Show THE LOST PARADISE HE room had been A very still for a long 14 while only the even monotonous wash of the outgoing tide and now arid and again a rest less unconscious movement of tile the lying dying woman in ili the led bet disturbed the awesome awe some stillness of the night in tho bg arm chair by the bed side aide in n the light at 0 the lamp sat it 11 gaunt woman angular arid and haggard with thin compressed lipo yellow skin light eyes and dead straw colored hair drawn tightly back from her forehead for chend and twisted in ili an uncompromising knot tit nt tile the napo nape of her ter neck silo sho bad watched for many weary nights now beside the bed but stilt still her eyes cyca were wide and watchful and her attitude alert silo she counted each fluttering breath of the girlish form beneath the obe bho noted each qui quiver ver of tile the unconscious eyelids the alt wore on and wit with the coming of lie he gray lawn dawn a wind arose moaning round the little house and shaking tho the fastenings a of f th ohp sick room window the lying dying woman stirred she oho moaned then slowly opened her eyes great sad blue eyes ilka a childs in ili trouble she fixed them upon tho the watcher in the chair with a pathetic too look of entreaty hepsibah the pale lips jept formed the whisp whispered Pred word the gaunt woman rose hastily lias and bent over her you have been very good to me A painful pause breathing was so dlf dif tilt ani an I 1 lying dying now the woman bending banding over liar maile made no response but bill tears gathered in liar her 7 hard eyes her thin lips quivered no you need not tell me I 1 know I 1 n nm tit I 1 can feel it hepzibah you have hav been tie BO good to nio me there Is something that you must do for nio ino when I 1 nm am gone bent over her waiting watching tho the lying dying girl raised one feeble hand pointing toward the ho old bureau in the earlier coiner of the room there in hi the third drawer on oil tile tho lefta packet letters will v you bring them to mo me brought over to her a bundle tied round with faded pink the dying woman fingered 1 it I 1 i lovingly ov wistfully they are arc jacks bachs letters my jack for when I 1 nin am gone I 1 trust you to burn them for me toni tom must never know poor ioor tom ho he has beati it a good husband to me but I 1 loved jack fibbi only ho to was so BO wild I 1 lid did not know that ho he cared tor for me and lie ho went i away ay in a temper and I 1 married toni tom lint when jack came back front from sea so last time I 1 1 I found out how much he cared it was terrible and I 1 loved him bo set then lie he was di drowned owned my lily poor pool jack A weak soh sob choked her let broken whispering promise you iou will burn them depyl bah for toms sake hear dear I 1 pro in niso I 1 so you have been 0 ao o good to me so go 7 01 L 1 MI 1 v I 1 t 0 w 1 I orl m patient with wit me inc when I 1 iam nm gono gone you will be a goud good to poor tom A dull red liipa fluch overspread the wo mans face she se turned her licad head into the shadow 1 I will to do what I 1 can call nc nolly lly she 10 led in a olac voice call toni boin nov nor I 1 fell I 1 am coon going I 1 feel so cold so numb hepzibah eastly left the room silo she was back in ili an instant following by a stout ruddy faced ralin of about GO CO lie stepped softly to the bed bd and tool took the flying dying womans comans hand in ili ills hla big arn ernp p I 1 come com a dell 1 my lass ines you must bear THEM a brave heart beart well voil bae you QI better soon boon there thee were tears in his cheery vote voice nellie neille looked at him with a faint smile sho she malsed tan big red lennil in ili her own was ab nb to her lips then exhausted by her recent efforts she closed nor ner eyes nod and seemed to sleep presently she started star toil violently her eyes opened in terror th the letter sl you will burn them tom turned to wonder angly 11 he thought CA had returned what letters dot j she mean ho he asked was silent she liar her yes eyes then silo means her dead mothers mother letters she replied in a steady voice the dying woman looked liar her gratl gratitude for the saving lie there was waa silence again and a solemn sense of waiting in tile pio room at last nolle nellie mado made a faint movement with liar her hand comprehended instantly she lie stopped stepped to the window drew draw aalde the curtain and opened wide the sash so nolly nelly looked ifor the last time upon her little world nellys big sad eyes took in nil all tile the beauty of tho the morning then they gently tl closed 1 I am coming jack dear she elie sighed so nelly nally thurgood tom Thur goods young wife died and was burled in the little churchyard by the sea and the tide came in ili and tile the tide went out through the long summer days and