The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-12-19

lTlcudS QeC1dIcQ tudt -Suc w do
~ like to go mad with grief.
She had had an unusually Bit
ter experience. The beautiful, willful
orphan girl had married a handsome
youth who developed into cruel and
dissipated man. For three years
Eleanor bore her trials in silence with
splendid pride; then her husbands
sudden death set her free, and she
abandoned herself happily to her abb
sorbing love for her child, his young
mothers delight
Her friends had laughed, and said
that Eleanor Merton could talk Of
nothing but Reggie" and they were
sick and tired Of hearing of the little
prodigy! So they came to visit her
with less and less frequency, and truth
to tell-she never missed their coming
One friend, at least, was faithful,
and that was Godfrey Warning. He
was distant connection Of Eleanor's
her friend from childhood and little
Reggie's godpapa. Now he was also
her chief counsellor in all important
matters.
The happiest time Of the year for
Eleanor was the holiday season, and
she thoroughly enjoyed the fun of Reg
gie's tiny stocking and his little Christ
mas tree.
The Christmas preparations when
Reggie was approaching the mature
age of four proved happier than any
ever before. The boy was quite old
enough to appreciate all sorts of won
derful things, and every evening for
almost a week, after he was safely in
bed, Eleanor, with Godfrey for an es
cort, visited the toy shops and bought
the prettiest things she saw, and then
on Christmas Eve Eleanor and Godfrey
dressed the tree. 1t was nearly IL
o'clock before they had finished, and
Godfrey was rewarded for his share
of the work by an invitation to .'come
and take dinner with Reggie" the fol
lowing day.
When Godfrey reached his rooms
perhaps an hour after he left her he
found a note from Eleanor awaiting
him.
"She forgot to tell me the hour at
which Reggie will dine" he said to
himself with smile as he tore open
tie envelope. But the words he read
were these: Reggie is i'll. Come at
once"
He hurried back to find doctors COM
ing and going and Eleanor half dis
tracted, and when he caught the words
malignant diphtheria'' he did not won
der at her alarm.
That r1iCht NO orn fIo,1r,h+ oe eIoov1
Day dawned and. slowly dragged
through all it's awful length, and
though all things were done which hui
man wisdom could suggest when nigh,
came little Reginald was dead
Eleanor's grief was frantic, passion
ate, pitiful. No wonder her friends
feared for her reason. Godfrey alone
was Of any comfort to her. and that
only because she could talk to him in
eessantly of her dead child
Until Twelfth Night Reggie's Christ
mas tree stood just as they had
dressed it, and Eleanor would not per-
NIT it to be removed.
Time went on, and though Eleanor's
grief was no less absorbing it gradu-
ally became more quiet in its form.
Godfrey keenly dreaded for her the
approach Of Christmas time, and he
felt greatly disturbed when important
Z business kept him away from the city
until late on Christmas Eve. 1t was
too late to see Eleanor on his return,
but he went to her early ON Christmas
morning and found her. to his horror.
gazing with CLASSY eyes upon Christ
mas tree, the counterpart Of the one
which they two had decorated the
Christmas Eve before.
Eleanor he said, ''you viii drive
yourself madr'
what then!' she answered, DULY.
Eat least l should be less miserable
than am now"
So during that awful anniversary
day she lived over again her agony of
grief, and Godfrey was powerless to
turn, even for moment. the current
of her thoughts.