Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-11

again, In her comfortable bass. You re
all nerved up over Armies weddin', that's
the matter with You. You're all beat out,
Sarah, with this frostin' cake an pacxin'
things an losin Annie an ALL
But Mrs. Marvin shook her head
No. she said solemnly, my time has
come. But I've talked with Annie an
she knows what 1 want she should do il
ever there's a chance. Annie wouldn't
disregard it. She'd say twas mothers
wish. Well, Nabby-'' Her tone had
changed to quick alertness. Les we get
TO bed. There's lots to do in the morn
in. The school children are comm early
with brakes an things to trim up, an
I've got to set out my chiny. tt goin'
TO be fair I'm thankful for that
Aunt Nabby rose more slowly. She was
vaguely troubled by her sisters conf
dence. 1t was as if Mrs. Marvin had
token off the mantle OF her gloom and
thrown IT upon her. She turned away
thoughtfully.
Sarah" she hesitated. Now, Sarah
NO" said Mrs. Marvin brightly, mo.
L amt agoin to fuss no more. You
needn't say it. / got kinder nerved up. l
guess. Annie's goin' an all, an after to-
morrer's over / can settle down again."
But that night in her own room. with
Annie breathing at her side, she knew
this for no specter Of the mind She lay
there looking out into the moonlight.
where the linden breathed from countless
blooms, and thought anew that something
was going to happen quite different from
anything that had happened to her before.
This did not seem to be one Of the calam-
tiles forever attacking her husband in hei
dreams. They were less real 1t was
something very large and it was near. 1t
was bringing with it, too, a strange
benefcence. ana she smiled into the night
remembering how she had been told that
death itself is welcome at the last.
The next day went In an unhroken cur
rent of good fortune. Annie's school chill
dren came laden with spoils from woods
ana meadow, and her girl-mates turned
the house into greenwood bower. The
bride was still and calm, and the sun
shone on her. The young husband looked
all pride and strength. The cream was
whipped precisely right and there We're
no tears. And through it all the little
mother, in her shining hair and her sum-
mer silk, moved about with her hating
step. seeing that everybody was served
and hat nothing suffered lack. Nabby
breathed freely, finding that her sister
was herself again; but Nabby did not
know. C,,eerfuly as Sarah Marvin was
turning here and there on her brisk err
rands. her mind was elsewhere. She was
breathess with expectation of summons
sure to come. But 1t was not until Annie
had driven off and the last guest dropped
volubly away that she found time to
meet her mood and recognize 1t. Aunt
Ny1l = \
they talked excitedly over the sweet day.
Now" said Aunt Nabby, when the last
dish was put in place, you come over
with me an we'll have cup o. tea an go
straight into our BEDS
A look of swift alarm fitted into the lit
tie mothers face. She put one small
hand on Nabby's wrist.
mo, no." said she. don't you ask me
not tonight. I'm goin' to stay right here
I'm goin' to have me a cup o. tea by my
self, an then I'm goin' to wind up the
clock an go to bed You let me do it
just that way tonight, Nabby. Seems II
l must"
Well said Nabby, we'll She rolled
down her sleeves thoughtfully, and took
UP pile of her own dishes, loaned for
the occasion. I'm be over in the morn
grenadier step out at the back door
You'd better come here an git breath,
she called from the garden. Smells ter
rib!e good here. 'Cruit you right up
But Mrs. Marvin wanted no tonic save
that of solitude in her familiar place She
sank into the rocking chair by the win
dow with sense Of peace. The house
was full of fragrance. Green leaves were
everywhere, and the ferns in the next
room diffused a damp delcousness like
their own color. She hardly knew her
house. it was sweet The dusk was
falling, and the Junction clock struck s.
This was not the way she had expected
to feel on the night of her girls wedding;
but, strangely, her mind was not on An
ME- but with her own lost youth AS if
she had stepped from this ceremony into
a chamber of her own life, she found
herself going over the first meeting with
her husband when they were young 1t
was at a picnic. but she had forgotten
who else was there. Only he seemed TO
be always beside her, carrying her basket
picking flowers and saying things the
others must not hear. Then came their
marriage and the first year of it, when
there seemed to be nothing in the worll
but good fortune. Beyond that the in
visible spirit that led her mind did not
guide her. The years of slow under
standing of her husbands nature, the
years when patience had been born In her
through sharp travail, had dropped away
\ beneficent hand had wiped them out, as
if, their mission having been accomplished,
she might turn from sorrow now to rest
So she dropped idly back into her court
ship days. wondering again If, as Grand
mother Marvin said, this apparition Of
the past were forerunner OF the end.
Sally" came a mans voice from the
darkened doorway. Sally, YOU there
Yes, Stephen" she answered out Of
her dream Come right in But she
rose. in speaking. and fastened to the
door. Il guess that screens ketched,"
she said. practically. Sometimes it Is"
Her husband stepped inside and set his
bag down the floor. Then 1t was that
she found her heart was beating wildly
and her mouth grew dry.
We'll. Sally" said he. 1t was the same
voice. Kind and sad, kind by nature, sad
for no reason, and it was like call from
that past which seemed at once so far
away and ger compared with the mo-
ment's vividness.
4 see in the paper Annie was goin' 70
be married today" he said.
Yes" answered the wife 1T was a