0
.7"
4 11 . .
I i
4 r.-.
6
-TBB NEW' NORTHWEST; T
LEFT ALONE.
Doyo" ever think, to tM4wHlthr-aajr, ;'-'
Of the poof old mother far a way T . .
" ;Vho It wslUnf an4 Jonglnc wit, throbbing heart.
Tram tba wl4er streams of doIm and strife,
- Za toe shady path and walks erf life? ( 4 . ...
'Do yoa ever think of the klas she gave , ,
Whea joa left her, manly and trout; and brave, '
,i. Tor Um battle of life and the ways of bmoT -
- , .'; ', .With many a promla you left her then. '
' . - . , So, aeSvtnlac til, will jroa thlak to-eIhtT V ' I
Have you kept your row T Are her day mad bright T
- . Ha v 70a. aent a token, or seen, ber face,'
,.L .- 1 . Blnee th day you left the dear old place . . '"' " j
-t Toa eil yoar homeT ';..,'"' '
'' . "" . ' -j i. -.,
,,".. Perhap aba stands
v i X tha open door, with bar withered bands i
" : Upheld to shield tha teaa-dlnimed ayes, - V -
" .' -, And ao sba watts, till tha area lag sk lea '"
J Torn Into scarlet, and fads to gray. ' ' ' . -
t - -
Atone sba kneels by tha bad to pray
t Tha UUla bad with spread aa white
' As whs a child yoa lay that bight ,'
.When father died. ,;..-. .'.'-r
V m ' . And tha days go by. , .
Bs will eoma to me. I cannot dta j..
Wit boat on look at my darling boy
Jly only hope, my pride, my Joy TV ....
" ':' And ao aba waits, without complain,
. With tha thought that ber boy will eomal agmln.
; Yoa will think of. (bis when fba eyelids clone,
And tha aad, sweat smlla. Ilka a faded fjae, .
On tha Hps that bad trembled and qulrered so, '' -jror
tba klas that they would nerar know.
fba was left alone," were the words they aald." 4 -Tha
eara waa gone, tha pain bad aped ;
And all alona, in tba twilight gray,
Sba sleeps In tha churchyard, far away.
X'
; VIOLET WOOD'S HUSBAND. ?
f - A STORY. IX THREE CHAPTERS.
. x Somehow ; or other, they had become great
friend. Not that they were men cast In the
jame lines, but circurnaUncee-that huge factor
In human actions had Induced them to be Yery
frequently together. They had been chums, In a
way, as far back as their, undergraduate days at
. Cambridge where Andrew Gretton had first got
e Into the wajjpoarinTpuiJilfm
Tolce to an audience of Elliott Bessly'a recum
bent figure arid meerschaum pipe,
Lateroaj as Bessly came up to towb io eat his
dinners, the two friends took a' suite of rooms to
Tgether In Gray's Inn chambers, Gretton re-
narked, which would permit them comfortably
and with becoming patience to await the hour
" when fame and clients should present themselves.
..'vIt was perhaps some two or three years after the
ftstablishment In Gray's Inn had been set up that
Gretton' came home one night from . a musical
drum In an unusual state of elation. - - - -
t4hutup -yonrhtw-books, have done -with
prose," he cried, flinging down his hat. "Elliott,
-my boy, Pre seen my fate V
, - ''What's that V laconically asked Bessly, with-
4ut looking up ironi nis arm-cnair. , . - i
'My fate Get out, you fusty lawyer; an an
gelic being in swan's-down, andHeaven knows
what, with: eyes that bowl you. over. None of
IjQnt mlncingmtse, tottering and drooping their
eyes nothing of,that sort. Superb lines, my dear
boy, and such a smile." ' . ' '. -
: Admired your singing, ehTV Inquired Mr.
- Bessly slowly, as he putted out rings of paiephjng
-' ata a " a .a ."a . - I awwul I w vKa Ha eh AAAFilaH 1 a Aha swaua half Laku.
bin amoke, and.watfhrtl them rise and vaalh4
Into air. ' ' "
"Well, I flatter myself that Once Again' really
went off to-night. I never felt In better voice in I
my life, and Miss -Wood Is quite a connoisseur
knows what's good, I can tell you. I saw myself
bow she appreciated the crescendo passage," cried
Mr. Gretton in elated tones.
, Qulte ; Afflnltles, eh V. continued Bessly.