nights and peaceful order reigned in the little cottage for was a notable housekeeper and toni tom was grateful to her in a dull impersonal way ills heart was waa buried in the newly made grave on the cliff side and nothing seemed real to him but that watched him from under her whito white eyelashes and kept silent but ills his pipe was all ready tor for him when lie ho came indoors and hla his favorite food simmered on the hob hair grow grew brighter as the days went on her checks had a comely flush she began to take thought of her dress sho she bought a blue gingham gown in ili the village and a muslin handkerchief kerch lef for hc her neck her voice took a softer note she began to sing about liar her work hut but toni tom would sit bit in the churchyard through the long summer twilights and when lio lie came into supper his feet dragged wearily and ills his eyes were dull with misery you should not grieve so said hop hep albah softly one night after supper she was knitting in the her lie head ad was bent over her worle work tom wake up tip from a dream ho he looked at her with seeing eyes ali ah its well to say that to a man mail whose heart Is breaking ills ilia voice grew husky he turned ills his load head away to the fire dut but you grieve as one without hope time must soften things a bilyou have your life before you toni tom laughed a short bitter laugh not good to hear silo sho was all I 1 had my nellie tho the apple of my eye what goods life to mo me now such stich pretty ways sho she had too lie ho went on musingly such tell tender loving 11 ways needle lashed flashed in the firelight there are other women ln in tho the world aa fondas fond aa nellie sho said bald softly with her oyes eyes on an liar her knitting there was a long silence in the room the fire flickered a cinder fell on the tha hearth could hoar hear liar her heart throbs site she slowly lifted liar her eyes to the mans face ila ho was not looking at liar hor at all but at it a china shepherdess upon a little table against tho the wall ills hia eyes were troubled lie ho was trying to remember my nellie did not tep that on there no it was on the hero here that site she had it ila iio brought tile the ornament over dusting it with lils his handkerchief wo we must keep the things its as she left led them ho he said but holzl ball bah had slipped out of the door into the summer darkness she 1 rested liar her arms on the little gate it stood looking far out to sea her ter taco face white walto and ghostly in tile the di dimness sho she shivered in ili the warin wana air you dead woman yon nelly nally she whispered tensely why will you not give him up tip to tile me you have your jack you tie do not want him and I 1 oh my godl god A great tearless sob choked her the shimmering waves mocked her her face bard hardened ened why should I 1 not toil tell him I 1 shall tie do you no harm are you anywhere here to caro care at all god the life be yond aro these theao anything but words ilow how can call one hurt tho the dead you are asleep in ili tile the churchyard there ind and I 1 love him and I 1 tell you I 1 love him tho man mail was sitting smoking mooil lly ily gazing into the glowing fire when glided in and stood behind behind ills his chair coir i cant bear that you should grieve fo eo she worthy of a love like yours tile tho utters etter sl hepzibah laid the packet on oil the table and crept up tip the staircase to her room sho she fell on liar her knees by tile tho bedside clutching the coverlet tight over her ber mouth month that her deep voiced prayer might be stifled she shook is as with the ague the gates of heaven antl and hell bell wore open tho the still hours passed by night waned but hepzibah wild eyed and numb crouched by her bed straining her ears earo tor for any sr gilld from the buom below anything anything but athla deadly the hours seemed eternities 11 disheveled it gre won wan feal ats she bhe crept down bow tile the stair and peer pe in sat at the table T tom 0 m rg writ I 1 in n 1 bytH ty that candle light lie he had or on alil it agh plots pilots coat a bundle tied rested beside in a r ca I 1 him i I 1 4 M 1 8 b cry y aroused him byj canle came toward liar iro ile ros tos 1 I away back to sea again lie he bald I 1 novely youre re welcome to the co W and an tle the bits ts ot of furniture the rei re i ai home for me now tho place kill ale out on tho the brine I 1 I 1 bo be abelew forget forbel perhaps good by my lass I 1 shall be gone before you yon aro are up lip co alc lck to bed woman good by there go ll 11 he fumed back to lo ills ls writing and tile tho room w waa as quiet again presently hu thre 11 ills pen and an passed passed his 3 through ills hla hair thetla means terribly tonight to night lie he said it above crying for lier liar lost panl lc ex 1 |