Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-03-16

was SldnuluB Dy Win De0I neaQ ana
crossed hands in an attitude of religious
reverence; and in the center of the room
woman kneeling by the side of chair
with all her long, dark draperies spread
across the floor, supporting with both
her arms a form so white, so still, so
small, that it might have been only the
figure of a sleeping child.
The pale yellow locks fluttered loosely
back, sweeping against the dark head
that bent over them; the lips were half
open, smile lowering upon their still
rosy outline, but the strange, wonderful
eyes, with their tale of unspeakable woe
and sadness were closed forever more.
Kitten Desmond had looked her last up
on this troublesome world and the poor
play" of her life was at an end.
In Keppngton churchyard was a tall,
cleaning white cross, fresh from the
sculptOr's hands; white marble lilies curl
ed about its base, and the gilded letters
OF Kittens name flashed and glittered
in the April sunshine upon its outstretch-
ed arms. At the foot of the grave
man stood, bare-headed, with hands
clasped together, gazing earnestly at the
cross
Catherine Eliza beth Desmond" he
murmured, half aloud. Could that in
deed be Kitten? The very name sound
ed strange and unreal in his ears; he re-
membered how, long ago, she had told
him that was how her name would be
written upon her tombstone.
Now, as he stood motionless, there
came soft steps behind him across the
daisy spangled grass, hand was passed
through his arm, and, turning with a
start, he found that Rosamond was by
his side
You, Brian" she said gently. 81 am
glad to have met you here, for l am
gong away. She laid wreath of ex-
quisite white hothouse flowers upon the
grave at her feet.
For some moments they stood motion
less together, with hands clasped togeth-
er. Then Brian spoke a little brokenly.
'RosamoHd, since l have suffered so
much, l have perhaps learned a little,
too. Is life to be indeed over for you
and for me? We cannot undo the past,
but at least we could, perhaps, be happy
in the future; is there no hope that you
can give me?"
Then there rose a delicate bloom like
the tint of pale, wild rose in her
cheeks. She dropped her hand, and with
a swift gesture pointed away across the
low churchyard wall into the lane be-
yond. A carriage stood waiting for her
under the tender green of the overarch-
ing trees. There was luggage on the
top of it, and leaning over the wall, not
looking at them, but away toward the
blue valley below, which he contem-
plated with a pleased dreamness, was
the slight figure of a man with an iron
gray mustache; man whose face he
seemed to recognize, like vision out of
an evil dream
Brian" said Rosamond, gently, ''that
is my husband. | was married this morn
ing to Col. Trefusis. We are on our
way to the station, and we have driven
around by Keppington because l wanted
to leave these flowers here. l could
not bear not to say good-by to her grave
on my wedding day"
"All is over, then, for me in this
world" he said at last gloomily and
wearily.
'N'' - i''c "CIC uil, Sut answered.
quickly, but it is not. You said Just
now that the past cannot be undone and
you were right. Brian, life is not
toy that we can play with, to fling
aside its puppets and pick them up
again just as we fancy. That which
we have done in the past, that we can
not alter; the actions that we have tax
en- upon ourselves, those we are forced
to accept as our portion forever, and
neither repentance nor regret, nor yet
oceans of bitter tears can ever wash
away those things. which by our own
doing we have rendered irrevoca ble One
thing, and one only, can ever sweeten
and sanctify a life that such errors
have darkened-the life, that by own
own free will we have marred, we must
abide by for good or for evil; but we can
at least devote it not to ourselves, but
to others. The last, sad lesson which
sorrow has the power to teach us is un-
selfshness."
He raised her hand to his lips, and
they parted this time forever.
SO these three, who had loved, and
snned, and sorrowed, were parted, but
the happest of the three was surely
Kitten, lying still and cold beneath the
shadow of her marble cross.