-"Quick work! But these things are Instanta
neous like photographs of dogs and babies I
suppose." -:-
What a laconic beggaryotr are ! I should en-
ley seeing you In love with Miss Wood, head over
" heels, do you hear V cried Gretton, helping him
self to a brandy and soda. "You wouldn't nave a
hance; she's surrounded with men, and I ean
tell you it would do you a lot of good. I'm to
lunch with the Woods on Friday, I'll take you
" to call on Sunday no refusal, look " upon the
thing a fixed."? ? - ; ,: s. ,
Mrs. Wood lived in a roomy house In one of
the squares between Bayswater and Kensington
- Gardens.- She had been a handsome, showy girl
. In her youth, but all traces of beauty had been
washedout by the process of time. She had be
. come hopelessly faC She was not Indeed more
Uly now than when she first gave iter hand and
line person Into Mr. Tobias Wood's keeping; but
' , the triviality that is admissible at nineteen, with
' fine shoulders and the right turn of throat, Is not
to be tolerated in the same being grown hope
lessly out of all proportions. Hers was not of the
4 progressive order of mind ; she literally stagnated,
- and submitted herself passively, with plump
.- folded hands, to whatever fate had In store for
. : ber. The somewnarrearly death of her husband
she accepted with Christian resignation, finding
" even in her deep crape loopholes of comfort In the
' fact that the late stock-broker was buried In the
most expensive manner, and that mourning really
- ..did become darling Violet wonderfully. .
- - Mrs. Wood's ove for her only- daughter- was at
.' xmce her" grtatest weakness and-heH redeeming
: point. She Idol lied this girl, who was a refined
' and more delicate version of herself' in past days,
' and entered. Into her amusements and successes as
- If they- had been - her own. The stock-broker's
: Widow was a genial lady, who liked at all times,
as she expressed it, "to see young folks about."
ardor Increased rather than diminished, and the
two men got Into the habit of being there fre
quently. '' -
Mr. AndrewUretton was a man on whom for
tune had been pleased to bestow a' handsome per
son, a tenor voice, and sumclenl means. Jlut so
ciety, like the wicked fairy In the tale, had
added another gift that well-nigh nullified the
otner attractions; sne had given Air. fJretton,
namely, an exaggerated perception of his own
superiority to the world at large. Society had
patted him on the back, he had been likened unto
Marlohe had been gushed over by maiden ladies,
and had been taken Into mamma's back drawing-
room and confidence. 'In short, Mr. Andrew
Gretton had become a trifle spoiled.
"How could a nice girl a girl like Miss Wood-
come to have such a mother 7" said uretton one
night, as he and Bessly left the. house in Bays
water, and lighted . their clgtrs preparatory to
Fftalllnfr a hansom.
"I should rather put It that It was exceedingly,
clever on Mrs Wood's part Co have produced a
daHsrhter- II ke-M las - loletanawered -Heslyv
"There is something apeclal about that giri; she
wasn't ready-made, nor, l take it, turned out or a
moid." . . v
"Vevye of course; theirl is everything she
should be, but my dear boy, the mother ; what a
f t . m a t w
motuer-in-iaw i le Heavens i Au, vj jore,
snouid nave forgotten myself jong ago, ana gone
for the girl, but for the mother," exclaimed An
drew, ' "By the by, old man, you heard what
they were saying to-night. They want us to go
over to Paris for Christmas. - It's like my luck to
have booked myaeU for almost every week in
January, and to be obliged to go and eat my plum
pudding tu lorksblre. I wish you would run
over and look after the Woods; they will want
some one to see them about, and take them to the
theaters, and you can trot iolet round, and see
those little French fellows don't get at her." '
"We're not sure we want the bone ourselves.
hut we object to-anybody elae having it, eh?
Never mind, my boy; I'll go over and carry Miss
Wood's parcels. Am I to make meteoroiotrical
reports ? . Weather fair, daughter calm, tn&mma
moderate, and that sort of thing T
" "Of course vou must let me know what Is eoinir
on, and perhaps I shall be able to run over, ' re
plied Gretton, who always had a hundred plans.
"Bid you hear that old fellow Cadbury to-night
tying he would go?" - -
y,WhaU the silent old boy with the whiskers r
asked - Bessly. f I-ever--know. whathedoeftat
the Woods'.; be, never speaks, but he Is always
there. One gets" to look upon him as a part of the
furniture." '"
"He's irota lot of money..'' returned Andrew.
"and has proposed no end -of times to Violet, Mrs.
