The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-03-01

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the door, balancing herself with out
stretched hands.
II am nearly there" she said.
Then she CROPPED blindly.
"Oh, cannot see! | cannot see!
Where am I?' she cried.
When Gregory reached her. she had
fallen with her face against the sharp
foot Of the wardrobe and cut her fore
head Very tenderly he raised the lit
tie crushed heap Of muslin and ribbons
and laid it on the bed. Doss climbed
up and sat looking down at 1t. Very
ioftly Gregory's hands disrobed her.
"You will be stronger tomorrow. and
then we shall try again." he said. but
she neither looked ct him nor stirred.
So she lay. all that morning and all
that afternoon.
At last in the evening he bent over
her.
1.-THE oxen have come" he said. eve
can start tomorrow If you like. Shall
I get the wagon ready tonightY'
Twice he repeated his question. Then
she looked up at him. and Gregory saw
that all hope had died out of the beau
tiful eyes. 1t was not stupor that shone
there. 1t was despair.
Yes; let us CO." she said.
sit makes no difference" said the
doctor. staying or going. 1t is close
now"
So the next day Gregory carried her
out in his arms to the wagon which
stood "inspanned" before the door. AS
he laid her down on the "karter' she
looked far out across the plain. For
the first time she spoke that day.
THAT blue mountain far away-let
US stop when we get to it, not before"
She closed her eyes again. He drew
the sails down before and behind, and
the wagon rolled away slowly. The
saldlady and the niggers stood to
watch it from the "stoep."
Very silently the great wagon rolled
along the grass covered plain. The
driver on the front box did not clap his
whip or call to his oxen, and Gregory
sat beside him with folded arms. Be-
hind them, in the closed wagon. she
lay, with the dog at her feet, very
quiet, with folded hands. He Greg
Dry) dared not be in there. Like Hagar
when she laid her treasure down in
the wilderness, he sat afar off. For
Hagar said, Let me not see the death
of the child"
Evening came, and yet the blue
mountain was not reached, and all the
next day they rode on slowly, but still
it was far off. Only at evening they
reached it, not blue now. but low and
brown, covered with long waving
grasses and rough stones. They drew
the wagon up close to its foot for the
night. 1t was sheltered, warm spot.
The night was growing very old
when from a long, peaceful sleep Lyn-
dali awoke. The candle burned at her
head. The dog lay on her feet, but
he shivered. 1t seemed as though
a GOODNESS struck up to him from
his resting place. She lay with fold
ed hands, looking upward. and she
heard the oxen chewing, and she saw
the two mosquitoes buzzing drearily
round and round. and her thoughts
her thoughts ran far back into the past.
Through these months of anguish
mist had rested on her mind. 1t was
rolled together now, and the old clear
intellect awoke from it's long torpor. 1t
looked back into the past. 1t saw the
present. There was no future now.
The old strong soul gathered itself to-
gether for. the last time. 1t knew
where it stood.
Slowly raising herself on her elbow,
she took from the sail glass that
hung pinned there. Her fingers were
stiff and cold. She put the pillow on
her breast and stood the glass against
it. Then the white face on the pillow
looked into the white face in the glass.
They had looked at each other often so
before. 1t had been a child's face once,
looking out above it's blue pinafore. 1t
had been a woman's face, with dim
shadow in the eyes and something
which had said: I'VE are not afraid,
you and l. We are together. We will
fight. you and l." Now tonight it had
come to this. The dying eyes on the
pillow looked into the dying eyes in
the glass. They knew that their hour
had come. She raised one hand and
pressed the stiff fingers against the
glass. They were growing very stiff.
She tried to speak to it. but she would
never speak again. Only the wonder
full yearning light was in the eyes still.
The body was dead now, but the soul,
clear and unclouded, looked forth.
Then slowly, without sound, the
beautiful eyes closed. The dead face
that the glass reflected was thing of
marvellous beauty and tranquility. The
gray dawn crept in over it and saw it
lying there.
Had she found what she sought for
something to worship? Had she ceas-
ed from being? Who shall tell us?
There is q veil of terrible mist over
the face Of the hereafter.
CHAPTER XVI.