The state herald., 1914-09-04

A shiver went over her set face
like breath of wind over tall grass,
and she seemed to come back from an
infinite distance to place and moment.
Between the curtains white butter
hy lowered an instant, and in the yard
she heard the sound of some winged
thing fluttering. The thought darted
to her that 1t was the sound OF her
own dead heart awaking She looked
at the key and all at once put hand
to her mouth as though to still words
clamoring there.
Judith" he said tremulously, be-
tween short struggles for breath. "all
these years. after l found there was
no chance for me. reckon I've
prayed only one prayer. God. let It
be Sassoon that she loved!' And I've
prayed that mighty near every day.
The thought that maybe it was Valiant
has haunted me like a ghost. You
never told-and never dared ask you.
Judith"
Her face was still averted. and when
she did not speak he turned his head
from hes' on the pillow. with breath
that was almost moan. She started,
looking at him an instant in piteous
hesitation. then swiftly kissed the lit
tie key and closed her hand tight upon
1t. Truth? She saw only the pillow
and the graying face upon It! She
.hrew herself on her knees by the
couch and laid her lips on the pallid
forehead.
Tit was Sassoon. Monty" she
said. and her voice broke on the first
lie she had ever told.
Thank God!" he gasped. He strug.
gled to raise himself on his elbow.
then suddenly the strength faded out
and he settled back.
Her cry brought the doctor. but this
time the restorative seemed OF NO
avail. and after a time he came and
touched her shoulder. With a last
long look at the ash-pale face on the
settee she followed him from the room.
In the yellow parlor he put her into
chair.
No." he said. in answer to her look,
he won't rouse again"
II will wait" she told him. and he
left her. shutting the door with care
full softness.
But the slight figure with Its silver
hair. sitting there. was not alone.
Ghosts were walking up and down.
Not the misty wraiths John Valiant
had at times imagined went Hitting
along the empty corridors. but faces
very clear in the sunlight. that came
and went with the memories SO long
woven over by the shuttle OF time-
evoked now by the touch of key that
her hand still clenched tightly In Its
palm.
There welled over her In tide those
days of puzzle. the weeks of waiting
silence. the slow inexorable months Of
heartache. the long years that had
deepened the mystery OF Beauty Vail.
ants exile. In the first shock OF the
news that Sassoon had fallen by his
hand. she had thought she could not
forgive him that broken faith. She
and his promise TO her had not weighed
In the balance against the idea Of
inahig hohois but tuib pitttTuebb
had at length slipped away. He will
write" she had told herself. "and ex.
plain" But no word had come. whis-
pers had fitted to her-the tale OF
Sassoon's intoxication-etingin barbs
that clung to Beauty valiant's name.
That these should rest unanswered
had tilled her with resentment and
A..s
had grown the belief that he no longer
cared. In the end there had been left
her only pride-the pride that covers
It's wound and smiles. And she had
hidden her wound with flowers. But
In the deepest well OF her heart her
love for him had rested unchanged.
clear and defined as a moss In amber,
wrapped In that mystery of silence.
cro NE CONTINUED