Show 11 BECAUSE OF THE WAX CROSS c by D. D J. J Walsh LIZA BRUCE gave ga n a gasp of dis ELIZA E mn may She bent close to loon Yes I Another petal had fallen from tile the fuchsia It lay In like lIle n a snowflake beside the other petal whIch had fallen fullen ofT off n a nee weer ee before She stood staring aghast tit t the wax was cross The rhe wax cross was n a marvel el of beauty with delicate dell deli cate lowers flowers It stood enthroned under undera n a glass globe on the parlor table he tween the two front wIndows under the framed portrait of ElIza's father Eliza could not remember a time when It had not stood In the same place and she was now nearing middle age abet It was one of the few things for which her mother cared Eliza dreaded her mothers mother's finding that fallen petal The Theother Theother other petal had passed ns as nn an accident 1 had braved ed the blame of jarring the precious ornament But that a secand sec and ond petal should fall faU within n a week meant that time and cold were beginning be be- ginning their devastations de Eliza r trembled sc as t she hn heard hear 1 her mothers mother's approaching step As Mrs Irs Bruce Druce entered her sharp black eyes encountered the timid blue ones of her daughter She seemed to divine ine what had Imd happened even before she glanced at the crossWell cross Well WeB I she said That s settles Jt it Ill I'll not leave lea the house this winter Oh mother I Eliza protested 1 faint faint- ly The They had planned to close the large dreary house and go to the city to spend the coldest months with Mrs Irs Bruce's sister Aunt Julia Julin was different different dif dif- ferent from mother and Eliza hall had looked eagerly forward to the visit Isit uGo Go build a lire fire In the fireplace I commanded Mrs nr Brace We must have ha some heat in here M My beautiful cross crossl ElIza made the fire her heart heavy y with dIsappoIntment To sta stay nt at home all winter been because use the wax cross must have hae heat hent In or order to prevent disintegration I As for movIng It from the place It had occupied for so long who would glare dare When Eliza had made the lire file she went over o to see Miss Bellew Miss Bellew was very ery tiny und and old Like the wax was cross she demanded n a kindly kind kind- ly Iy temperature and could coul 1 not be Je mored She had lived lI In n one une room for halt half a decade Yet It was n a cheery room fun full of color and charm and Eliza escaping to It from her flue col cold 1 home found there the sympathy and relief she cra craved ed USo So your mother Is Ing to stay home on account of that wax cross I Miss Bellew said laughing Dont Don't you ou remember Eliza how she used to send yell OU and your father when he hebe be began JD to fail in health ort off to the South while she sta stayed ed behind All Allon Allon on account of that cross I Of course ourse you understand you need to go to Jullas Julias You live there year ear In and year ear out without a mite of change Its It's ls l's hard for both of you ou especially for you Eliza Besides youre you're getting getting get get- ting on toward middle life nn and 1 If you ou ore ever er going to he Miss Bellew hesitated to say if you are ever go go- going ing to be anything but your our moth ors or's servant for Eliza was loyal In In- Instead stead stend she ended If you are ever go go- fug to be happy you must begin soon Eliza's sensitive face colored colore 1 and tears came to her eyes Aunt Julia Julin mentioned Mr Dare In her bel last letter she sighed Mother lother didn't like It it You know wt we whet met Mr Dare when we were dawn there last Inot fall Ile lie was ns very ery pleasant lie lie- broke off twisting her slender ban hands It was foolish of course but she had looked forward to seeing Mr Dare again when she got to Aunt Julias There had never ne been anyone any auy one good enough for Eliza to marry Mrs Bruce declared 1 and she trail had sue sur in scaring away every oc ad Mrs Bruce found foun 1 her daugh tel ter useful and wished to keep her for herself hut but In the case of Mr DareD Dare Dare- u D million wax crosses couldn't make makeup makeup up for the dIsappointment of not sent se Ing him again Well Eliza Miss Bellew said tits about time somethIng happened to that wax cross Your mother Is ranking a bugbear ot of It ft She's going goins to let It spoil your life I wIsh I could get Into that parlor ot of yours ours UI mused 1 Miss Bellew Id finish that fetish and s set t you ou free Eliza gUza felt a 11 shameful m thrill ot of re- re posse A Al that moment she knew her lieI mother was unpacking tier her trunk UIl and 1 hanging thin things s Jack back in the clos clos- et ets The visit was not to be made Aunt Julia would he angry Probably site she would woul nev never r again ask them And Mr bir well Dare maybe It was all 11 for 01 the best Over O and o er over this thought turned t 1 In her mInd Jut but she fhe failed to find comfort In the thought 11 t was not all fr the to hest-to lose the chance of a lifetimes lifetime's happiness She knew that Mr lr Dare was Inter ested st In her she and loved lo him for or his g his kindness his sour COUf t She had never ne known anybody 11 him An And 1 she she was to lore lo e hIm bemuse of the wax cross Yes Ill Id that fetish Miss l nelle was sa saying when wIlen the door hurst burst open admitting Mrs 1 Druce bareheaded wildly agitated The hous houses house's s 's afire she cried Hun Hunto to the t lOne Turn lurn In nn an alarm The telephone hone honeas was as upon the small nt at Miss elbow She 4 turned In the alarm while Eliza and her hel mother raced homeward The clanging of the chemical engine en- en n. n gine resounded In UTe title wintry street After Jt it came the rest of the fire apparatus ap ap- Gallant men strode Into august where even en the 13 nearest neighbors were wont to tread softly Ir If indeed 1 the they troll trod at all There was clatter loud voices the spurting of a hose ThreatenIng though It was It proved pro to be only n a lire fire caused by bythe Jy the blaze Eliza had started In the tin un used parlor fireplace and It was soon out The firemen departed and Mrs Bruce following the trail trull of feet on UIl her precious carpets the par tor lor With n a gasp of dismay she beheld be held soot on the shining hearth A chair was overturned o the glass globe of the famous cross broken And the tho I cross itself follow following ins her mother moth moth- er turned pale when she saw the dell dell- cite cate fragments I lying ing there before them Im SOrl sorry Eliza Ellza began breathless breathless' breathlessly I ly She looked ut at her mother with apprehension ap ap- wondering bow v to rend read the older womans woman's queer expression Mrs Bruce drew n a long breath Poor beautiful thing I site she said Well Ive I've done m my duty U by It all these years It isn't ly fault that Its It's smashed She picked up n a wax leaf and studied 1 It us as It In lay upon her lieI palm I never told you rou how I came I. I tit COCO rrt n It 1 I 11 1 II rr V. V u. u u LI II n un Emmaret me promise to keep It ita n a secret She made It after John Hawkins died of malaria while he was Jn laying out a railroad down South She made It as n a kind l ot of memorial I can see her now sItting there at work worl on It with her little plain pa pa- patient tient face beat Jent over oer it It shaping the wax was Into fuchsIas lIe fie loved lo fuchsias Some sa say she died of a broken heart henrt but I always thought shed she'd inherited her mothers mother's weak constitution Be e. e fore she dIed she gave me this cross and n a lot Jot of money and made me promise Id I'd tale take care of It for her as long ns as she lived Jived Of course It was all foolishness but what you crying for Eliza could not answer She was on her knees gathering up the bits of wax cross Afterward 1 she 1 them In Inn ina n a box and put the box In a place where it should not he dIsturbed Poor 1001 little Emmaret I 1 There was ns now no longer any ex ex- cute c e for Mrs Bruce ruce not to visit her sister and the two women set forth for the city next morning soon oon after Eliza Ellza wrote to Mass Bellow Bel low Ie telling of her engagement to Mr 11 I Dare She was very ery very ery happy |