The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-06
THE SCRANTON TRBUNE-THURsDAY MARCH g. 1902
-M the
Last Moment

i WAC large, SOn1DIc apartment,
that old library, and long before
the darkness had closed without,
shadows were gathering In its dusky
alcoves and corners. There had been a
shower, and the ivy, which had for five
years climbed unchecked about the
north gable now, weighed down by the
burden of raindrops. hung in a glisten-
ing mass over the bay window. On one
side late blossoming rosebud bent
across the panes, with one single re-
naming pale blossom dropping from It's
stem.
Gilbert Steele sat in the green NOR
occo library chair, which had been his
uncle's. gazing around the once familiar
room. Nothing was changed in the five
years he had been away. There were
the old-fashioned open fireplace the al
cove with the bust of Shakespeare, the
great bay window with it's rustling ivy
and the rose branch dropping across it.
And here Gilbert's thoughts went back
to the last time when he had stood in
that window and gathered roses.
How vividly 1t all came back to him.
1t was just there, to the left, that
Lillian had stood, with the mingled
lamplight and moonlight cleaning on
her golden hair and lighting UP her
sweet, pure face. A graceful girl, fair
and slender as a lily, dressed in white
and with no ornament, until he had
plucked cluster of those roses and
placed them in her hair.
He remembered the act and the blush
which his whispered words had called
into her cheeks. And then suddenly had
come rustic of silk and gleam OF
jewels, and Miss Lester had fascinated
him with her superb beauty, and had
led him off to the waltz with scarcely
word of apology to Lillian.
She was only poor clergymans
daughter, accompanying her invalid
mother to the neighborhood for the
sake of its healthfulness, and there was
no necessity for a brilliant belle, such
as Isabel Lester, to stand on ceremony
with her.
Alas for Gilbert's first pure love un-
der the influence of this new enchant-
ment! He thought now of how she
had kept-had carried him away next
day to the gayeties of town, and had
there held him a captive to her arts,
until suddenly the spell was broken by
her rejecting his offered hand for that
or an lnf1rm old man, whose only rec
ommendation was wealth that far eX-
ceeded his own.
Then his eyes had been opened-he
had seen his idol of clay-and, with a
bitter regret and remorse, his heart
went back to his old love.
AT first shame had withheld him, but
when he could no longer restrain HIM
self he wrote to Lillian.
The letter was returned unopened,
with the information that Mrs. Ashley
and her daughter had left Eastcliff.
He subsequently succeeded in tracing
them, but only to again lose sight of
them. Mrs. Ashley was dead, and the
daughter had gone abroad as an Eng
lish governess.
Since then five years had passed, and
after many wanderings in distant coun-
tries. to which either business or pleas
ure had called him, Gilbert Steele found
himself again in his old home, in the
ancient manor house which, by his
uncle's death, had become his own.
His sister and his young cousins,
whose presence had once frightened it,
were married and gone to new homes
of their own, and Gilbert, as he sat
alone in the library on this October
evening, felt the loneliness very op-
pressive.
In the adjoining apartment a bright
fire blazed, and cozy repast awaited
the appearance of "the master"
More than once the old butler and the
motherly housekeeper had ventured to
peep in and remind him of the fact,
but, buried in melancholy reverie, he
had again forgotten the summons, and
sat there, watching the swaying ivy
boughs and the pale rose nodding on it's
stem in the deepening twilight.
Suddenly the ivy branches We're swept
aside. A delicate white hand reached
up and drew down the rosebush, and
when it sprang to its former position
the pale, pink blossom was gone.
Gilbert arose and stepped to the
window. Could he be dreaming?
A woman's form stood amid the wet
weeds without, and a fair, sweet face
looked up at him with startled eyes.
1t had not the fresh, girlish look that
he remembered, but still it was Lilians
fave--graver, sweeter and more ma
tured in womanly loveliness than five
years ago. Gilbert threw open the
window.
"Lilian!" he exclaimed breathlessly,
almost doubling the reality of the ap-
partition.
She colored up to her temples.
'Mr, Steele! I did not know-I had
no idea of your being here"
The coldness of her tone recalled him
to himself.
Il arrived only this morning. have
had no time to make inquiries, and was
iut1n fnf, {,
cliff as you of mine,"
And you think, doubtless, that I
have taken liberty in trespassing on
your premises" she answered, with
smile. But, returning from walk,
the rain overlook me, and 1 ventured
to cross these grounds as u short cut
to the village"
Was this all? She made no allusion
to the rose which she held carelessly in
her fingers.
you will allow me to see you home
through the cleaning" he said, as she
gathered up her dress from the damp
weeds and grass.
So they walked again along the path
way, where they had fingered together
on happy moonlight nights long ago.
So sudden and unexpected was the
situation that Gilbert at least could
scarcely realize it. 1t required a strong
effort to keep down his feelings and to
speak in thee old, conventional tone
which she had assumed.
He could not blame her for forgetting
or ignoring the past. Had Ire not de-
served it by his weakness and folly?
Yet, upon looking upon her now. in
her fair and graceful young woman