Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08

| "A friend of years ago. knew NJ
| "hen he lived in England"
perceive. Perhaps Madame -yo,,,d ba
aid" 80 Pte'9e' Will seek
| They approached the side of the couch
La" head lay back upon the cushions
| ms breath came deeply and slowly NOT
| stertorously nor labored
| How strange" whispered the Swiss "ba
! seepsi" 'e SWISS ne
| Such was, indeed, the truth The iron na-
! go. .tre, 50 iong overwrought now utterly un-
| strung, had yielded for the first time 70
| the stress of nature and of events Tba 70
| tlet from what he had taken to be death
| NAG come swiftly, and the reaction brought
/ lethai calm of its own. If he had indeed
| recognized the face of the woman Wbn ~
| touched him with her hand, it was as
! tnough he had witnessed her In vision a
dr an pltter ana troubled. since it was a
dream impossible to be true
! Inc swiss looked still hesitatingly at the
lauy VINO nad thus strangely come upon the
heehe lo,icins her sweet and tender mouth,
ner cheeks just family tinged with mink
ner eyes shining with a soft mysterious
radiance. She approached the couch and
ialo ooth her hands upon the face of the
eyes and fell from her dark lashes The
oia servant looked up at her. simply
Maoame would be alone with MONSIEUR
asked he 1T will be better
Lady Catharine Knollys left alone eazed
upon the sleeper. John Law. the failure
lay there, supine. abased, cast down, un,
SiioiH utterly OF MS old arrogance n
mind and mien. Fortune, wealth, even the
ooon OF physical well-beng-all had fled
from him. The pride of a superb manhood
mao aad departed from the lines of this limp
nsure. Inc cheeks were lined and sunken
the eye, even had the lid not covered IT
lacked the late convincing fire. No longer
commanding, no longer strong, no longer
gay ana debonair he lay, man whose
rate was failure, as he himself had said
Ine woman who stood with cIasped hands.
gazing at him, tears yelling in her eyes
lr1lyn =
for these many years-welI enough she
knew the story of his boundless ambitions
now SO swiftly ended. Well enough too
she knew the shortcomings of this mortal
man before her. Even as she had in her
mirror looked into her own soul. so now
she saw deep into his heart as he Law there
helpless, making no further plea for HIM
sell, urging no claim, making no explana-
tions nor denials, no asseverations no
promises. Did she indeed see and recog-
nlze again. as sometimes gloriously hap
pens in this poor life of ours that other
and inner man, the only fit to- touch
woman's hand-the man who might have
been? Did she see this. and greet again
the friend of long ago? God who hath
given mercy, remedy alone suffcng for the
Ill that men may do, He alone may know
these things
Could John Law failing be John Law sue
ceeding. and in his most sublime successp
Upon the wreck and ruin of the old nature
could there grow another and a better MANI
Mayhap the answer TO this was what the
eye OF woman saw. HOW else could there
have come into this great room, so late the
scene of turbulent activities this vast and
soothing calm? How else could this mans
breath come now so deep and regular and
content? The angels of God may know
they who drop down the gentle dew of
heaven.
An hour passed by. A soft tread came to
the door, but Henri heard no sound, and
saw only the prone figure of the sleeper
and beside it the form of the woman, who
still held his hand in her own. Still the
hours wore on, and still the watch con-
tinued there under the mysteries of life and
of love, of mercy and of forgiveness. And
so at last the gray dawn broke again. The
panes of the high mulloned windows were
tinged with splashes of color. The pale
light crept into the room, slowly revealing
and lighting up its splendors.
With the dawn there came into the heart
of Catharine Knollys flood of light and
Joy. Why. she knew not; how, she cared
not; yet she knew that the shadows were
gone The same tide of peace and calm
might have swept into. the bosom of the
man before her.. He stirred, moved. His
eyes opened wide, in their gaze wonder and
disbelief, yet hope and longing.
'tCatharine,'. he murmured, "Catharfnei
Is 1t you? Catharine! Dear Katers
She bent over and softly kissed his face
Dear heart" she whispered. 81. have loved
you always. Awake. The day has come
There is another world before us, See, I
have come to you, dear heart. for faith, and
for love, and for hopew
z THE END.