HEARTS OF GOLD

14. A COMPULSORY DESERTION

148 A COMPULSORY DESERTION. Chapter XIV. All the way from Minton to Mt. Clare Regenia sat with her head in her hands. Still wearing the gown in which she had gone to the wedding , she had not even divested herself of the flowers, which a few hours since were fresh and beautiful, but now as wilted and lifeless as her smitten heart. Dazed by the suddenness of the terrible information, she could not realize how sad was her bereavement. The shock had come in such an unexpected moment. “If I had only known,” she wailed over and over again, “it might have been so different .” Who is ever prepared for death? What boots it that we are in the very presence of the dying when Death insidiously approaches, we are as illy prepared to admit him and as unwilling to part from our loved ones as if he had entered without warning. Regenia was filled with remorse for leaving home at such a time, all forgetful that her departure had been at the earnest request of Mrs. Underwood. “Why was I not sent for sooner? Why was Mrs. Underwood left to die with no one but Mrs. Levitt or strangers to close her eyes?” Such questions crowded into her mind again and again during the long and tedious ride. At last the train reached Mt. Clare and Regenia hastened home. As she hurried up the gravel walk, the very quietness of the place filled her with a nameless dread. Softly she entered and made her way to the room where all that was mortal of her late benefactress lay. The room was empty. She silently closed the door and kneeling beside the bier, poured out the pent up sorrows which filled her lonely heart. Time and again she removed the cloth from the face of the departed and covered the placid brow with affectionate kisses. How she recalls now her poignant grief, the numberless times, alas! forever past, when 149 hearts of gold with more than a mother’s tenderness those kind eyes, now glazed and sightless, had dwelled with loving compassion upon the lonely child of a daughter’s disobedience. How gently, yet how wisely, had she directed the straying steps of her often wayward little girl back to the path of right. As Regenia stood there alone with her dead, all the high hopes and resolves of the past seemed to fly away on the sombre wings of her sorrow. Throwing herself across the body of the dead and vainly wishing that she too might die, she burst into a fit of passionate weeping. Sob after sob, sad and heart-rending, reached the ears of Mrs. Levitt, who, tired out from watching, sat dozing away the morning hour in an adjoining room. She did not need to be told that it was Regenia weeping so bitterly in the other room. She waited until the girl had spent the first force of her poignant grief and then softly entering the room she lifted the young girl up and led her out from the presence of the dead. Assisting Regenia upstairs she took her to her own room and sitting down took Regenia in her arms just as she had done a thousand times before and stroked her hair and kissed her forehead until wornout nature came to her relief. Then putting her charge on the bed, she knelt beside the sleeping girl and asked God’s aid and guidance through the weary years to come. Mrs. Levitt had a premonition how often and how sadly in the future Regenia would sigh in vain for the return of that kind friend who had been more than a mother to her. Regenia was not less surprised than the rest of her many friends at the suddenness of Mrs. Underwood’s demise. The day she left for Minton as we had before noted, her grandmother complained of a severe headache. For a day or two after Regenia left, Mrs. Underwood commenced to be annoyed with her eyes. She finally concluded to call in Dr. Leighton, who for some reason had not been over to the house since the day he drove Regenia to the boat. The doctor, after a few minutes’ examination of his aunt’s eyes, hurriedly departed. He signified his intention, however, to return in a short time. When he came back he brought an ophthalmoscope and carefully re-examined the eyes of his aunt. Before he put down the...