myself clad In a cheerful morn
ing robe Charles had prospered In
business, gold poured into his Golfers,
and with gold eame Fashion. With Am
biuon and Pride and a score Of demons
IN her train II whispcrcd
You are young and you are beauti-
ful In the great world you would be
an acknowledged queen Put your
husbands wealth to use. Let not your
beauty fade cut In the nursery Your
child viii ret on well enough In the
nurses care. Live IN the world and
shine Ike a queen"
And this WIS the beginning Of the
shadow which darkened the picture
saw the glitter Of the ball. the splendid
furniture the silver plate, the gay
equipage and the stately apartments,
aud amid II all through the opened
door OF a neglected nursery saw
pale dragged 4year-old child slowly
dying The end came The tiny rose
wood casket WIS closed over the fea-
lures of the child who died Of motherly
neglect | saw strong man bend in
couyulsed grief over his dead boy and
then 20 out silently and. growing
grayer day by day. turn to his business
again ! heard frantic bursts of grief
from the stricken mothers mouth and
clasped my jeweled hands In anguish.
\ long pause fell between, and then
another the last, picture fell before me.
| recognized It's faithfulness ut once.
Ten years interviewed between this pic
ture and the preceding one had not
changed 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 ard silver wares. and through
these walls | moved. a cold and beauti- |
ful womnn Of ice.
shrank from the portraIture with
dIsmay. Blu, while sat and gazed In
to the picture glided a pale. careworn
man wearing the same expression |
had often seen upon my husbands
face. How changed he looked from the
hopeful. manly Charles Gordon who
had stood before me in the moonlight
He had been a grave and silent man
ever since his boy died, but there was
his life
What has brought this about"
asked
In moment my question was an
swered. Into the magic picture came a
shadowy finger which pointed to the
paper strewn table at which my hus-
band sat. ! gazed and beheld n revela-
ton, and mechanically my eye ran over
every paper he opened. The catalogue
was hearfn-a long array OF bills
plate. furniture. statues. jewels. silks,
"A long array of which | recognized dis
tinctly my own agency. and balancing
this catalogue stood a tangled trade.
empty Golfers, with the word Panic"
written as with a pen of fire. While
he sat and unfolded each paper and
laid 1t aside | stole nearer and gazed
upon the one he had just taken 1t was
my latest BILL the bill for my ball dress. |
| made n movement TO snatch 1t from
him. and the spell was broken.
"What Is 1t. Daisy? You asleep here
and dreaming2' I started ana to fnd
myself seated In the great velvet chair |
and my husband standing beside me.
did l fall asleep? | must. But you,
Charles, you have not slept" l said,
for just then | noticed that he was In |
his coat and full dress.
II have been up late, looking over
some papers I brought from the store |
But | was just going up stairs. You
should be asleep before this" he added, |
half reproyingly, his eye wandering
with a sort of panied look over my
toilet.
"Why do you not speak to me,
Charles? You are in some great trou-
BILE. Oh. Charles, have had dream
this evening that has shown me my
self in my true light l am nothing |
more than nothing. l am a drag In
stead of a helpmeet. Speak to me,
Charles, and tell me that you do not |
hate me-"
"Can you bear the worst, DaisyT he |
asked hoarsely, lifting his eyes to
mine
Anything, anything. my dear hus-
band. I have been blind, but the |
scales have fallen now. Tell me ey- |
erything Are we ruinedT
1--WE are" he whispered in a thick, |
unsteady tone. "The crisis has carried |
me down. have dragged away the |
long hours of this night trying to de-