The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1913-07-17

HER LAST LONG SIGH
D oRAcG q. DosTWIck.

sIt isn't - though she had carsd.-
Athcrton said. In = tired voice. urn
ing the letters and kilograms over
nstlessly. 1T isn't ~ though she bad
cared" be repeated. duly. opsnins
and closing the small drawers. one by
ons. He was searching for . photo
graph that phe had kept on her desk
"a likeness taken In her early girl
hood. long before he had met her.
A he felt clumsily about among
the papers . letter fell out He start
q 70 replace II, but caught sight Of
his own name tn the familiar writing
and paused. He opened II with trenr
Ming nngers-
Il did the best could" he said.
slowly to himself. 4 couldn't hsip
not caring. thought couid--af
nrst. I thought IL would come with
time. Cod how hard II has bean.
how bitter hard" lie passed bis thin.
nervous hand wearily across his col
orless face AT least. abe never
knew, never suspected. nor cared.
either way he said. bitterly. she
was as Indifferent As-as was"
Il wonder n she knows now" he
breathed- 4 wonder II she KNOW
and understands She never seemed
TO understand anything used 70
wonder how anyone could feel 20 1T
tie and live I tried once to tell hsr
how l felt and she laughed Said
/ needed something to tone me up
Perhaps abe was right Perhaps I am
. morbid chap. Poor Helen!" he
sighed as he pored over the letter In
the failing light He sat up. startled
Dear he read. Il couldn't hope
ever to make you understand how l
love you. You have tust left mo-
cold. unioving. careless. as you always
are-and I (poor foolish. loving thingl
put my starved arms about your chair
and laid my lips passionately against
the spot where your dear head has
Lain Dearest. no man was ever loved
more deeply. more tenderly. than you
are. o. the sadness. the heartbreak
Of IL all,
Il want you to know n you ars left
and you will be-that l have always
cared Dear. I know how Il IL with
you- ] know that the bonds have b.
come 10 irksome that they have worn
into your very soul II you had cared.
John. We should have been very hap
py. ! love your work. your fntorestA.
but have not dared voice it for fear
% that look, that cruelty indifferent.
hard. careless look, II burns Into me
A. I write and I vrtths under the
torture OF IT,"
He sat with. his head on his arms
for hours. Once he cried out In
agony: MY God. n I had knowni
II had knowni-
At last hs climbed the heavy, dark
stairway to the room above TO face
his dead He turned hack tho vhits
after his long vigil
A Her face was oddly giriish a. it
Was IN the litfis photo He feit . vast
tsndcrness yelling up within him a.
he looked
IT could tell her Just once and
see her smiie a. she used to smile
before'- He buried his face In tho
clothes At her aide At the rccoliection.
He remembered suddenly that she
had been possessed OF . horror OF
burial with life stiil existant Hs
started and looked again. pierringiy.
Into her still face. II was not mar
BILE like IN tho faces be had seen In
death A sudden hope ciutched at his
heart
"Heisn.- no cried. como back.
You are mine. child. I have always
loved you-aiwAys. didn't know.
o child. open your eyes to met His
face went gray with the effort OF bis
life. He was straining. striving
against death. the conqucror himself.
He prayed BY all he held sacred. BY
his mothers memory. by his beiief
In love. by the prayers OF the long
gone dead. and holding her two cold
hands In his own. he cha:cd and
warmed them unwearfediy. repeated.
iy. calling TO her. pleading with her.
begging her 10 come back.
The passionate warmth OF his ap-
peal softcncd the cold stiffness OF her
fingers. They seemed TO him to be
growing plant. human.
Helen he called for the last time.
Helen child. II is I-open your eyes
TO mel" IL was the impassioned ap-
peal OF soul TO soul.
Then slowly. YEARLY. unwiiiingiy.
as OF some child waking from a sleep
OF deep exhaustion. the cold. white
lids lifted and the familiar eyca
looked into his own. though family
as from n long distance. The shadow
OF smile parted the gray iips--the
lips of death.
You are going to iive," he cried.
loudly. You arc going to iivc-for
me" He felt her cold. cold face
against his own hot cheek. He heard
her nigh--a long sigh OF rapture that
was almost a aob-then blacknesa