The Washington times., 1905-07-30

erey as on the day when Anna. strue-
| Cling under It's weight. had proudly
carried il from the shop up the crooked
stairs breathing and pausing on every
step.
| What circumstance. had made it hers.
/ what deed of virtue il had rewarded.
what impulse on cid Solny's part it had
| shown forth, she had long ago forgot
ten. but the thing remained-eternal, un-
changing; her prayer rug, her maeician's
carpet, from whose rabesnue she drew
many a picture, in whose glowing tones
she had many times mirroEed the world
| from her narrow bed 1t was part OF
herself: so woven 10 mystery in her inn
aguation as almost to take on human
form. Each twist of the design was
the memento of some incident. the rec
ord of some hour. Across the wide
strip of blue were the two round marks
| where for years she had knelt morning
and night TO whisper-sometimes me
chanically, sometimes with an excess OF
ardor-the asnirations of the Greek
Church that john Dcsinski had taught
her to repeat Then farther down,
where the orange. crossed the blue, was
| the great stain that the broom had never
! quite renoved-the stain that her tears
! had made when the same John Desinskt
no longer able to sing or work. a cold.
still shadow of himself was nailed into
! the deaI coffin and carried with many
horrible jerks and knocks down the mar
row stairs. Then, last of a1-the new
/ est, keenest record of all-came the
mark of candle grease on the triangle of
| black; the open, paIpable proof of a
] heart that had throbbed and hand
| that had trembIed with excitement as
! she carried her candle upstairs on the
! first night that the enchanted wand had
| touched her eyelids-and she had seen
life
y x
| She gazed at il now as she stood lean
| ing on the handle of her sweeping
| brush. the pan of newly-ga athered dust
! at her feet; gazed at 1t as she had
gezed hundred times in the past weeks,
with eyes that saw in it an omen of un-
fathomable things. To her It was part
ly sacred. the one blot upon the treas
ure that sshe made no effort to wipe
out. She looked long and questioningly:
then she suddenly Strengthened herself.
tossed back her plat, and picked up the
dustpan with a jerk. Holding it care
fully. she crossed to the open window
and overturned it on the sill. Atten-
lively she watched the specks. the
threads. the tiny scraps of dust eddy
out upon the air; then she dropped TO
her knees. taking her face between her
hands.
From the passage below rose the oc-
casional sound of strife. It was the
living hour of the day. Poles with
drying clothes hung from the opposite
windows. an odor Of decaying vege-
, tables hung on the air; but above
where the slanting roofs cut the sky.
shone space of frosty blue. and upon
this she fixed her gaze. She owned the
| inestina BILE quality Of seeing nothing be-
| low her wants.
Her eyes rested on the strip of blue
and away, like zigzag lines wandered
the pictures of her mind. Granite cas-
ties. lowered and battlemented. rose out
of a shmmering cloud; belts of ir trees
shot into the air. frost-tipped and glis~
tening as the sun; white avenues. stiff
| with ice twisted to iiIimitabIe length.
She looked till her eyes ached. then she
rose and crossed the room. Her face was
! flushed. her eyes dark; she turned back
the patched coverlet of the bed and
drew out book. 1t was a small book
bound in calf; the leaves thin and yell
low. were torn in parts; across the fly
leaf ran the title, ''Abra- Mule: or.
Love and Empire. a Tragedy" Pass
ing this with small considera ton. she
opened the book al THE Plain Dealer, a
Comedy and began to read The words
from frequent perusal were known to
her hut through habit her eyes skim
med the lines.
Five minutes passed-ten minutes-she
still read on. Then a knock fell upon
the door.
She forgot TO raise her head and the
knock was repeated. At last she lifted
her chin.
Come in she called. and at the same
moment she thrust the book into its hid
ing place.
The handle turned and Johann's face
showed round the corner of the door.
You told me to tell you when ii was
T. 1t is u now" He looked harassed
and III at ease.
Twelve already. Come in. Johann
my works all done Come in while
put on my hat"
He obeyed slowly. and she wheeled
toward him.
Would you be nervous today-if yoJ
were me2" She pushed a chair in his di
rection. q was awake at and hardly
ate my breakfast"
4 noticed he said in a strained
voice.
~ ~
After all. it is but natural. becaus,
= is the most splendid day of all my life
= When I return tonight I'll have seen
t real play-not a nIay in a booth, or
d play in a book''-she glanced involun
= tarily toward the bed-''but a play IN
theater with a real stage" She hrolt
off abruptly and looked across the room
y at the wistfuI face and the twisted BODY
50 painfully conscious of itself. Johann
f isn't she too good 10 me2"
o Johann turned his face from the light
, Whatever seems good to you, Anna
is good to me. 1t is but natural tha
+ she should love you. II is but what
x understand
? Anna ran to him and squeezed hi
4 fingers Johann. dear Johann! How
= kind YOU are! ] feared that you Nigh
be cross today, and now you're not. I
seems good, Look, even the SUI
r shinesI'- She nodded toward the win
n dow, then passed to the door and lifte
her nat from the hook She looked a