The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-06-05
CHAPTER Y.
"AND AFTER.


The light of life dying from Harold
! Graham's face as the lilac sunset fad
ed from the heavens, left upon the
face of his wife the leaden pallor that
is worse than death. For half hour
she remained kneeling beside the bed,
unable to believe that never any more
would her husbands voice or smile
stir her heart; never any more would
his eyes seek hers for comfort; never
any more would he reach out weary
arms to comfort her. Never any more!
| She bent above her husband, stand
ing at the bedside, and searched the
still face. With one trembling, ten,
der hand she brushed back the black
hair from his forehead, still holding
her breath as though she could not
believe that he were dead.
Harold" she said steadily, scarce
ly above a whisper, Harold, dearestw
But he did not answer-she knew
now that he could not answer-and all
the pent-up sorrow and pain were for
one instant concentrated in her face,
her self-command gone, bitter cry
upon her lips as she clasped her
hands conyulsively, driving herself
away from him.
"Then," she cried. sobbingly, though
there were no tears in the lifted eyes;
"bear witness for me that it is John
Winthrop. in his pride and arrogance,
has brought this sorrow upon me-"
Then, with a swift, bitter gesture
of the hands, as though she would
sweep away this weakness, and begin
her lonely life with the old proud 81
lence, she turned away steadily, her
face calm and cold, and passed out at
the door, the folds of her gown trail
ing about her, and the flowers ut her
belt crushed and falling like her
hopes.
| Perfectly self-contained, perfectly
calm, steady of voice and manner as
she rejoined her waiting friends in
the rooms below-no tears upon her
lashes, no grief upon her face.
"She does not care" whispered some
among her friends, eyeing her asSance.
Perhaps it is true that her husband
did not make her so happy as he
should
But the physicians, wiser in their
science than her friends in their love,
said that this calm was worse than
storm of tears, and unless she were
reused, she, too, would die.
Some days previously the physicians
warned her friends, to notify her rela-
tives in the East Of the approaching
sorrow that would fall upon her, and
to urge them, if possible, to come at
once to her. Following this advice, q
message was sent, startling them in
deed, for Alicia had not mentioned
her husbands illness-with her usual
thoughtfulness Of them-lest it cause
them unhappiness to learn that other
| grief had come.
But Alicia, moving quietly among
her friends, knew nothing Of this
message, and her heart was heavy
with longing for some dear home
face and voice and touch. For how
could she know that a westward
speeding train was bringing to her
two from home?
Her mother and Beatrice! All home
faces were very dear, but these two
from among them holding warmest
place In her heart.
And when preparations were COM
| pleted for conveying the body home,
and the widow in her heavy Grape
still more a woman Of marble by con-
trast-showed no sign of softness or
grief, then into the midst of the friends
gathered for farewell came these two
dear faces; and Alicia, with sudden
revulsion Of feeling was sobbing in
her mothers arms; and Beatrice,
| mourning above her sister. would not