El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-08
DS-s-S-s-s.G
THE


Theodore Pownell. Esq. merchant and
banker, was retiring from business. Let
tiers, papers, bills and receipts had been
looked over. thinned out and put away.
1t was summer, and the windows of the
study were open. The house fronted upon
a square and had a garden at the back.
Through the window he could see the
trees and hear the sound of laughter and
happy voices. His daughter Georgina
was walking in the garden with two of
her young friends. He could see her
from where he sat. She was a beautiful
girl, with her jet black hair and large,
dark eyes, stately figure and rich bru-
nette complexion, very like her mother,
whom he had married for her beauty and
her grace 20 years ago.
Mr.. Pownell sighed. This is a scandal
Gus world, as we all know. Mrs. Grundy
had dived deep into Mr.. Pownelrs pri-
vate history long ere this and had always
averred that Mrs. Pownell, with all her
beauty, was only a coquette. who thought
much more of exhibiting her charms in
public than of making the home of her
husband and a pleasant place.
Be this as it may, it is certain that
Mrs. Pownell, still handsome-she was
many years younger than her husband
sat at that moment in her drawing room,
entertaining two handsome and courteous
officers belonging to one of the French
vessels then lying in the bay, while Geor-
gina and her young friends were laughing
and gossiping with three more officers in
the garden. 1t is also certain that,
though Mr.. Pownell was polite and at
tentive cavalier TO his wife and daughter
whenever they required his services, he
would soon have gone for sympathy
in trouble or disgrace to the man in the
moon or to the Egyptian sphinx as to ell
Their of these.
He listened now to the light talk and
laughter ripping up from below. with a
curious expression on his face. 1t was
opera night, and he was in full evening
dress, for in the course of an hour he was
to escort the ladies to their box. Mean
while he was best in his study-they with
their guests.
Opera night An organ out in the
square suddenly struck up one of the very
airs he was to hear that evening He
hummed it mechanically.
And then the stop was changed and an
old, old air rang out-an air that he had
thought sweet and sad and full of the
most plaintive melody once!
Once! 1t must have been a hundred
years or more since he stood beside the
pasture bars of the ''old home farm" and
heard a sweet young voice trill out the
plaintive music.
Those "long time ago" days were over
forever for him. For his fashionable wife
and stately daughter they had never
been. In his own life, harassed and anX-
ious as it had often been at times, was a
store of experience such as they had new
er known.
The organ played ON. and the rich
mans thoughts went wandering back to
the old red farmhouse. He saw himself
a barefoot boy" driving the cows home,
with little blue eyed child in n pink
Bingham frock and sunbonnet trotting 10y
his side. He saw himself n lad at school.
and the pink Bingham frock sat near him.
He saw himself later still a spruce clerk
in country store The pink Bingham
had changed to lawn sprinkled with
forgetmenots as blue as the wearer's eyes
or his own, He glanced at the glass
now. His own were dim with unshed
tears.
Pretty, gentle. quiet little Susie Gray,
How sweetly those blue eyes looked up
at him over the pasture bars by moon
light that night. How plainly he could
hear the soft. clear voice still-sweet but
with a dash of sadness in it all the time!
How he had loved her then. with all the
ardor of a boys first love. How meekly
and modestly she had returned that more
boisterous affection. How pure she was
how true.
The organ ceased. The man was NOV
ing away when n purse clanked on the
pavement at his feet. He saw the hand
that had thrown it to him close the blind,
and the poor Italian went away elated.
Susie. oh, if had but been as true as
you were! If you were only my wife
now-if my child was your daughter
how different life might be!' groaned the
man as he flung himself into a seat. He
touched spring in the safe that stood
open before him, and a secret drawer slid
out
1t contained only two things-a wither-
ed syringa blossom and a tress of chest
nut hair. Poor as the treasures were,
they were more than house or lands to
the lonely millionaire.
Alas. his repentance came too late for
atonement. as repentance almost always
does in this weary world of ours. He
had left the girl he loved-deserted her
for the sake of his ambition. and when he
would have returned to her she was lying
in the village churchyard. and the age
upon the stone above her head was ''23."
Like one in n dream the rich man sat,
his face bent down upon the hair, which
was wet with his falling tears.
Presently came light tap at the door.
Papa. we are nearly ready" said a
lady's voice. mamma has rung for the
carriage
There was slight pause.
Every well, dear" said Mr.. Pownell,
with an effort, in his usual tone.
Ten minutes later he came out. locked
the study door behind him and handed
his wife and daughter to the carriage
with his usual grave courtesy. He kept
in the back of the box that evening and
was very silent.
When six months later the rich man
died after a short illness. those who pre-
pared him for burial found resting upon
his heart little locket containing a wom-