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

She followed them with her eyes till
they turned in among the trees at the
gate.
.Who was thatY' she asked.
IAN old man." he answered, "a very
old man. They say he was "a. but his
name do not know"
She unused awhile. looking out with
fixed eyes.
"That is why the bell rang so cheer
fully" she said. when the old die 1t
is we'll They have had their time 1t
is when the young die that the bells
weep drops Of blood"
"But the old love life?" he said, for
It was sweet to hear her speak.
She raised herself on her elbow.
"They love life. They do not want to
die" she answered. But what of
that? They have had their time. They
knew that mans life is threescore
years and ten. They should have made
their plans accordingly. But the
young" she said. 1.-THE young, cut down
cruelty when they have not seen, when
they have not known, when they have
not found-it Is for them that the bells
weep blood. l heard in the ringing 1t
was an old man. When the old die
Listen to the bell! 1t is laughing: 1t is
right. it is right! He has had his time
They cannot ring SO for the young"
She fell back exhausted. The hot
light died from her eyes. and she lay
looking out into the street. By and by
stragglers from the funeral began to
come back and disappear here and
there among the houses. Then all was
quiet. and the night began to settle
down upon the village street. After
ward. when the room was almost dark,
so that they could not see each others
face, she said, 1T will rain tonight"
and moved restlessly on the pillows.
"How terrible when the rain falls
down on you"
He wondered what she meant, and
they sat on in the still darkening room.
She moved again.
"Will you presently take my cloak
the new gray cloak from behind the
door-and go out with it? You will find
little grave at the foot OF the tall blue
gum tree. The water drips off the
long, pointed leaves. You must cover
it up with that" ~
She moved restlessly, as though in
pain.
Gregory assented, and there was ST.
lence again.. 1t was the first time she
had ever spoken of her child.
"It was SO small" she said. 1T liv-
ed such a little while-only three hours.
They laid it close by me, but l never
saw it. I could feel it by me-" She
waited. Its feet were so cold. l took
them in my hand to make them warm,
and my hand closed right over than,
they were so little" There was an I'M
even trembling in the voice. ut crept
close to me. 1t wanted to drink; it
wanted to be warm" She hardened
herself. 81 did not love it. Its father
was not my prince. I did not care for
it. But it was so little" She moved
her hand. 'They might have kissed it,
one of them, before they put it in.N 1t
never did any one any harm in all its
little life. They might have kissed it.,
one of them" -
Gregory felt that some one wassob-
bling in the room. FL ..s
Late on in the evening, when the
shutter was closed and the lamp light
ed and the raindrops beat on the roof,
he took the cloak from behind the door
and went away with it. On his way
back he called at the village postoffice
and brought back a letter. In the hall
he stood reading the address. How
could he fail to know whose hand had
written it? Had he not long ago stud
led those characters on the torn frag-
ments of paper in the old parlor9 A
burning pain was at Gregory's heart
If now, now at the last, one should
come, should step in between! He car
ried the letter into the bedroom and
gave it to her. Bring me the lamp
nearer" she said. When she had read
it, she asked for her desk. at=
Then Gregory sat down in the lamp
light on the other side of the curtain
and heard the pencil move on the pa
per. When he looked round the cur
tain, she was lying TN the pillow mus
ing. The open letter lay at her side.
She glanced at it with soft eyes. The
man with the languid eyelids must
have been strangely moved before his
hand set down those words: 'Let me
come back to you! My darling. let me
put my hand round you and guard you
from all the world! AS my wife they
shall never touch you. ! have learned
to love you more wisely, more tender
ly, than of old. You shall have per-
feet freedom. Lyndall, grand little
woman, for your own sake, be my
wife! &S
"Why did you send that money back
to me? You are cruel to me. 1t is not
rightly DONE"
She rolled the little red pencil softly
between her fingers, and her face grew
very soft. Yet 5@
sit cannot be-" she wrote. 81 thank
you much for the love you have shown
me, but l cannot listen. You will call
me mad, foolish-the world would do
so-but l know what need and the
kind Of path must walk in. I cannot
N, a ,ru Won 7 will q Two VIC love Won for