Bad Hugh

With an icy shiver, she clung closer to Hugh, as if he could indeed do

battle with the king of terror stealing slowly into that room.

"Somebody say 'Our Father,'" she whispered, "I can't remember how it

goes."

"Do you forgive and love everybody?" Alice asked, sighing as she saw the

bitter expression flash for an instant over the pinched features, while

the white lips answered: "Not Adah, no, not Adah."

Alice could not pray after that, not aloud at least, and a deep silence

fell upon the group assembled around the deathbed. 'Lina slept at last,

slept quietly on Hugh's strong arm, and gradually the hard expression on

the face relaxed, giving way to one of quiet peace, and Densie, watching

her anxiously, whispered beneath her breath: "See, the Murdock is all

gone, and her face is like a baby's face. Maybe she would call me mother

now."

Poor Densie! Eagerly she waited for the close of that long sleep, her

eye the first to note that it was ended, and 'Lina awake again. Still

the silence remained unbroken, while 'Lina seemed lost to all else save

the thoughts burning at her breast--thoughts which brought a quiver to

her lips, and forced out upon her brow great drops of sweat, which

Densie wiped away, unnoticed, it may be, or at least unrebuked. The

noonday sun of May was shining broadly into the room, but to 'Lina it

was night, and she said to Alice, now kneeling at her side: "It's

growing dark; they'll light the street lamps pretty soon, and the band

will play in the yard, but I shall not hear them. New York and Saratoga

are a great ways off, and so is Terrace Hill. Tell him I meant to

deceive him, but I did love him. Tell Adah I do forgive her, and I would

like to see her, for she is my half-sister. The bitter is all gone. I am

in charity with everybody, everybody. May I say 'Our Father' now? It

goes and comes, goes and comes, forgive our trespasses, my trespasses;

how is it, Hugh? Say it with me once, and you, too, mother."

She did not look toward Densie, but her hand fell off that way, and

Densie, with a low cry began with Hugh the soothing prayer in which

'Lina joined feebly, throwing in ejaculatory sentences of her own.

"I forgive Densie Densmore; I forgive Adah, Adah, everybody. Forgive my

trespasses then as I forgive those that trespass against me. Bless Hugh,

dear Hugh, noble Hugh. Forgive us our trespasses, forgive us our

trespasses, our trespasses, forgive my trespasses, me, forgive,

forgive."

It was the last word which ever passed 'Lina's lips, "Forgive, forgive,"

and Hugh, with his ear close to the lips, heard the faint murmur even

after the hands had fallen from his neck where in the last struggle they

had been clasped, and after the look which comes but once to all had

settled on her face. That was the last of 'Lina, with that cry for

pardon she passed away, and though it was but a deathbed repentance,

and she, the departed, had much need for pardon, Alice and the

half-acknowledged mother clung to it as to a ray of hope, knowing how

tender and full of compassion was the blessed Savior, even to those who

turn not to Him until the river of death is bearing them away. Very

gently Hugh laid the dead girl back upon the pillow, and leaving one

kiss on her white forehead, hurried away to his own room, where, unseen

to mortal eye, he could ask for knowledge to give himself aright to the

God who had come so near to them.