Wood tells me. The old idiot hangs around, c&at-
lng gsygux f?ttx,atMUa AVootlr, Isn't.. It- a
capiULJoke? Hal ha 1" - -
' - . . 'CHArvsn it. : .'- :
Toward the' middle of December the Woods
found themselves comfortably ensconced In Paris
In one of the manv hotels that look on to the
Tuileries Gardens. Mr. Cadbury had been unable
to leave town ; so Elliott Bessly had escorted the
mother and daughter over the Channel, nd had
already written to his mend Andrew, telling him
bow things were going on. - -
Jt did not occur to liessiy that any difficulty
could possibly arise Out of the situation. He had
n his nature a tinge or oid-iasniened cntr.ai.ry.
which -he-often enough -covered -and hid away
with brusque speeches, but he -was at the same
time the leant susceptible of beings to. that emo
tional side of man that Is engendered by the prox-
mity or pretty women, lie had absolutely noth
njrof the flirt about him. Without a shade of
cynicism, he often enough confessed be had: never,
with the most fascinating maiden, trot beyond the
desire of seeing her happily married to somebody
else. lie was a nan worker and a great smoicer;
these habits aloneapart from the, bent of his
mind, might have prevented him from being any
She kept open house, and . gave no small number
of dinners and dances, so that Miss Violefa ad
mirers found her a by no means Inaccessible sod-
deccessibTe she was at all times, apfirosxTiTlaXHrPrTgntfU'ltv in fan, the daughter was free
Able at Jew, for Miss Wood was not entirely as
other votinir ladies : raprlciotir' and fautastle ghe rttniule of twurs-wHlfr-tle-Venus of Mllo.
" . .i ...... ...... . i
at nioments. meiaiicnotv anu uesnonuinir at i it was tnus mat Jiessiv ana loiet were mruwu
constantly Into each other's society. Mr. Jiessiy
could not be expected to take more than a mod
erate Interest in bonnets, .and Mrs.. Wootl Was
only too delighted for Violet ,to have some one to
others, but at no time to be subdued by ordi
nary means. , - .-
Gretton and Bessly Were well received from the
Arst In this hospitable house, so that the tenor's
good faith thakhe accep
luKly laid uiion him by Gretton, and in his ignor
ance, one "hiight say innocence,. of such matters,
found himself. In less than three weeks, .in the
great crisis of his llfe.llow much mere accident,
or the circumstances In which we are thrown,' in
fluence our actions and bend our purpose, Is not
generally admitted. If any one had told Elliott
Bessly, as he lighted his cigar that foggy Kovero
ber night in liayswater, that in a lew weeks'
time he would be madly In love with the young
lady to whom he had Just so cooly bade good
night, he would have smiled upon him -cmimir
eratingly, and lookeLjonhimasnad. He
would have toTd him that It wasn't his line of
business, that the emotions were an extra to the
every -day fare, the heavy price of which no man
in his senses would'care to pay. He would have
argued that a man can help falling In love If he
chooses, and that In this case the young lady was
given in a way in trust, lie would have talked
for half an hour In the same strain, and convinced
everybody, and, more than everybody; himself.
But our theories are, of all things, variable w
say such and such things are not, for the simple
reason that - theyhave not happened to us. -it
was, therefore, without foreboding that Elliott
Bessly took up his abode In the Bue de Bivoll,
and proceeded to offer his services to Mrs. Wood
and her daughter. ,
Now, the widow was ex
French nnery, and nothing w
an outfit In. raris for the next London season.
Dresses she must have at Worth's, bonnets at
Mtue. Verot's. while at the same time she. took a
childish delight in having her large, good-temp
ered person pushed about and carried along as if
on wneels by the crowd in the Louvre or (the
Bon Marche. The worthy lady delighted in tar
gains, and was wont to buy cab-loads of goods, of
which' she would make.no use, for. the simple
reason that they were cheap.
. Miss Wood was a young lady who preferred her
own taste to anybody else's, and perhaps she was
not far wrong. She designed her own dresses,
had them made up In Baker street, and had been
known even to have. invented a hat. -She had- a
peculiar grace of her own that had nothing of the
dress-maker's art' In It: and, moreover, there was
something original In her appearance that never
bordered on the eccentric. - Shopping In Paris,
then, had few charms for Violet ; so while Mrs.
Wood was trying on mantlet ahd looking attne
"do" the Galleries with. They had been dawdling
one afternoon! In the Loutre, and nad come vj
the girl's special desire Into the sculpture gallery
to look at what aha declared to be her favorite
statue In the worldthe Tmmortal-goddesot
m t s 1
Alii a.
