The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-06-12
THE LADY IN BLACK.

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over the porch the Lady in Black sa+ alo,o NJ
her chlld's white dress Law across cboir al =.
The foor at her feet tiny pair of boo IL va
Cile Toes lay where an apparently bas4v bord H.
thrown them A doll, head downward b,pe, o. :
-Oack, and toy soldier with draw, I
ugillldted the little stand on the bed And o,or,.
- was Silence-the peculiar silence that comes
o''iT 10 room where the clock has ceased to tick
ne cIock-such foolish little clock of flicrao
STOOD on the shelf at the foot of the he'd a,d
as the Lady in Black looked at il she aI
tne wave OF anger that had surged over her 1ybon
si.e had thrust out her hand and silenced il tbot
night three months before. 1t seemed so monsto,,s
70 hGr that the pulse in that senseless thing of It
enouu lhrob on unheeding while below on the LITTLE
Wille bed that other pulse was so pitiably stin
hence she had thrust out her hand and stonned i
IT. had been silent ever since-and it sbould remain
silent too. Of what possible use were tbe bnurs
IL would tick away now! As if ANYTHING nsttered
with little Kathleen lying out there white and stiIl
under the black earth!
"Auverw
The Lady in Black stirred restIessIv ord
glanced toward the closed door. Behind i Che
knew was little lad with wide blue eyes and dinn-
ing mouth who wanted her; but she wished he
would not call her by that name 1t only reminded
her OF those other little lips-silent now.
-Muver!" The voice was more insistent.
The Lady in Black did not answer. He might
60 away, she thought, if she did not answer.
there was short silence then the, door-knob
ratified and turned half around under the touch of
plainly unsklled fingers. The next instant the door
swung back on its hinges and revealed at full
length the little fingers in the Russian suit
Peck" 1t was gurgling cry of joyful dis
covery, but 1t was followed almost instantly by ST.
lence he black-garbed, unsmiling woman did not
invite approach, and the boy fell back at his first
step lie hesltated then spoke, tentatively "Fs-
here"
was +lo IL:
said. To the Lady in Black it was but yet more
bitter reminder Of that other one who was not there
She gave sharp cry and covered her face with her
hands.
Bobby, Bobby: how can you taunt me with it,"
she moaned in a frenzy of unreasonng grief $50
away--go away | want to be aone-alone!''
All the brightness fed from the boys face His
mouth longer dimpled and his eyes showed
a grieved hurt III their depths. Very slowly he
turned away. At the top of the stairs he stopped
and looked back. The door was still open, and the
Lady in Black still sat with her hands over her face
He waited. but she did not move; then, with half
stied sob, he dropped the top step and began to
bump down the stairs at time.
Long minutes afterward the Lady in Black
raised her head and saw him through the window.
lie was down in the yard with his father having
frolic under the apple tree.
A frolicl
The Lady in Black looked at them with sd5mbre
eyes. and her mouth hardened at the corners Bob
by down there in the yard could laugh and dance
and frolic Bobby had some one to play with him,
some one to love him and care for him. while out
there on the hillside Kathleen was alone-all alone
Kathleen had no
With little cry the Lady in Black sprang to
her feet and hurried into her own room. Her
hands shook as she pinned on her hat and hrouded
herself in the long folds of her black veil but her
step was firm as she swept downstairs and out
through the hall
Tho 1,1a, odpr tho annie erOse hl1rrIed1v and
came forward.
"Helen dearest-not again, todayw he begged.
Darling it can't do any goodw
But she's alone-all alone. You don't seem to
think. No thinks-no one knows how | feel.
You don't underestimate you did, you'd come with
me. You wouldn't ask me to stay--here" choked
the woman.
~ have been with you, dear" said the man.,
gently. "I've been with you today, and every day,
almost since-since she left But it can't do any
good-this constant brooding over her grave. 1t
only makes additional sorrow for you. for me, and
for Bobby. Bobby is-here, you know, dearP
NO. no. don't say it." sobbed the woman, wildly.
you don't understand-you don't understandw
And she turned and hurried away, a tall, black
shadow of grief followed by the anguished eyes of
the man. and the wistful, puzzled eyes Of the boy.
1t was not long walk to the tree-embowered
plot of ground where the marble shafts and slabs
plistened in the sunlight, and the Lady in Black
knew the way; vet she stumbled and reached out
blindly and she fell, if exhausted, before little
stone marked "Kathleen." Near her a gray haired
woman with her hands full of pink and white roses,
watched her sympatheticaly. She hesitated and
opened her lips as if she would speak, then she
turned slowly and began to arrange her flowers
q grave near by.
At the slight stir the Lady in Black raised her
head. For time she watched IN silence; then she
threw back her veil and spoke
sYou care, too" she said, softly. "You under
stand. I've seen you here before, I'm sure. And
was yours-a little girl"
The gray-haired woman shook her head
"No. dearie, it's little boy-or he was little
boy forty years ago"
Forty years-so long How could you have
lived forty years-without him."
Again the little woman shook her head.
cone has to-sometimes, dearie; but this little
boy wasn't mine. He was none of my kith nor kin"