Middletown transcript., 1903-08-22
and sobs.

death, and while she lay white
and still in the darkened room,
Paul had a curious dream. He
had slept little during the night
and looked so worn and i'll that
Phyllis persuaded him to lie down
for an hour or two during the
afternoon. In his dream he stood
before great city surrounded by
high walls, and he saw through
the bars Of the gates a throng
moving about the streets. They
were shadowy unreal-looking
people, and yet some of their
faces seemed oddly familiar to
him. Surely that little bright
eyed child, with the golden hair
and merry laugh, had the face of
little Elsie Vaughan, his neigh
bor's child, who had died a few
months previously, and tn e
woman to whose hands she clung
was the young wife of the doctor,
whose death had almost broken
her husbands heart?
| Now and again gate would
open, and figures passed him and
glided in, but when he tried to
follow an invisible arm held him
back with irresistible force. A
great awe crept into Paul's heart
as he stood and looked, for he
knew that he stood on the thres-
hold Of the City of the Dead.
By-and-by, from among the
crowd, a figure came forward and
approached him, and he saw that
| it had his mothers face. She
came close to the gate and flung
herself against its bars and tried
with all her feeble strength to
force it open. AS she fought and
struggled she did not seem to see
Paul, and, although he called her
name again and again, she did
not appear to hear. Presently
her strength failed, and she sank
to the ground with a low passion
ate sob.
| It is useless! Dives could not
60 back, she said, in low hope
less tone, and how could l? And
yet if | could only tell him! Ii he
could only know how I repent my
silence
And then, while Paul's heart
was beating and aching with love
and pity, it seemed as if from out
the crowd another figure, with a
kindly face, came forward and
raised her from the ground and
with soothing words led her
away.
| Then he awoke, and, although
great drops of perspiration were
standing on his brow, and he was
trembling from head to foot, the
struggle in his heart between
his love for his mother and that
which. his conscience told him
was the only right and honora-
BILE thing to do had quite ceased,
and a great calm reigned in its
place.
He understood. Although his
mother might not know it, her
voice had reached hint had
penetrated the barrier which
divides the mysterious land OF
the dead from the living. He
rose from the couch and went
reverently pausing a moment at
The door-into the darkened
| chamber where his mother lay.
He opened the desk, took out
the precious packet, and went
softly to the bed. He turned the
sheet back and looked long and
earnestly at the set white face.
The bed was strewn with flowers
white roses, jessamine, and
great st. Joseph's lilies, which
Phyllis had gathered in the early
morning and placed there. Paul
looked in silence for one long
minute; then very gently he laid
the letters on her breast.
Mother, if this IS not what you
| would have me do, forgive me!
he murmured.
Then he took the letters again
and, carefully replacing the sheet
/ went softly from the room. He
4 had his horse saddled, and, after
a few words to Phyllis, he mount
ed and rode away to the Hall.
| There dinner party was being
held that evening. The county
member and his brother, dis
tinguished soldier were among
the guests. Paul lefthis horse at
the lodge and walked up to the
hall door.
The servant who answered his
ring hesitated to admit him. Sir
John was engaged with hisguests
he said, but being told that the