"How Is it," cried Violet, as she and Bessly sat
looking up at the statue; "how Is it that a great
work a really great work Is always new ? I
wonder," she went on, "how many times I have
seen this Venus, yet she-alwaya strikes me as
much as the first time I saw her. It Is of sensa
tional pictures and catching music that one gets
sotlred."-
r "You might a well say, why will you be tired
or the shape of that hat the day after to-morrow 7
smiled Bessly. "One is a mere fashion t we con
tinually alter the shape-of bur head-covering, but
what we cover remains very much-the same. A
real work of art Is, I suppose," the pith and es
sence of a struggle after what we conceive to be
beautiful or true. Look at this Venus, now.' She
affects us perhaps as much aa she affected men
when she was first -heWn-oUt-of tthe block of
marble." , ' - :
"And there she will stand when we little mor
tals are dead and buried; Just so. with that won
derful, Inscrutable smile. -Think of. the others
that will come and look at her as we. have done,
feeling perhaps. Just as we do, the same strange,
sad feeding, cried Violet, with a pretty- burst of
enthusiasm. ; " -
The place was quite empty; In far distance the
hut visitor was clattering down the long gallery
out at the other end. It was already growing
dusk.--:'.. '
' "You feel that, too; the wretchedness of know
ing something beautiful that Is beyond us out of
reach?" asked Bessjy, turning round to her
quickly. ' i
How stranee and dark her eyes burned In the
twilight ; .how graceful the subtle lines Of her fig
ure; now devoid of all coquettlshness and con
sciousness her pose I The dark purple hangings
swept behind her. and out through the high win
dow the sun was all red, allying in a pinky sky.
She was actually beautiful at the moment, but
she was more tban thjat to Elliott Bessly ; she was
a sweet, breathing-woman, who made him feel
the blankness of his life, who opened out a world
of possibilities. - .
'"Something eautliHWmt or reacn 77 repeated
Violet, becomlnir suddenly conscious, under his
direct gaze, of the meaning of his words. "I don't
know, I'm sure," sbe atammeml. , ,
He watched how the quick color spread over the
girl's face and throat, how her deep eyes met his
with an entreating, startled gaze. v hat a root,
ten thousand times a fool, was Grettoh-not to
snatch at such a happiness I Then, with a start,
he remembered his friend, and he asked himself
what he wwdoingrtooking into thlyoung; lady's
eyes,
"liahl I'm talking nonsense," be said, in
changed voice. "You mustbe getting cold,
Miss Wood; had we-'not better be going home?"
After.ihe abj3repisodeIrLItesslyJipt wisely
to strictly neutral topics with iolet, and lor the
next few days contrived that the mother of this
dangerous siren should be In constant attendance.
He even evinced a hitherto concealed "ardor Tor
millinery, and insisted on accompanying Mrs.
Wood several times to the Jeweler's to see about.
the setting of her diamonds. ' "
Of course bis conduct was mystifying tn the ex
treme to Violet, who could not help noticing his
changed- manner-What had she doner fo ouend
him?- She could no longer conceal from herself
the fact that she valius! what he" thought of ber.
There 'was a vein, of tenderness In this reserved
man, with his hard mouthrand cold gray eye. that
was a surprise to her who had been (n the habit of
seeing him constantly for the last eight months.
But In Ixndon they had been , differently placed.
He had never. called at their house without
AndrewGretton, and hal always stoodaslde. to
make room for the tenor to warble his love songs
or to drop In mock humility at her feet. She re
membered, one evening when she found herself
ita jtoaaly-la the, eonaervatoryr he-
0 -
ttravagantly, fond of
would satisfy Iter but
to wander In the Luxembourg Gallery, or spend a
-had Jumped t thl!
up on uretton's approach, and ceded his place to
his friend. Was she too silly, too girlish, to please
him? she asked herself. lor her' experience of
men told her that they will be Inclined to find fhei
way and means u the obtect be worth their while.
All this was true; but his reserve and coldness
had seemed to drop for an Instant In the. twilight
of that afternoon.' It was as' If she looked through
a loophole at some wide vista, of whose existence
she had never dreamed, and once having known
the view beyond, could never be content with
blank walls. - - n
It was. - therefore. - In' much perplexity : and
nightly nuestior)ngs that the weekwent by for
Violet. - In the beginning of the next a hard frost
set In; the air was keen and sharp, 'the skaterg,
flocked to the Bois, and the sun hung like red
lamp in the sky. . . .
