The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-12-31

spfahS up ana ran out INTO the street crying
Eureka, Eurekae My whole capital was
thirty shillings and some odd pence.
spent half of it treating the other dodgers
on my floor BY noon the next day the
model was complete and in working order,
week later | had found my capitalist.
The next three years were spent in educat-
Ing the public up to the new idea. Sud
denly that slow old British public woke up
to the fact that it was negleeting one Of the
great inventions Of the age From that
moment success was assured. 4 company
was formed, of which | am now president,
and today as you both must know, poor
Ralph invention is nsed in every town in
the civilized world
Il am glad you gave it his name, Philip,
| have been on the point of writing to
thank you for that hundred times, bat
did not know in what part Of the world you
lived, said Mildred.
During my greatest poverty. CON
tinued Philip, II discovered that While
was out of my room some one was. .inthe
habit Of suneptitionsly alaing few Goals
to my low stock pinch Of lea 10 my
empty canister SET awatch and caught
my benelactress in the aef She was a
little seamstress, who lived below me. |
had often seen her on the stairs, and per
haps staredsat her more than was see,nly,
because she made me think Of you Mil
dred. The day received my first twenty
pounds ! married her. She has been q
good wife 10 me We have four sons aud
one daughter, who looks like her mother,
aud not unlike YOU | have given her
your name.
Thefs was a long pause before Basil
spoke. &c you haze known nothing Of
me. Mildred, you know something Of ms
work fIe pointed 10 painting on the
wall
4 friend bought that picture IN Paris
seme years age. last summer he died
and left it to me, said Mildred.
He bought it because the woman Is
ike you, said Basil.
~ he said.
Year BY year have painted your dear
face as | have seen it ia my dreams
Lock Al the picture, Philips is il not ike
lIildresY
lie held lamp before the painting Of
mother aud child The pictured face,
glowing with he HgIt II motherhood, had
something that the living face lacked
Il looks as Mildred p,isht have look
e hnf il i MT Mildred, said Philip.
Mildred sighed and folded her empty
arms over her breast. Something ia The
unconscious gesture meyed both men.
Basil set the lalan down v that It's raY no
longer fell on his Madonna Philip echoed
Mildred sigh Basil continued:
That face. your face, il familiar n
every capitalin Europe. Ny life has beea
the most uneyentful one you can snaagines
have never travelled nor seen the world.
bat my pictures have gone to the four
quarters of the globe. Italy received me
With her perfect hospitality, and | have
stayed on, uat angratefal guest. hardy
noticing the passage ef the years, until
few months age realized that the time Of
Ralph trySt MAS almost come. Do yea
remember l'hilip Bis saying thai eversiti
/ he died he would give us eaell i life With
cur work.
III comes back Il me. naw that sou
speak Of il. said Philip B.-er Ralph.
| believe he woald have done . Il he
could.
II believe he has, said Basil.
I Mildred hand stole ont from its white
dFapery aud touched his brown nervous
fingers for an instant 81 know he has,
she whispered
Il ID net understand please explain
what you mean, Said Philip. He spoke
a little harshly
'Doas yui remember that always
felt Ralph presence, that il was impes
sihle for him to come near where | was
without my knowing il, esen If I neither
saw nor heard himg asked Basil.
Il remember. said Mildred, and how
Philip used to Try aud cheat yoa by MIN
licking Ralph footsteps
In moments II doubt and difficulty
have more than nneeiheen aware Of Ralph
presence beside me. This senS:stioni i fol
lowed by sudden illumination Of that
which was obscure, as if a message had
been conveyed, by a finer medium than
words iroal his intelligence 10 mine
* dangerous illusion. Basil, and one
thai i easily explained. Ralph was, as
we all now recognize. laan Of eonsun
mate genius he was hy far the most r.,
markable maE that either yoa or have
ever known. or are lkelyto know We
were all Influenced hy him, you more, per
haps, than either of us. his tragic death
strengthened the impression he made when
alive. You have dwelt on what be said.
half in jest, the Inst evening Of his life,
sind the idea has hypnotiEed you You
have, ike many another victim Of an hal
Inclination, only yourself 70 thank
| Philip spoke with some heat Mildred
lifted Iepreeating hand as she said
Your dog hears and sees things which
your senses are not fine enough to detect.
You admit this Ifa Dig has powers
which you have not, why should il seem
So strange to YOU thar another man should
possess 4 faeufty which yoa lack
Science ferbids !. cried Basil, ironically,
- science, which i forever eating its owh
!. words, and accepting today as fact what i.
rejected yesterday as faliacy
Philip was about to reply when Mildred
touched his arm gently. We must agree
10 disagree. Let me be the peaeemaker,
al IN the oldtime. See, it's nearly twelve
o clock.
Philip pressed her hand and kept il in
his own, holding out his other hand 70
Basil. The yllle-lo blazed merrily on tbe
hearth, its Pickering light falling now up
on Ralph portrait, now upon Basil Ma
donna As they sat silent a strange peace
filed the hearts Of the three friends.
Flesh aud sense sank out Of sight The
woman, the man who had forgotten her
and the man who had remembered her
were as those who dwell where there is
neither marriage nor giving in marriage.
The master spirit Of Ralph Barrow, whether
living presence or a living memory, still
dominated theirs.
The hour passed, their souls were again
clothed with flesh They parted with few
words. Basil fingered moment, and
Philip. as he left the room. heard him