Evening star., 1914-02-17

ants had all gone to bed except the
| Haulal, who waited patiently till it should
please Missie to come il, to close the
| doors.
( Sugar crept away to her bed in the
I verandd. But Tiffie decided that she was
not at all sleepy and that she absolutely
must find her aunt and tell her the news.
! Aunt JOY WAS just too delicious to tell
( things to.
But the bedroom. when she reached it,
was empty. Beyond was the nursery that
/ had been Honeys, door always jeal-
ously locked now. Tonight to Titles as
constituent ii was ajar. and the moon
+ light streamed in, a long bar of pale gold
across the matted floor. The girl went
( forward. calling softly TO her aunt. But
{ no one answered her.
Taen she stopped suddenly. rigid.
From the room beyond came clear,
high child voice. ripplinG with laughter.
But 7t nat all ] SLY. mummy? ! don
Hac talking Like that an hearin it all
/ again. Viii it he like Muinblin' Nose.
an all Ur-r-r-r To begin, ch. mummy?
oh-h, | wish could hear it now all
say my goblin poetry-eh. mummy?
Then came JOY 5 Voice, laughing little
as she answered:
"Do YOU think YOU could remember it.
my darling
di2uantly, and began to recite in the
high siuas-spH=s ot a small person reeling
uif verses Uy heart:
Wau1ri'i' Gown village street
t.urJu. have ycu lost your way:
tiuArp. have you stay:
t'i,. ,sltat l-55It dusty feet.
Wou-4u' down car village street
Taese. oh, wait, mummy. ] can't re-
renber.
Did you come said JOY.
the child went ON. triunDlantlN.
did YOU come 70 gavver ven
Tor Titanys dla-dia-
I can't say that vewy hard word. num-
nly''
There was whirr as of invisible wheels
running down, and then-silencc.
Tiffany held her breath. She could not
move hand or foot. Was it a dream. or
had the dead indeed come back TO live
for "A moment in that sorrow-haunted
room?
joys voice broke the stiffness with a
stJ1ed sobbing cry
oh Honey. Honey Honey: Como to
me, Honey, Oh, can't bear it. ] can't
bear it any more. oh. Honey, darling,
wait YOU. u,l- little baby, Honey,
Her low sobbinG flied tho room Tif-
faay. with some vague idea Of comforting
heg, pushed open the door quietly and
went ia.
The room was idst as she had always
known it when oney was alive The cot,
stood in the center OF the room Every
thing was i'll its usual place and heauti-
flIi;y clean and cared foI-the simple
wntc furniture, the bright rugs on the
matted floor. the cay cMnta-coveFed
chars. the brightly coiored pictures on
the vail Toys lay here and there. as II
only luSt dropped by small tired fingers.
Huney's big gTamophone cleaned ike
gold i'll the moonlight.
Beside the bed. her arms outf1ing on
81 TnI- h.r a
tumbIed about her shoulders. sobbinS as
if her heart would break Jo4-who had
forgotten. She turned with start as
Tiffany entered.
Did You want anythins, dear" she
Il smile on her pale face. leading the
way back into her own room.
Come in here. dear. Now, what is II
all about" and. as Tiffie faitered out
her tale she bent and kissed her very
tenderly-
he is a nice hoy. dear and hope YOU
Will he very happy. What clever little
mouse il is TO keep its secret SO long,.
But Tiffany, as she kissed her aunt
good night flung her arms about her
neck and whispered passionately:
oh. Aunt JOY. ] do love you 50. I
never knew. Darlington. l thought. we
thought no one remembered Honey but
me-"
She felt her aunt stifen in her arms
and her courage fed.
II didn't mean to listen, truly I'll never
tell any one about it she gasped and
made precpjtatelv for the door.
10y stood there alone in the dark for
moment her face strained and bitter.
''ForSotteG?" she said aloud. in queer
stTanE!ei voice. utterly unlike her own.
f4raing abruptly. she s!ipret. back into
tl- otler room she bent auf kissed the
i
lslIs'. kissed it lerceiy. passipnately.
Forgotten" she said again with a
broken thrill or laughter. TO the empty
room, and the empty bed, and the moon
light that streamed in SO passionlessly.
Just as il had shonc III ON Honey's quiet
sisepin- q wear and more ago
That was what they all thought OF her
then. ali OF them, even Tiffany ana Pc
ter who each loved her IN their way?
She had hidden her own sorrow so deep
to comfort them that they only mocked
and s;,id she had forgotten. she whose
sleeping and waking was haunted by her
loss.
Tomorrow it will he better She whis-
pered To herself. Il shall not mind 50
mach tomorrow.
But tomorrow IS sJch cold philosophy
with which - still The Eeartache Of to-
day,
She kuelt ou by the bed, her face hid
den. Crushin:, the roses at her breast till
Their petals showered over the coverlet.
That was an emblem of all her life now,
she thought vaguely. as the coo! kiss of
the petals brushed her fingers. Dust OF
rose leaves. that was ali Love and pa
ti.uce and work for others-dust of rose
leaves for herself. the Seller Of Per
'umes," as Tiffany Lad once called her.
long ago.
THE END