The Irish standard., 1914-04-25

forgotten this. From the background
he saw Judge Chalmers lift down the
frail form, and suddenly his heart
leaped. There were two feminine fig
ures; Shirley was with her mother.
The doctor stood just inside the H.
brary door and Mrs. cambridge went
hastily toward him, her light cane tap
ping through the stricken silence. Jere-
boam lifted his head and looked at her
piteously.
"ReHk'n Mars Monty cyan see ole
Jerry now" he quavered, "but yo.all
glib him nah love, Mis- Judith. and tell
him" His voice broke.
Eyes, yes, Jerry, I WILL"
The doctor closed the door upon her
and came to where Shirley waited.
"Come, my DEAR" he said, and dropped
his arm about her. LET US go out to
the garden"
AS they passed Valiant, she held out
her hand to him. There was no word
between them, but as his hand swal-
lowed hers, his heart said to her, 81
love you, l love you! No matter what
is between us, I shall always love
you!"
1t was wordless, heart-whisper that
only love itself could hear, and he
could read no answer in the deep
pools of her eyes, heavy now with un-
shed tears. But in some subtle way
his voiceless greeting comforted and
lightened by little the weight of
dumb impotence that he had borne.
In the library, lighted so brightly by
the sunlight, yet grave with the hush
of that solemn presence, the major
looked into the face of the woman for
whose coming he had waited so anx.
iously.
cts all-up, Judith" he said family.
'1've come to the jumping-ofr place."
She looked at him whitley. monty,
Monty!" she cried. Don't leave me
this way! I always thought"
He GUESSED what she would have
said., Heaven knows you're needed
more than me, Judith. After all.
reckon when my time had to come I'd
have chosen the quick way" HE
voice trailed out and he struggled for
breath. .
"Jerry's in the hall, Monty. He asked
me to give you his love-"
"Poor old niger! He-used to tote
me on his back when was little
shaver" There was silence. Don't
kneel, Judith" he said at length. you
will be so tired"
She rose obediently and drew up q
chair. Monty" she faltered tremu.
lously, shall say a prayer? I've new.
ser prayed much-my prayers never
seemed to get above the ceiling, some.
!, how. But I'll-try."
He smiled wanly. Il wouldn't want
any better than yours. Judith. But
seems. as If I'd been prayed over
enough. I reckon God Almighty's like
anybody else, and doesn't want to be
ding-donged all the time"
He seemed to have been gathering
his resolution, and presently his hand
fumbled over his breast. "My wallet;
give it to me-" She drew it from the
pocket and the uncertain fingers took
out key. 1T opens a tin box in my
trunk. Theresa letter in it for you
He paused moment, painting: "Ju
dith," he said, tive got to tell you, but
It's mighty hard. The letter
It's one Valiant gave me for you-that
morning, after the duel. never gave
it to you"
Il she had been white before, she
grew like marble now. Her slim fin
gers clutched the little cane till it rat
tied against the chair. and the lace al
her throat shook with her breathing
"Yes-Monty."
He lifted his hand with difficulty and
put the key into hers. "The seals still
unbroken, Judith" he said, "but I've
kept it these thirty years."
She was holding the key in hel
hands, looking down upon it. There
was a strained half-fearful wonder in
tier face. For an instant she seemed
quite to have forgotten him in the
grip of some swift and painful emo
ton.
Il loved you, Judith" he STAN
mered in anguished appeal. "From
the time we were boy and girl togeth
er, loved you. You never cared fol
me-Sassoon and Valiant had the in
side track. You might have loved me:
but had no chance with either OF
them. Then came the duel. There was
only Valiant then. l overheard his
promise to you that night, Judith. He
had broken that! If you cared more
for him than for Sassoon, you might
have forgiven him, and should have
lost you! didn't want you to call
him back, Judith! 1 wanted my
chance! And SOL took it. That's
the reason, dear. lists a bad one,
int it,"
A SILVER went over her set face
like breath Of wind over tall grass
and she seemed 20 come back from an
Infinite distance to place and moment.
Between the curtains a white butter.
fly lowered an instant, and in the yaro
she heard the sound of some winged
thing f1uttering. The thought darted
to her that it was the sound of her
own dead heart awaking. She looked
at the key and all at once put a hand
to her mouth as though to still words
clamoring there.
Judith" he said TREMENDOUSLY, be.
tween short struggles for breath, call
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