The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-05-02

of rose-colored silk. with pointed bod
ice and old-fashioned pufteleeves. She
spread this on the bed and laid with it
q pair Of yellowed satin slippers and
q little straw basket that held spray
Of what had once been cape jessa-
mine. @
In the fickering light she undressed
and rearranged her hair, catching its
silvery. curling meshes in q low soft
coil. Looking almost furtively about
her, she put on the rose-colored gown.
and pinned the withered fiower.spray
on its breast. She lighted more
candles-in the wall-brackets and on
the dressing table-and the reading
lamp on the desk. Standing before
her mirror then, she gazed long at the
refection-the poor faded rose-ti<t
against the pale ivory Of her slender
neck, and the white hair. A little
CULVER ran over her lips.
"'Whatever the fact she whispered,
" you and no other as long
as I live.'"
She unlocked the bureau-drawer
then, took out the letter, and seating
herself by the table, read the remain
der:
II write this in the old library and
Bristow holds my horse by the porch.
He will give you this letter when I
am gone.
Last night we were dancing-all
Of us-at the ball. I can scarcely be-
lieve it was less than twelve hours
ago! The calendar on my desk has a
motto for each leaf. Today's is this:
Every man carries his fate on rib
and about his neck Last night I
would have smiled at that, perhaps;
today say to myself, It's true-it's
true!' Two little hours ago could
have sworn that whatever happened
to me Sassoon would suffer no harm.
Judith. could not avoid the meet
ing. You will know the circum-
stances. and will see that it was forced
upon me. But though we met on the
field, kept my promise. Sassoon did
not fall by my hand" -.
She had begun to tremble 80 that
the paper shook in her hands, and
from her breast, shattered by her
quick breathing, the brown jessamine
petals busted down in her lap. It was
some moments before she could calu4
herself sufficiently to read on.
"He fred at the signal and the shot
went wide. I threw my pistol on the
ground. Then-whether maddened by
my refusal to fire, I cannot tell-he
turned his weapon all at once and shot
himself through the breast. It was
over in an instant. The seconds did
not guess-do not even now, for it
happened but an hour ago. As the
code DEGREES, their backs were turned
when the shots were fired. But there
were circumstances I cannot touch
upon to you which made them disap-
prove-which made my facing him
just then seem unchivalrous. I saw
1t in Bristow's face. and liked him the
better for it, even while it touched
my pride. They could not know, Of
course, that did not intend to fire.
Well, you and they will know it now!
And Bristow has my pistol; he will
find it undischarged - thank God,
thank God!
'But will that matter to you? II
you loved Sassoon, l shall always in
your mind stand as the indirect cause
Of his death! It is for this reason I
am going away-I could not bear to
look in your accusing eyes and hear
you say it. Nor could I bear to stay
here, a reminder to you Of such
horror. If you love me, you will write
and call me back to you. Oh, Ju-
dith, Judith, my own dear love! I
pray God you wills"
She put the letter down and laid
her face upon it. Beauty! Beauty!"
she whispered, dry-eyed. II never
knew! I never knew! But it would
have made no difference, darling.
would have forgiven you anything
everything! You know that, now.
dear! You have been certain Of it all
these years that have been SO empty.
empty to mel"
But when the faded rose-colored
gown and the poor time.yellowed slip.
pers had been laid back in the hair
cloth trunk; when, her door once more
unbolted, she lay in her bed in the dim
glow Of the reading-lamp. with her
curling silvery hair drifting across the
pillow and the letter beneath it, at
last the tears came coursing down her
cheeks. '.-
And with the loosening Of her tears.
gradually and softly came joy-inh.
nitely deeper than the anguish and
sense Of betrayal. It poured upon her
like trembling food. Long. long ago
he had gone out Of the world-it was
only his memory that counted to her.
Now that could no longer spell pain
or emptiness or denial. It was engold.
ened by new light, and in that light
she would walk gently and smilingly
to the end. N'.
She found the slender golden chain
that hung about her neck and opened
the little black locket with its circlet
Of laureled pearls. And AZ she gazed ut
the face 1t held, which time had not
touched with change, the sound. q
|shiriey's harp came softly in through
the window. She was playing an. old
fashioned song, Of the sort she knew
her mother loved best:
Darling, am growing old,
Glver threads among the gold
= Shine upon my brow today:
Life 10 fading fast away.
But. my darling. you viii b
A1W0V0 Ind "a IN ma