Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-31

And before she has time to protest he
is gone
In an hour lac Is back again, bringing
with him some Of her belongings, which
Mrs. holiday bias packed for her.
How thoughtful you are. Gerald she
says gratefully, As she takes the bag from
him. And how tired you look Now,
won't You go home to bed?'
NO. | shall not leave the house he
says resolutely. and she knows that like
herself he means 10 stay to the end.
1t is not long in coming. Ia the gray
dawn, which is attended by moaning wind
and driving rain, Jeannic comes to sum-
mon him
Tile is going fast" she says quietly,
land he wants to see you"
Gerald has not been in the room since
he left il Soon after midnight, when the
doctor paid hi seeord visit. Then the
dying man was quietly sleeping now he
| is awake, and his great hollow eyes,
turned eagerly towards the door. light up
with satisfaction as his friend enters.
Il am 90 glad YOU stayed" he whispers,
in his faint, spent voice. You are---a
comes close TO him and takes one of the
wasted hands. the thin fingers close round
his with grateful press are. "You--will
lnot-forget? You will keep-your prom
| isey"
Dear old fellow yes; you know will"
''She is so young-and she loved me
! it was all my fault" The words come
| family from his lips; the dread gray
/ Shu sin unto ilNr nc
| sharPened face, and his breath comes in
long, laborcd easrs You see, eyen--if
| had hved-I could not have kept her
AS l meant tot has all been-a
| failure. Nothing tut conceit-as that
PAPER said"
No, no, Rupert! A mistake perhaps
/ to fix all Your hopes and hers on your
| tulout -"
"Conccit as we'll" the dying boy breaks
| in pelslstently What did they say?
as genius Il rather pretty trick of versi-
lication. Maudin vaporings probably
| inspired by calf-love | was furious
when read it but IL is true
! Gerald kneels beside him and gently
wipes tie gathering moisture from his
| damp forehead, then takes the palm
leaf fan lying near. and waves it steadily
to and fro, skilfuly stirring the air
around him without intercepting the
feeble, auttering breath.
Dear boy. don't think of such things
now ne says, "let them be. If you have
| failed here you win succeed elsewhere;
there must be other nobler work for us
all TO do-when we are fit for it than
that which we blunder through here.
| Where is your wife,"
Il told-Jeannie to take her away. |
wanted to remind YOU"
Il will do Just as you wish" Gerald
promises steadily. Then he turns his
head and calls softly, Mrs Dunstan"
Gssy comes hack and n radiant smile
breaks over Rupcrt's face as she nestles
| by his side.
A short silence follows. Rupert still
smiles, but his long. silken lashes rest on
his white cheeks and hide his tired eyes;
| his breath comes more family and at
| longer intervals
is Sister Jean here? Ask her-to
| sing again
The faint whispered words almost
startle the watchers, but there is hardly a
pause before the voice which few hours
ago rang generously through the room in
| songs tliaJ were I'll ABOUT death and
parting rises again in softest. most ten
der cadence, as jcanne sings Faber's
pilgrims of The Night
Half way through the first verse the
! heavy lids are once more lifted and eyes
that s'em already to gaze from an inn
measurable distance smile at the singer,
then turn with last loving effort to-
wards the girl WHO is softly sobbing be-
side him. \ look of distress contracts
| his face for an instant. but Jeannie laws a
firm hand on poor Cissy's heaying shout
der. and sings ON, verse after verse, until
she comes to the last
Angels sing on, your faithful watches
| keeping.
Sing. MS sweet fragments of the songs
above:
Till mornings joy shall end the night of
| weeping.
And life's long shadows break in cloudleSs
love-"
But before she has finished the feeble
/ waning breath has ceased altogether and
| iiupert's aWestruck eyes, closed for ever
! here. are opened Otherwise.
TO BE CONTINUED.
|
Cartooning Chamberlain.
~