The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-01-02
A Regeneration

Hes waiting for an answer down;
stairs. ggrlmbied the charworaan
snikily as she went out, shutilng
heavily along thescreaking boards
The girl ( the, scrapEot papes NY
the dim light that slantedt hroughlthe
chinks q the dusty shutters; Nag
take you 10 my mother.9 It was
only asspeneiledp note hut itSseemed
to5eleaye n rift In the ominousI clouds
that were shadowtng her life. The
message kindled none Of her former
hopes; misfortune had long eaten
themifr her sorrow-blaekened heart
and lflledsthe void with a dull; aching
despair It simply offered q means ~
escape TOT soul panic-strieken by the
gaunt spectre OF want. Disaster had
torn her ambition to, shreds and warp;
ed her nature te;a ~brooding despohdi
ency.
She glanced in the cracked mirror
and saw the lines stamped on heri face
by prlyation; the chalkY pallof that
had blotted out, little by little. the
wiidfower prettiness and fashioned a
dreadful image Of her sufferings.
The glass itself with It's broken streak
cutting across her CHASTITY mirrored
features marked her a failure.
Whats the 'use?" she muttered
duly, passing her hand YEARLY over
her forehead. "He loves ME, he viii
be kind to me; and III be a sard
wife. But the payment! the pay.
ment!" I.
Her voice sank to an awed, fearful
whisper that found its counterpart in
the, look Of nu1nb, misery In her eyes.
An acute pain tore at the remnants Of
her resolution.
The metallic click d tie charwo.
mans pail In the lower hall startled
her. Feverfsh1y, in an impulse Of de.
c%ision, she put on her hat, drew her
shabby coat. close about her body, and
walked blindly towards the door. As
she crossed the threshold she heard
the low, tremulous notes OF a violin
from the Don opposite. A look Of
anguish passed over her face.
1T is Franz" she half sobbed,
pausing and strafning to catch the
faint melody that sounded like a wall.
ing echo OF her grief.
The plaintive notes seemed ike
spirits Of another world, softly mourn.
ing an eternal sorrow ard echoing Il
on and on to infnity. There was, a sad
sweetness in the sound that sank into
the hungry soul OF the listener and
held her in its spell. 1t was The
whispered farewell OF a vanishing
past that took with it all that was
dear to her.
Gradually the tremulous notes
deepened into a solemn plea us
though the faint. echoes had been
welded into a chorusing prayer,
divinely directed to touch into life
the deadened chords Of her inner ma.
ture. Each note, drawn full by the
master hand of genius brought direct
to her the. earnest Of a warning that
halted her i%nvoluntarily before the
closed door. Each resonant tono veil.
ed in Its solemn invocation a prophecy
Of a future remorse aud quickened
the growing responsiveness Of he,
scared heart.
A pleading note entered into the
calm solemnity OF the music, colorinE
the harmony with a ctrain Of human
anguish that flashed its appeal to the
sufferer outside. It vas now the lover
who spoke in the passionate whisper.
ed murmurings that lulled her soul
to a temporary oblivion and attuued
the dissonant, jangling chords. OF her
heart TO a longforgotten melody. The
tense clutch Of her fingers frightened
on the railing! her bosom heaved: d
growing life with its promise stole into
her veins and struggled with thu
sordld stupor.
The tempo OF the music sped faster
and faster, making the particles oi
the air ring withs a1peignantcharmo
which gathered la4twotoids farce from
| her emotion. The echoes, the pulsa
tionsi the faint murmurings grewsun
til, with an Overwhelming burst ol
melody, the whole swelled to a mighty
heart;throb which brought "a food
Of joyous tears to her eyes. She
sank to her knees and laid her head
against the sleeves OF her faded waist
81 can't" she sobbed. brokenly. "a