Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-19
CHATTER ky


49, .oort that neither beats nor heaves,
| IN that one darkness lying stu .,,, -,
What now for thee my loves great ,will2
or lie fine web the sunshine weaVcsT
'" &C. D. Rossetti.
nHARIE had never seen death, but
M there was no fear in her heart as
,be softly closed the door behind her.
and went forward into the room.
The cotton blind at the window fitted
h.dlv. and CLEANS of sunlight found
their way through on either side Of it,
,epmIng to concentrate in strangely
aolibcrate manner about the silent figure
n tbe man who had given his life for
her.
A white sheet covered him, but Ma
rie's hand did not trcmble as she gently
drew II down and looked Mt the marble
shitsness of Feathers ugly face.
Death had been kind to him. 1t had
wiped out the hard lines, and left him
with peculiarly noble and boyish look.
But even the waters of the trcacherous
river had been unable to smooth his
Tough hair, and 1t stood up over his
head with just the same obstinate un-
tidiness that she had always known,
snd with sudden impulse she luid her
hand on it, smoothing it gently, as a
mother might smooth the hair of q
sleeping child.
Were there two ways of loving, she
was asking herself desperately? and was
Il possible to love two men at the same
time, or had she indeed ceased to love
Chris?
Feathers had given he7 first man 5
kiss of passion. In his arms she had
first known complete happiness. ana it
seemed n crude impossibility that she
would never hear his voice again, that
bis eyes would never open any more TO
look at her with their faithful adUra-
tion.
And it came home to her with bitter
truth as She stood there that in her
%lshness and self absorption she
might have caused him great suffering.
Inst night, right from the first mo-
hent of their meeting at the inn, he
bad thought only of her, never once of
hlmself-even down to the very end,
when wounded to death. he had given
bis last ounce of strength to save her
spent his last breath on words of cheer
and encouragement.
And what had she given him in re-
| La /.
bne looked Mt his marble face about
which the autumn sunshine flickcrcd.
lie had loved her No completely, and
now she would never be able to tell him
now much she hOnOred him. loved him
For Marie Celeste knew that she did
love him, Not perhaps with the roman
uc passion with which she had once
loved Chris; not perhaps as she would
some day love Chris again--but with the
wonderful, trusting. imperishablc love
,NAlch one must feel for a friend who
mas never failed.
Her heart aChed for the sound of his
VocC-to hear him say that he under
HoCd and forgavc. His last kiss on the
dark road that night would always be
one OF her most cherished memories,
the knew. as she stood there. her eyes
lfed on his face, while her heart made
It's last farwcll.
He had told her to go back to Chris
me knew that it had been his earnest
WISH and she knew, too, that some
aay she would obey.
But not yet ! oh not yet She must
nave a little time first to herself to get
uacK her lost courage, and to forget the
sweetness of lost dream.
She took the little sprig of white
SGeather which he had sent her from
scotland SO long ago it seemed-Nnd
winch she had always worn about her
neck and laid 1t between his folded
lands' Then she kissed him as so short
y ume ago he had kissed her-his hands,
and his closed eyes, his rough coarse
iSalf' and the lips that felt like marble
beneath her own.
ehe was sobbing now--cruel sobbing
.lat brought with it no relief of tears
~ she whispered last ood-by, and
C.eT GoI ana aid over again God bless YOU
'oa 0!eSs you-always-always."
ana 1t seemed to her distraught i'm
ssnation that now there was little
nnt'e OF contcntment shadowing Feath-
yrs cold lips, where before no smile
sa aaa been, and something seemed tc
SiIap on her heart and brain as she cried
saS soSI na'Ne in anguish through the silent
Feathers .-Fcathers -
O0 ana the woman who kept the inn
tSn'c ton running swiftly at the sound of a
.am, ,, and found Marie Celeste lying
romseleSS, ras her arms flung out toward the
SOnI, u% VINO, for the first time in his life,
cSIi", u not hear or answer when she