News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-05-29

sive crowd. with here and there a face
! that lighted up at some human touch
as Andrew and Eric had moved it. 1t
was the same. and yet it was different.
To Stuart it spoke of opportunities. He
saw humanity so differently now.
He spoke well; very simply and in
manly fashion. Rhena. proud and hap
py, felt that admiration for this strong.
handsome man, her husband, which
always adds to the depth and beauty
of the love of man and wife. More
| than once the tears came as she lis
tened to the way Stuart talked, voicing
in very plain fashion his great desire
| for the common brotherhood. The men
| listened with the most breathless inter-
est. When he finished, there was g.
hearty cheer, which was csSght up
again and again, while Stuart, over
come by his feelings, sat back and COW
cred his face with his hands.
1t seemed very natural thing then
for Rhena to ask all to bow their heads
| during a prayer. 1t seemed to the
people that nothing could more fifty
close such day and such an occasion
than Rhena herself kneelng there,
with all the Salvation Army kneeling,
as they used to do, around her. She
had never prayed so earnestly and
truly for the life abundantly to be
given to them all. Even while Rhena
was still upon her knees, the audience,
without knowing all the reason for it,
felt that this building was consecrated
in a very solemn and profound sense
to the humanity in honor of which it
was named. And Andrew, seeing that
the time had come to close the services,
pronounced the benediction.
At the same hour in which Rhena
had knelt down before that great silent
crowd of miners the doors of the draw
ing room in Aunt Royals mansion in
New York were being thrown open to
one of the first events of the society sea-
on. There were gathered the butterflies
of the world, diamonds and silks, sweet
music and laughter; vanity of vanity,
adorned with the impressive power al
ways apparent in a display of rich
leisure, danced and ate and drank and
| gOSsiped as if the world was all play
and the main business of every man
and woman was to be as free from
trouble and sacrifice as possible. Aunt
! Royal was at her best; the trip abroad
had given her jaded nerves a needed
repose and she was ready now for an
other season of gayety.
'By the way" asked young man
during the evening, who had been
abroad several months, "where is that
charming niece of yours, Louise Dun
can, who used to visit you occasion
ally"
Aunt Royal paled little "You did
not know she is quite an invalid? Yes.
She is living with her brother in Cham
| pion. 1t is doubtful If she survives the
winter. The winters in Champion are
| horrible. | spent one there and it
nearly killed me-"
"Ah, we are thankful it was only
one winter. How could we have spared
you here in New York;" was the gal
liant reply.
Aunt Royal smiled at the compli-
ment, and the gay company, its ele-
gance, it's flowers, its perfume. it's hap
py carelessness of the worlds woe. al
most shut out the picture of that ago
| niZing figure that kneeled one night over
there close by that beautiful woman at
the piano and begged for But strike
up the music faster faster; let us eat,
drink and be merry, for tomorrow we
die.
The musicians at Aunt Royals had
begun the soft, dreamy waltZes just as
Stuart and Rhena came into the library
| of the Duncan house at Champion.
They had been sent for in haste by the
nurse. who had noted serious change
in Louise as the evening drew on. They
went at once into the bedroom.
| 1t did not need the doctors presence
already there. nor the stern look on his
face, to tell them that the end was
near Louise was partly raised on pill
lows, and her eye glowed with the fe.
yer of madncss that had all along been
consuming her.
Come she cried peevshly. 1--WE
shall be late. Don't you hear the clock
strikingT 1t made every one in the
room start to hear the great clock in
the hall just at that moment strike IL.
"Come, give me my gloves and fan,
and tell Jem to drive around at once.
Be careful of my dress! Do | look
right? The dances will be started. We
shall miss the first. How slow you
are! l wanted lilies Of the valley, and
you sent up the freisias. don't think
they are bit pretty. Doctor, you said
not to leave off my cloak when | went
out to the carriage. 1t seems cold!
What is the matter? Hank, hear the
music! Why don't they play faster
1t is not fast enough"
She stopped talking, and her eyes
opened wider. She seemed to see what
the rest did not. Then she cried in a
terrible voice: "Aunt Royal! Hal!
am going mad! am mad! Doctor,
doctor, save meW
She fell back, and the doctor shud-
dered and for a second buried his face
in his hands. Stuart never saw him do
that before. When he lifted his head
no one asked what the end would be,