The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-27

felt as | watched his desperate efforts tc
revive the joys OF youth like a spectator
at a media.val revel who alone knows tina,
within the gay robe and masque OF one
Of the dancers turks the hideous form
of the Black Death.
The accessories to the scene too only
made poor Powers's role the more in
congruous. He omitted nothing that
might be attempted by the most Law sh
of gallants; drives, routs. theatre parties,
late suppers. costly presents, profuse
flowers. a constant bowling and Sinking
attendance. While it should have been
even more painful than it was ridiculous,
the Pawkers approvingly aided him to
! plan the more. and Milicent Loud accepted
like a proud young queen. receiving as
she always had received her due.
The wedding drew near. emitting more
splurpe and show. 1t was to be a Taw-
drew function. celebrated in the evening
in the large ballroom by the Rev. Dr..
Reliuuarv in the presence OF Tdwdrey
I House guests.
The house was electric with the swine
Of needles. the click OF scissors. 1t vi
brated under the ceaseless inRreSs ot
bundles and boyes. Envy. hatred and
malice compared rumors regarding pres
ents and grew more virulen'.
Alas. poor Erastus! Smoking jacket anr
shippers and easy chair End spect1cles
laid on the newspaper await o in vain.
while '-ou b~linkinGlY and haltinEly chase
| the yill-o'-the-visps Of the nast.
The evening before the event OF evants
Pawker sccostAd me in the Office. putting
thick smoke FROM his black cigar,
Come IN to Judge Pr"cedent's room"
he said. There's a bit Of business Powers
wants us to dc. for him, Then or he
did follow, and found Erastus ner-
vouslY scanning a legal document that the
Judge had lust drawn. The contrast ~
his haggard fare and twitching hands
with his curled locks and jewelled fingers
sickened me
glad If n fresher breath. for the NIGHT
was close and overcast. Again the wind
was BLOWING s~ullenly from the river.
again tho blackness was lessened and
accumulated bv whirls Of mist. Again
that crv ~resounded. identical in its IN
earthly snvaCery, not louder MT o,leerIy
enough, nearer. Again | pulled down the
sash and shared in a shiver, n shudder..
Damn those motor cars. grow'ed
Pawker. "Thev ought TO file their horns
after being NJ I'll night
That's RIGHT: that must be what II was
stammered Powers. and making an ink"
mess Of II he signed and acknowledged
and we attested his last will and tesla
ment,
There we're other sounds from the
river the next morning borne on the
heavy nir-the incessant tootings Of YES
sells caught in the fog.
rL--. l. ~, ~ ptaa =, nr In no ri nn fha
bar near the ferry hus.' said Katie. the
! maid who Thought she cleaned my rooms,
with all thin poor domned %innocints
on boord. It's a pity they wndn't let thin
rist quite, 40 It is. instid OF dragging thin
all over the face OF the cart and the
wathers underneat' like shears before
their sheepers tho bats. rats and TRAPS
Tten on she put. u type oil the age, In her
frenzy to raise the dust.
A dismal day, IL ever a dav was dismal.
shut in bv mist. saturated by rain, dark
cned by cloud, IF Milliccnt was to he a
happy bride, than the sun must have
suffered an eclipse Of memory.
From bad 10 worse the hours begged
on. until when just before the ceremony
loitered in tho Office il would seem from
the way the dampncss swept through
the revolving doors. blackening the
pavement and darkcning tho electric
lights with it's slime, that the Tawdroy
House was a derelict awash. Thus irri-
Ia tion was added to excitement. and
while the servants were busting more
they we're doing their duty lcss.
For some such reason ! noted that
groups OF lone women, who came trailing
. In bcdraggled, received scnnt attention.
. They hung about tho onice staring.
giggling. adjusting their tousled hnery
before the dimmed mirrors. They huddled
confusedly in the ladies' parlor. which