"O mamma, how I should like tajkateJ" ex-
-elaimed 1olet, as she appeared for breakfast In
the nngnt lime room. 5-
VWell, my dear, I've no objection," answered
mamma; "only you know I can't stand about oh
the Ice, my dea. You must get Mr. Bessly to
take you."
"Oh, I wonder if he would mind going," said
-Violet, Who. perhaps, had her. doubt. "IJo you
think Mr. Bessly skates, mamma?" she went on.
"We must go and get skates this morning, if he
does, and then we might go this afternoon."
So It happened that,' in-spite of Mr. liessly's
precautions against what he regarded as a culpa
ble weakness in himself, he started out with Miss
Wood for an afternoon's skating in the Bois de
Boulogne. In the bright, cold daylight, and In
the crowd on the Ice, things went off entirely to
Mr. Bessly'a satisfaction, violet and he were on
exactly the same neutral ground as they had been
all "the, week- But as the sun sank, large and
crimson, into the mlstj and twilight grew apaoe,
Bessly could not help recalling the afternoon In
the Louvre Perhaps it-waa only the same effect
or light, violet could hot help noticing that his
hand trembled as he helped her into the little
fiacre that had been waiting for them. Did he
not linger an Imperceptible instant as he drew
another wrap round her shoulders? Why did the
long ride through the Bois and Champs Elysees
seem the shortest drive they had ever taken, and
why did Mr. Bessly pay the coachman more than
double his fare? '
It occurred to both of them, why ? . -.
"Do not lisrht the candles." salt! Violet. IW
jgame lnto the cozy sitting-room, where the fire
was burning brightly - like the firelight. This
Is the nicest hour or the day; I think," he contin
ued to Bessly ;a.nd theJX.g.hlbrtiW atr h hr-r
furs and knelt down, holding her pink fingers to
the blaze. ..J .. .k .
What was the madness that kept dancing lu his
head? Besalv asked himself. He felt his brain
confused, aMf .there were no sharp line between, "
right and wrong. He -felt as If he must , throw'1"
, himself down beside that slim hendingfigura in
the firelight and tell her he could not spare W
olit of bislife. .Then he thought of, Gretton, and 1
he turned and looked intp the street.' Thefc were
the dancing Ilghtavjof the carriages, the blate of
the cafes, as they had seen them Just before a
hurdy-gurdy was playing In the road belowand
a. lounger atacafe turned at that moment to speak
to a smartly-dressed gIrLTheu something seemed
to snap in his brainy , . r - "C -
- "Where-is your ffiiot her ?" asked Bessly. In .
hanl voice, - " "
f 'Still shopping, . I suppose"," returned VloleL
-But why' do you ask like that? Are you-1 '
frightened of me Tl she asked, with a little hyster
leal laugh. ' '
"If you, like It, I am frightened"6f you,'! said
Besfcly, sitting down ; "erhaiI am frightened of '
mysenV-'! t - - - .
A pause. ' . -Z
."Have you any message for Gretton ?!! he ked
making a sudden resolution. ' "I think I shall
have to go over to Ixmdon to-night or to-morrow -mornlng.''4
. " ; , .
"Something has happened V she asked tremu
lous! v, turning her face to him. .,, . j
"othlng, I assure you. I've been Idling so
pleasantly, the time has slipped by," he answered
In the same cold tone, and avoiding her eyes. 'f
must get back. Have you any message for Gret
ton T' he repeated. - I
- "Thank 'you, none," she answered haughtily
and she stood up with her back to him and leaned -her
arms on the chimney-piece.
He was going, and in parting had nothing to
entreat but a message for Gretton t Had she been
living In a fool's paradise in supposing he would
ever have anything else to entreat?
Another long pause. ' - ' '-
A little flame blurted out from the fire, lighting
the room, and throwing their gigantic shadows!!
the ceiling.
"I am sorry mamma Isn't here to hub you good
bye," said the girl In a dry voiceA without turning
her head. "For tny part, I hate leave-takings.'
The flame flickered a little and" then went out.
It seemed somehow to Bessly, gazing dully into
the fire, as if with It his hope went too.
. "You don't hate say lug good-bye worse than I,"
he murmured, as hedahed his hand acrosshis face.
Then he got tip and took possession of her hands. '
-TlefiotnrrrtVhaisrd7TookIngw
kind of fiercene into her eyes, "when we cannot
ask ourselves what we like. We only know what
with heaven's help- wetnust trv to do." -
Thenext moment the door was .shut, and he was
gone. , . 1 . ..
