New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-03

such I could easily write, which would make
you mind less that had killed myself. But
have been shamTning and sham-polite too long;
1 am past the kindly and courteous thing now.
1 want you to care. want you to know there
was something about me that genuine, even
If 1t only genuine brutality. which took a
time like this to prove itself. Believing that.
can you believe that I loved Boy and that
love you? Well thst's all I'm pretty tired,
and I'll say gooG night. dear"
He got a glass of water and a spoon, and,
taking the little packet of powders in his hand.
opened it, Then he measured the powders into
the water-one. two. three. four. five. six seven,
eight They made a cloudiness as they sank.
After a moment he added the last two, brushing
off the clinging grains solicitously with his little
finger. He stirred the water with the spoon.
How curious it seemed to be doing this as
calmly as If he only going to sleepl He
set the glass down and addressed the three en-
veIopes; then laying the letters TO his wife and
to the rector side by side. ne slowly burned the
letter to his mother. He held II, with his mind
on other things. till the flame reached up and
touched his finger, so that he WINGED Then
what chord I'D that strike? He threw back his
head and laughed. silently and grotesquely-
Laughing he saw himself in the mirror-a wild
face staring like q mask. Where was his calm
ness? Was he going to fail himself now. at the
seized
took the spoon out it dropped Gathering on the
floor The noise hurt Bradford's nerves. What
who was this drinking? Frank Bradford?
Surely not Was that Frank Bradford in the
mirror there with a glass in his hand-a glass
half full of cloudy water? He shook so that the
water trembled; and the water in the mirror
trembled too BY God. 1t was he! Laughing
silently once more he ended his hesitation ana
put the glass to his lips
That afternoon toward 4:30. Amy went up TO
her room, and sitting down by the window began
to think over once more what the rector mad
said. She had given him her word to believe her
husband, and TO forgive him; but her resolution
left her cold. Her will and her intellect were
working not her emotions. The man she had
married was gone she thought or. as she had
told him. had never existed. The amiable gently
smiling, tired looking. politely untruthful gen
tIeman called Frank Bradford was what he had
always been. Whether he loved her or whether
he did not, there was really no way OF knowing
and the question was not material Amy Brad
ford would not have ceased to care for a man
because he ceased to care for her, any more
than she would have begun to love him because
he loved her. She was steadfast. If Bradford
had been the man she thought him he might
have beaten her or abandoned her or been I'M
faithful to her, in the old phrase. and she would
not that man; never had been.
She took little package. tied with ribbon.
from her jewel case and opened it. Here were
the photographs of her dead boy. She laid them
one by one, without looking at them. against her
lips. She did not need TO look at them, she knew
them so we'll Her eyes were set upon the lawn.
where the sun dripped melted gold among the
trees, but she saw nothing there. The wind
among the grass variegated it in light and shade
but Amy knew 1t not. For her the soul was
gone from sun and wind and trees. One by one
she laid the pictures back. all but the last. the
picture Of the baby laughing. She lifted IT to
her face but she did not kiss IT, only laid IT
hungrily and tenderly against her breast. o
baby mine
noise reached her ears from her husbands
room adjoining. Her husband had not yet come
home, she thought, and no one else had any bust
ness there at this hour. She opened the door,
the picture IN her hand. The letters lay upon
the desk. in full view. with the open box OF
powders beside them. Her husband. with glass
of cloudy water at his lips. stared at her over
the rim. II his eyes she saw sorrow and weari-
ness and fear. which changed as hers met them.
She rushed TO him. and snatching the glass
hurled IT wildly into the CRATE, where fl crashed
in broken spIinters. Did he care so much as
this, so much as this? She hardly knew either
how or why, but her arms were round HIS neck
her face on his shoulder. and the same shudder
shook them both "Oh Frank. Frank" The
baby's picture dropped from her hand unheeded |
and huttered to the floor. Bradford was afraid |
to kiss her, but he stood and held her in his |
arms. and saw the road 70 life stretching up |
from the gates OF death he had been about TO /
enter.
There we had better leave them
THE END.