Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-11-12

:: $ $ . 8 = : Ii
or. "your sister Bess Is getting to be a
beauty. Introduce me, will your
mo, WON'T" said George shortly.
He had been losing all the evening, and
he felt nervous and irritable.
"Ahl We are too bad, chr
George made some fierce reply, and
the other fellow struck him. Instantly
George sprang to his feet, and fight
took place. Mr.. Hardy could not bear
It any longer. He thought he broke
away from the scene by the exercise
Of a great determination and next
found himself looking into his own
home. It seemed to him it was an even
Ing when he and all the children had
gone out, and Mrs. Hardy sat alone,
looking into the fire as she had been
looking before he fell asleep. She was
thinking, and her thoughts were like
burning Goals as they fell into Mr..
Hardy's heart and scorched him as not
any scene, not even the last, had done.
my husband" Mrs. Hardy was say
Ing to herself. "How long 1t Is since
he gave me caress, kissed me when
he went to his work or laid his hand
lovingly on my cheek as he used to do!
How brave and handsome and good l
used to think him in the old Vermont
days when we were struggling for our
little home and his best thought was Of
the home and Of the wife! But the
years have changed him! Oh, yes;
they have changed him bitterly! l
wonder IL he realizes my hunger for
his affection! OF what value to me are
ell these baubles wealth brings COM
pared with q loving look, a tender
smile, an affectionate caress?
"Oh. Robert, Robert! Come back to
me, for am SO lonely, so lonely!
Would to God all our riches might be
taken from US and all our position in
society be lost to us, for am fast los
Ing my love for him who is my hus-
band! Great and long suffering and
forgiving God, help me! feel wicked
sometimes. I cannot bear this kind Of
life. It is killing me. 1t is robbing
me Of all that life contains that is
sweet and true. Oh, Father Of Mer-
cies, for Jesus sake do not let me grow
insane or without belief! Oh, Robert,
Robert, my lover, my husband! I will;
I will love your And Mrs. Hardy fell
on her knees by the side Of the couch
and buried her face In its cushions and
sobbed and prayed.
Suddenly the whole scene changed,
and Mr.. Hardy, who had stretched out
his arms to comfort his wife as in the
old days when love was young, felt
himself carried by an irresistible pow
er up away from the earth, past the
stars and planets and suns and satel-
lites that blazed like gems in space: on,
on, for what seemed to him like ages
Of time, until even the thought of time
grew indistinct; on and up and into
the presence Of the most mighty Face
he had ever looked into. 1t was the
Face Of Eternity. On it's brow was
written in words Of blazing light the
one word "Now." And as he looked
into that calm. awful Face and read
that awful word Mr.. Hardy felt his
soul crumble within him. When the
Face spoke, it was the speech Of a
thousand oceans heaved by a million
tempests, yet through the terror of It
ran a thread Of music-a still sweet
sound like everlasting love-as: IL
angels sang somewhere a divine &C.
compartment. And the Face said:
"Child of humanity, you have neg
lected and despised me for 80 years.
You have lived for yourself. You have
been careless and thoughtless Of the
worlds great needs. The time Of your
redemption is short 1t has been grant
ed you by him who rules the world
that you should have but seven more
days to live upon the earth-seven days
to help redeem your soul from ever
lasting shame and death. Mortal, see
to it that thou usest the precious time
like those who toll for Jewels In the
mine beneath the sea. who speak I'M
to thee am Eternity"
Then Robert Hardy thought he fell
upon his face before that awful Face
and begged in bitterest terror for q
longer lease Of life.
"Seven daysl Why, it will be but
seven swift seconds to redeem my
past! Seven days! It win be a nothing
In the marking Of time! o mighty Pow
Or, grant me longer! Seven weeks!
Seven years! And l will live for thee
a. never mortal yet nvedv'
And Robert Hardy sobbed and held
his arms beseechingly up toward that
most respondent Face. And as he thus
stretched out his arms the Face bent
down toward his, and he thought q
smile Of pity cleaned upon it, and he
hoped that more time would be granted
him; and then, a. it came nearer, he
suddenly awoke. and there was his
own wife bending over him, and tear
from her face fell upon his own a. she
said: 49,. ~.
Robert Robertg'
MI. Hardy sat up confused and trem.
bling. Then he clasped his wife to him
and kissed her az he used to do. And
then to her great amusement he related
to her in low tone the dream he had
just had. Mrs. Hardy listened In the
most undisguised astonishment But
what followed Allied her heart with
fear. @.s = = III. - RE-. q.
MARY" said her husband with tie
utmost solemnity, II cannot regard
this a. q dream alone. have awaken.
Cd with the drm conviction that
have only seven days left to i've.