The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-06-02
CHAPTER XIV.

Derring found Seth watching for his
coming, and saw at a glance that he
was very i'll. Even a less practiced
eye could not have mistaken the signs.
The hands that lay outside the faded
patchwork cover were yellow and
wrinkled; the veins stood out, a net
work of cords, across the backs. They
were The hands of an old man. Rich
ard noted their feebleness as they
closed eagerly around his W strong.
nrm fingers. Seth seemed to him to
have aged 20 years since he saw him
last.
i am glad you have come, Dick. 1
was afraid you would not get here. l
wanted to see you again. My life has
been a failure. It's hard to say that
when you come to die" he rambled
On. yours won't be a failure, Dick.
And l helped to make 1t. l thought
perhaps | should die easier If / could
look at you again and see something
that / had helped to do in the world"
After this first greeting he said no
more of the comfort of Richards pres
ence. But it was evident in the glance
of his eyes as they followed the young
man about the room and in his rest
lessness when Richard was absent for
a time.
Richard saw that his place was here
as long as Seth needed him, and he
quietly made arrangements to stay for
an indefinite time. He established
hi,nsalf n q ooratakar opd pursa vo,n,
as he was. his experience of life had
been deep enough for him to under
stand that it is not often that one man
can do for another what his mere
presence did for Seth.
The old mar did not speak again of
himself or of approaching death. But
he questioned Richard eagerly about
his work and the life he led. Every
detail of 1t interested him. 1t was as
IL he were listening to the story of
what his own life might have been.
And Richard, understanding by a sub
tie sympathy what 1t meant to him,
gave a minute account OF the office
and the men, the hurry and rush OF
the city, and the haste and true hos.
pitality of the social life.
A stranger looking into the room
would not have guessed that 1t was
soon to be the chamber of death.
Laughter often interrupted the re-
cital. Richard had often fancied that
when he came to die he should not
want the humor of life taken from
him. And the account of his Chicago
life was not dehumorized for a dying
man. Seth, listening. seemed to gain
a quiet strength of soul as his physical
strength failed.
The story Of Helen and his love for
her was too closely interviewer with
the life of the year to be omitted,
yer had Richard cared to do so. Lit
tie by little he had told it all. Seth
listened eagerly and questioned Dick
closely. He made him describe her
minutely-her personal appearance,
her characteristics, her likes and dis
likes, her work-everything that con
cerned her. AS Richard talked of her,
the older man would watch his face
seeking something. Then q smile of
content would cross his face and he
would close his yes as If asleep. But
.%hsp Richard stopped he would say.
tn listening.
-ore -dAy4S9AsR ahay haE been talk
rag of her he asked Richard TO open
1 leather trunk that stood at the foot
of the bed and hand him a box that
he would Cad there.
AS he lifted the lid OF the trunk the
young man knew that he was looking
into The grave of Seth's love. 1t was
dIled with letters and old-fashioned
trjaes. evidently keep-sakes. A long
wristed glove and a riding whip lay
across the top Of q small box Careful