The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-01
IT CAME TOO LATE.

Two women stood in low, raftered
kitchen, the red glow of the fire be-
hind them; one old and gaunt, her
lank, gray hair struggling from be-
meath a rusty black cap. her keen
black eyes glancing with hawk-like
vigilance above a thin hooked nose;
the other, young and comely, chestnut
haired and gray-eyed with a finely
nodded figure and beautiful poised
head, the simplicity of the peasant in
her spotless print gown, but a peasant
with the carriage of a queen.
AS Ralph Wrougton entered they
looked at him in silence for minute
or more, and he looked back at them
hoping, perhaps, they would speak
and make his hard task somewhat
easier, but if so he hoped in vain.
"I-have come back" he said at
length.
Il see thee hast, lad" the old wom-
an assented brusquely. Hast come
back as poor as thee went?"
Poorer; have failed"
81 never looked for thee to do aught
else. Well, well! and after thy big
words and all! Thy schooling has not
done much for thee, beyond giving
thee notions above thy station in life
and a sinful pride that would take
none of Gods good gifts without thou
couldst pay for them, and put down
shilling for shilling; thou, beggared
before thou vast born; who, but for
the charity of neighbors, hadst drawn
thy first breath in the workhouse!"
She broke off, and, with a keen
glance at the silent woman beside her,
clattered out, closing the door as she
went.
Since that first look on his en-
trance, he had not once glanced at the
younger woman, but her eyes had
never left his face. They were fixed
on her now with a curious intent gaze
that he might have found it hard to
read.
"Ralph-nOt a word for me?"
Not one-that you would care to
hear. I have failed
"But-hast done thy best?"
"Phoebe, I did my best; but to
starve and struggle is not enough;
and that's about all am good for. If
one day seemed to gain a step in the
race for wealth, lost it in the next.
I went under in the crowd. I am a
broken man; broken in body and
mind; and I have q good hope now
that soon. very soou-''
what. Ralph?"
'My wife will be widow, and--a
free woman"
"And you think--T shall be glad!"
she said, in a dull, toneless voice,
most unlike her own
Think? I know it; and do not
blame thee for it. blame none but
myself. Thy father did thee an i'll
turn, Phoebe, the day he married my
mother, and brought such a beggarly
brat home to be brother to thee"
"Thy mother has been a good moth.
er to me-" The woman's voice re.
called him as he raised his head to
listen. "'Twas my father came be.
tween us"
NAY, nay; twas he threw us to-
gether. Thou wouldst never have
thought to do with such ne'er-do
! well. and that set thee to spite him
The tired voice sank to silence. He
was too weary to say more.
"Ralph, lad-Oh, I deserve it all!
! Thou dost right to blame met" y
Blame thee?" he looked at her in
bewildered sort of way. 81 did not
/ think to blame thee"
The woman flung herself on he1
knees beside him. and took his vast
ed hands in her strong, warm clasp.
ooh, lad, forgive me. I-have been
a beast to thee, but LOVED thee.
loved thee through it ALL 1t angered
me that thou vast poor but folk
should think-Oh, lad, speak to me
Say, 4 forgive thee"
"She chung closer to him, a dawn
ing terror in her great gray eyes.
Ralph, lad, love thee" she cried
"Dost thou hear? love thee. have
longed for thee all these weary years
to tell thee, to show thee"
Another sound broke in on the pat.
tering of the rain-the sound of pat
tering feet along the passage, and
then a child's happy laughter!
"Hist, Ralph!" and she sprang to
her feet. 'FDost hear? Thou wilt hear
him-my sonny little boy-whom l
have so longed to show him to his
father! o, thou wilt forgive me now
and love me, and-Ralph! Ralph"
She threw herself on the ground be-
side him and fell to violent weeping.
Yes, she had been pleading to deaf
ears.
It was to late for love or for re.
morse to avail her anything here.
Ralph Wroughton, the failure, was
dead.
And without laughing child tried
vainly to raise the latch.-West End.