On ElHottTleswly's arrlval ln London, he was
greeted by a thick yellow fog. Driving to his
room in Gray's Inn, he remembered he had no
time to send word of his coming, so that he was
repared to nnd uretton out. Turning the key of
is door, he found tlie carpets up. the blinds down.
and a general unalred dampness pervading their
rooms. - ' "
"Gretton Is still away, thenthought Bessly.
"When shall Icet this intolerablebusiness off hit
mlndr' ;. ; ' :
"Make a flre,' he said to the servant. "
Were there any letters ? Yes, a number on the
mantel-piece ror both gentlemen
BessTypirj ked the bundle h urriedly up ; perhaps -there
would be a line from Gretton saying he was
coming back. Nothing but long blue envelopes
unmistakable bills and small square epistles from
Gretton's train of admirers. ;, Ah 1 at last there
was Andrew's writing.
Gretton hailed from Scotland, and wrote a lomr-
letter, describing his various visits, and the inva
riable success of his voles anfl acting connected
therewith. He nded up by asking, aftertbe.
Woods, saying that, as he should not be in town
for another: fortnight. Besslv was to sav all sorts
. m t .. 1 - . ' a- a . a a 1 .
tn 1 ma gniaoier pre 1 1 1 n 1 mrs-ior mm: , -i -rf 1 1 j
ffi!"''TheTeifer-madeTff than
once. hat was the fellow doing comfortably in
Scotland, when Miss Wood was comlngto London?
ould he be content, iussly asked himself, to be
ttintng hi pipe In thellebrides while there was a
Violet Woo.1 In the South.? '
lie threw the letter aside, and resolved to dine
at his club. : The fog was thicker than ever In the
AM a ( I. fln.tln.tlAM WflA
hailed by a number of his friends. ;..
"What have you been doing, 1 old rellowr
Haven't seen vou. Paris, eh?" exclaimed one of
them, as the dinner went OUT" "What did you do
there r?- .-. -,
"Usual sort of thing, I soppose," said Besslyr
with no very great show of Interest." "- '. "r
"Ah," exclaimed a rubicund and beaming 010
gentleman, the, Jo vial -man of the ."3
should stay Id London nothing like It; weather"-1
Is always nice and seasonable."
"So It is," said Bessly, gating out through the
window into an ocean of pea-soup. : :
. :"ies,"-continued the old gentleman, casting
round for some statistics, which he had nearly,
but not oulte, got right ;A'Londonis the roost
healthy, Berlin the most "
"So sorry T have to go to the theater," said
BesslyT getting up, and wondering why the whole
thing seemed an intolerable bore. ' '
Tlie" Frivolity Theater, however, proved HtUe
more amusing than the statistics. Bessly lounged -Ick
In his stall, and wondeml what all the large
audience about him found worth coming to see.
He turned his eyes from the stage ahd glanced
round the theater. In the second box from the
stage there was. a lady whose turn. of neck re
minded him of Violet, Ills eyes kept wandering
to that box, until the young lady turned rourn
and. revealed a face of unmlcejoaed' homellne
Bessly seized his hat and hailed the first hansom.
There was the ame air of discomfort in dne
chftrplerSrwheBBessIy goFIack.I lighted
pipr, an inen,-Truinn-unim)nnuDie;iTiie ,i
restlessness, wandered from room to room. , -lounged
almost unconsciously Into Gretton's' bed- ,
room, when suddenly something on the wall ,
tractedhls eye. It was the photograph of a aluri
young girl in a white dress. Stuck Into the coni
that held the frame was a bunch of faded roses.
How well he remembered the night that Andrew
had 'begged for that nosegay I lie wondered thst
It had seemed of so little importance then. e
unhooked the portrait gently, and aahe-didaotlK
aaaaaavvam. B'-'a HHI S.VII VI J Skiva ' J
rones fell all dusty ami shivering to the grouni.
I trwasr a- photon raph-of -Violet Wood.rr.Uof er
to life It was ! 'fliere was her trick of haiid-clafpr
f hr hr frnlr.TSiUi Krnw htar roT. direct gsie.
I " " . . -, - J ....... IIV v, . 'ft. J,
vy I liTwhlch ydu seemed to see her very sorfu a'
hair was thrown a little back.' and the iP j-
parted tor a smile.
uy darling, this Is all I may ever be to ,
.. t. ..
a-j av '