The Irish standard., 1901-08-17

luSloH SelLeu upon MS mlnQ. instinct
lively he leaned above her hand and
touched it with his lips-lightly, rev,
erently. She sighed and spoke his
name, and, overwhelmed with sudden
dismay. he would have withdrawn, but
she seized his arms and cried out:
Light! light" And then, broken.
ly: 'Oh, sir. for the first time-I am
Il am-frig'htened!" He sank his
face beside her. overwhelmed with
shame.
at is half-past three" he said, brok.
emily; 81 must soon say farewell tc
YOU"
''Oh, sir, will you not light the gasp
Seeing that she still trembled, he
arose and went to his chair.
"No," he said, calmly. "But sleep
on. I shall not disturb you again.
And then presently she came, and
knreling in sudden abandon before
him, placed her hands upon his shout.
Gers, her face close into his.
81 shall not let YOU leave me think.
ing that 1 do not trust you," she said
ooh, sir, kiss me now, my hands, my
hair, my lips if you will. 1 trust i'm.
plicitly! l trust you-yes, and
more, l."
Child, child, you do not know what
you are saying!" He covered his face
with his hand.
Child! No, woman! You do not
understands; it is you who are the
child. Listen. ! was not asleep when
YOU struck match and, turning your
face from me, looked at your watch.
| was awake, and l saw your face in
the glass across the ROOM"
'You should not
cit was an accident, and I thanked
God. for it has given me a living mem
Dry of the kindest friend since mother
died. 1t is not the first time, for your
picture is in the doctors office. He
did not know that have hung over it
fixing it in my ind-many-many
times-oh, will you, will you say that
you wish to see me? Have you no
wish to remember me?"
Remember you? I shall carry with
me forever the sound of your voice,
the touch of your hand, the perfume
of every curl upon your head"
''But my face! Will you look upon
that? l release you from all your
promises"
81 cannot! I cannot!"
ooh, sir. think what it will mean
20 me in all the lonely days to come,
the memory of you and the conscious
ness that you carry in your heart
sometime the face of the girl who-!"
cit must not be. Remember your
husbands honor! You promised to
honor him. Is this the way?''
"My husband! my husbands" she
cried, half rising, you have said It'll"
"Frances! Frances!"
"Ah, Frances. Say it all, Frances,
my wife"
Frances, my wife!" A passionate
Fry burst from the girls lips.
''Yes, Frances. your wife. The wom-
an who loves you, who has loved you
from the day she saw your picture
and heard your story! Oh, he never
lnew-he never dreamed it. Nothing
can silence those words: frances,
my wife, l will look upon your face,
and you shall, YOU shall see mine!
The matches-ah they are here!"
"lEold!" he cried, huskily. II should
be unworthy of your love and trust if
| could break my sacred promise.
Look upon me f you will, but the eyes
that would weep tears of JOY to see
you will be closed while the match is
burning. Look, if to carry in memory
the living record of one face will help
you, take mine, and with it, right or
wrong, the love of Richard Somers.'
She struck the match and held it
above his lifted face. advancing her
own and gazing eagerly upon him.
"Ah, again. again! My husband, my
husband" she rcmulmured. cit is the
face of an angel" The match grew
short and the fatal red spark was
showing in the flame when there came
Il flash of light in the window across
the room, the quick, sharp report of a
pistol rang out, and Richard Somers
reeling. plunged through her arms
face down upon the floor.
The awful silence that followed the
tragedy was broken at length by the
faint whisper of the dazed and half
unconscious girl.
Speak" she said, kneeling ove1
the PROSTATE form; "why-what is
the mattcr?-what has happened? p
Her hands found his head and passed
rapidly over it, you do not answer
mel" She drew slowly back from
him, chilled with great and un
speakable horror. Her hands We're wei
and slippery. Instinctively she knew
it was blood. She could not rise MOI
cry out; her heart seemed paralyzed
her throat in the clutch of an invisible
hand. The door opened silently, ant
the doctors low voice was heard:
"Somers, Somers, the day is almos'
breaking" There was no response
He spoke again. Then the two figure
became dimly visible. "What has hap
pened" he whispered, bending abov
them. He, too, felt the tell-tale bloc,
upon his fingers as he touched tn
PROSTATE man, and, rising hastily
struck match. Somers lay senseles
before him, the young woman kneel
ing by his side staring speechlessl.
upon her bloody hands. His quicl
glance swept the room and reste
upon her. The match fell to the foo
and went out, leaving the scene t
blacker darkness.
"Remorse!" he said, in whisper
and was still. Rallying his facultie
at length, DR.. Brodnar hurriedly Ii
the gas, and with his stern feature
contracted examiped the fallen ma