The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-27

the hut shone with the glory Of a pal
aCa
Time passed, and the man worked,
and the woman thought, and they for
got the Stone, and dust and cobwebs
covered It. After a time the woman
saw that the light Of the Stone was
growing dim: the hut began to seem
bare and cold without its slowing radi-
ance. The man shivered as he returned
from his daily task, yet knew not why,
They looked about and sighed.
"One night, as the man returned from
his work, he saw amons the trees a
shining light that famed in the air be-
fore him ana dazZled his eyes. And he
turned and followed It, but the woman
sat alone IN the darkness and went
For long time the man followed
the flaming Hight, and when at last he
had come up with it and tried to clasp
1t to his heart it burnt his soul, and he
returned 10 the hut IN bitterness and
sorrow.
Then the man and the woman took
the Stone and washed 1t with their
tears, but It was cold and dark, and but
a common pebble, Ike all the others.
Again their thoughts were of Love and
Death, but this time because Life
seemed too small to hold their pain.
"One evening, as they sat alone in
the darkness, a little child came, and
they gave it the Stone to play with.
For a Ions time the child played with
the Stone, and II seemed to them, as
the days went by. that once more the
hut was lit with glory OF the past,
but at night the child took the Stone
and slept with II, close 70 it's heart, for
It loved the Stone.
"Then came a time when the child
cried out In the night IN great suffering,
and they FASTENED to It; and as they
to il together, they saw the
stone lying close to the child's heart.
Their tears fell upon IL, and 10! II shOne
as before, and in it's dazzling glory the
hut once again became as a palace. And
they took the child to their hearts, and
wept for joy
AS she finished the woman let the
slip from her lap, and from
her bosom she drew small gold locket,
pendent from a thread-Iike chain. She
opened II, and with tear-Euffused eyes
gazed with an infinite depth Of longing
at the baby face therein, the face OF a
child Of a year-now but a memory. She
arose. threw herself upon a couch, and
with the locl1et pressed close 70 her lips
wept softly, convulsively, for a time.
At last she slept.
Awakes Shivering
Long After Midnight.
II vas long after midnight when she
lwolxe With a shiver, and glanced about
he room The opened letter, lying
where she had dropped Il upon the floor,
FN-~-.k L. - a.
earlier events Of the evening. She arose
rom the couch and paced moodily up
and down the room, pausing from tine
% time before a large mahogany writing
iesk which stood IN one OF its corners.
After contemplating this object in
silence for perhaps the tenth time she
approached It with a swift and sudden
determination, and opening one Of the
drawers. drew out a Japanned tin dis
patch box, striped about it's edge with
gold bands. Seating herself IN the chair
she placed the box upon her knees and
II with an expression Of deep
aversion. From her intent contemplation
II the box. Il was evtc ent that she was
whether or not TO open It.
Her lrst impulse. a reaction evidently
rom that which had caused her to take
t from the desk, was 10 return It 20 the
irawer unopened. but this first and best
resolution evidently gave way TO a final
md more dangerous one. She leaned
1ver and took from the table a heavy
Moorish knife, souvenir Of a hasty stop
II Gibraltar while en- route 20 Naples /
IpOn her wedding trip, and carefully |
Inserting its point beneath the edge Of
he lid attempts to force the cover from
he box II was difficult undertaking; /
he metal bent and crUnpled as she put
orth all THE strength Of her round, |
White wrist Presently, with a rending
sound, the lock tore away from the
ront OF the box, and the bent lid fell
backward. The box contained a mass
# papers, Cancelled checks and other
documents, but on top OF these lay q
package OF letters. tied about with a
narrow blue ribbon. With an eager CRY
he woman seized the package, allowing
he box 10 slip unheeded from her lap
o the floor. and IN frenzied haste tore fl |
open and began to examine its con
ents.
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