Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1906-01-06


very good to me. But. oh. how the
sight of him will bring back the time
at Conventional. when George used to
come and see me on Sunday afternoons.
and we uscd to walk together in the cold.
bare mcadows.'
Mr.. Raymond WIS waiting in the best
pnrlor--that sacred chamber which had
been so rarely used during the parish
surgeons brief welded lifc-that prim-
ly arranged little sitting room. which al
ways had faint odor Of old-fashioned
potpourri: the room which Isabel had
ycarncd to bcautify into n borer of
chintz and muslin. The blind was down
and the shutters half closed: and in the
dim light Charles Raymond looked very
pale.
"Nfy dear Mrs. Gilbert" he said. taxi
ing her hand aud leading her to a seat;
rmy poor child--so little more than a
,hild.--it seems cruel to come to you Mt
such time; but life is very hard some
times"
"it was very kind Of you to come"
Isabel exclaimed. intcrrupting him: II
wanted to see you or some one Ike you.
for everything seems 50 dreadful to me.
I never thought that lie would die"
She began to cry. In weary. help.
less way. not like person moved by
some bitter grief: rather like a child that
finds itself In strange place, and is
frightened
"My poor child. my poor child.'
Charles Raymond still held Isabcrs
passive hand. and she felt tears drop
ping on IL: the tears Of man. of all
others the last to give way to any scnti-
| mental weakness.
~ should he the last to mention Ro-
land Ransdelss name In your hearing"
Mr.. Raymond answered presently. when
she had grown little qulcter. 'if the
events Of the last day or two had not
broken down all barriers. The time Is
very near ut hand. Isabel. when M
name ever spoken upon this earth will
be an cmpticr sound than the name Of
Roland 1.ansdell."
She lifted her tear stained face sud.
denly and looked ut him. All the clouds
Aoated away. and dreadful light float
cd In upon her. She looked ut him.
| trembling from head to foot. with her
hands clnsped convulsivcly about his
| arm.
"You came here to tell me something"
| she gnsped: something has happened
20 him! All. II It has, life Is all sor.
| row."
lie is dying. Isabel"
"Dyingw
Her lips shaped the words. and her
| fixed eyes stared at Charles Raymond's
face with an awful look.
He In dying. 1t would he foolish "a
| deceive you with any false hope. when
In four and twenty hours time all will
| he finished. lie went out--riding--ths
other night. and fell from his horse. Ms
Il Il supposed. lie was found by some
haymakcrs early the next morning ~.
ing helpless some miles from the Priory
and was carried lSra'. The medical
men give no hope Of his recovery: hut
| he has been sensible at intervals ever
since. I have been great deal with
him---constantly with him: aud his
Cousin Gwcndolinc IL there. lie want.
TO see you. Isabel: Of course he knows
| nothing Of your husbands death; ! did
not know Of It myself til l came her,
this morning. He wants to SEQ you. my
poor child. do you think you car
! Gomez
4 She arose and bent her head slowly
MS II In assent. hut the fixed look Of hor
rSr never left her face. She moved to
ward the door, and seemed as II sh,
wanted to go mt oncc---,lrcsscd ns sh,
was. with the old faded shawl wrapped
about her.
you'd better get your housckccpcl
10 make you comfortable and tidy Will,
] go and engage u n.y." said Mr.. Ray
mond; ana then looking her full In tn,
face, he added: "Can you promise ~,
to be very calm and quiet when You ~,
l,imY You had better not come unlcs,
you can promise me ~ much as that
His hours are numbered. as II II; bu
any violent emotion would be immediate
u fatal. A mans last hours are very
precious to him. remember; the hours O
IA man who knows his end In near max,
o sacred mystical period In which tn,
world drops far away from him. and b,
In In a kind Of middle region between
this life aud the next. want you (,
iecollect this. Isabel. Tho man you ar,
going to see In not the man you hav,
known In the past. There would be yer!
little hope for us after death II we fOun,
no hallOwing influence In its approach.
II will rec0llect." Isabel answered
She had shed no tears since she ha,
been told of ROland's danger. Perhaps
this new and terrible shock had nerve,
her with an unnatural strength. An,
amid all the anguish cOmprehended Il
tho thought Of his death. It scarcel!
seemed strange to her that Roland Lans
dell should be dying.
There was the same solemn hush a
Mordred PriOry that there had been Il
the surgeons house mt Graybridge, Onl!
there seemed deeper solemnity her
amid all the darkened' splendor of tn,
spacious rooms, stretching far away, on,
beyond another. like the chambers of
palace, as Isabel saw tho long vista no
us she had seen 1t once. when he cam
to the hall to bid her welcome, but witt
the haunting. dream-like oppression
strong upon her. Shs saw little gllm
mering patches of gliding and color her
and there In the cool gloom of the shade,
rooms. and long bars Of light shinin,
through the venetian shutters upon tn
polished Oaken floors. One of the med
lcnl men-there were three or four o
them in the hOuse--came ont Of the II
brary and spoke In n whisper to MI
Raymond. The result Of the whispering
seemed tOlerably favorable, for the doc
tor went back to his companions in tn
library. and Mr.. Raymond led lsabe
up the broad staircase, the beautiful
staircase which seemed to belong to
church or a cathedral rather than to an
common habitatiOn.
They met nurse In the corridor,
prim, pleasant-looking woman. who an
swered Mr.. RaymOnd's questions In