"WHICH OF THE TWO WAS MY MOTHER?"
The sleeper lay tranquilly forgetful of the morning hours redolent of
perfumes and vocal with the songs of birds. The sunlight was gone, a
deep-gray cloud having crept up to shadow the scene. All was still in
the glass-room. Virdow shook his head.
"This," he said, "strange, as it may seem, is his real life. Waking
brings the dreams. We will not disturb him."
Edward would have returned his violin to its case, but as he sat looking
upon the face of the sleeper and revolving in mind the complications
which had enslaved him, there came upon the roof of glass the unheralded
fall of rain. As it rose and fell in fine cadences under the fitful
discharge of moisture from the uneven cloud drifting past, a note wild
but familiar caught his ear; it was the note of the waterfall.
Unconsciously he lifted his bow, and blending with that strange minor
chord, he filled the room with low, sweet melody.
And there as the song grew into rapture from its sadness under the spell
of a new-found hope, under the memory of that last scene, when the
rainbow overhung the waters and the face of the girl had become radiant
with the thought she expressed, Gerald arose from his couch and stood
before the easel. All the care lines were gone from his face. For the
first time in the knowledge of the two men he stood a cool, rational
being. The strains ran on. The artist drew, lingering over a touch of
beauty, a shade of expression, a wave of fine hair upon the brow. Then
he stood silent and gazed upon his work. It was finished. The song of
the violin trembled--died away.
He did not for the moment note his companions; he was looking upward
thoughtfully. The sun had burst open the clouds and was filling the
outer world with yellow light, through the water-seeped air. Far away,
arching the mellow depths of a cloud abyss, its colors repeated upon the
wet grass around him, was a rainbow. Then he saw that Virdow and Edward
were watching him. The spell was broken. He smiled a little and beckoned
to Edward.
"Here is a new face," he said. "It is the first time it has come to me.
It is a face that rests me." Edward approached and gazed upon the face
of Mary! Speechless with the rush of feeling that came over him, he
turned and left the room.
To Virdow it meant nothing except a fine ideal, but, impressed with the
manner of the musician, he followed to the great hall. The girl of the
picture stood in the doorway. Before he had time to speak, he saw the
martial figure of Evan overshadow hers and heard the strong, manly voice
asking for Edward.
Edward came forward. Confused by his recent experience, and the sudden
appearance of the original of the picture, he with difficulty managed to
welcome his guest and introduce his friend.
"I thought best to come," said Evan when Virdow, with easy courtesy, was
engaging the attention of the lady. "I have passed a sleepless night.
Where can we speak privately?" Edward motioned to the stairway, but
hesitated.
"Never mind Mary," said the general, divining his embarrassment.
"I took her away from the colonel on the road; she and the professor
will take care of themselves." She heard the remark and smiled, replying
gayly:
"But don't stay too long. I am afraid I shall weary your friend."
Virdow made his courtliest bow.
"Impossible," he said. "I have been an untiring admirer of the beautiful
since childhood."
"Bravo!" cried Evan. "You will do!" Virdow bowed again.
"I would be glad to have you answer a question," he said, rather
abruptly, gazing earnestly into her eyes. She was astonished, but
managed to reply assuringly. "It is this: Have you ever met Gerald
Morgan?"
"Never. I have heard so much of him lately, I should be glad to see
him."
"Has he ever seen you?"
"Not that I am aware of----"
"Certainly not face to face--long enough for him to remember your every
feature--your expression?"
"Why, no." The old man looked troubled and began to walk up and down the
hall, his head bent forward. The girl watched him nonplussed and with a
little uneasiness.
"Pardon me--pardon me," he said, finally, recalling the situation. "But
it is strange, strange!"
"May I inquire what troubles you, sir?" she asked, timidly.
"Yes, certainly, yes." He started, with sudden resolution, and
disappeared for a few moments. When he returned, he was holding a large
sheet of cardboard. "It is this," he said. "How could a man who has
never seen you face to face have drawn this likeness?" He held Gerald's
picture before her. She uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"And did he draw it--did Mr. Gerald----"
"In my presence."
"He has never seen me."
"Yes," said a musical voice; "as you were then, I have seen you." She
started with fright. Gerald, with pallid face and hair upon his
shoulders, stood before her. "So shall I see you forever." She drew
nearer to Virdow.
"This, my young friend, is Mary." It was all he could remember. And then
to her: "This is Gerald."
"Mary," he said, musingly, "Mary? What a pretty name! It suits you. None
other would." She had extended her hand shyly. He took it and lifted it
to his lips. It was the first time a girl's hand had rested in his. He
did not release it; she drew away at last. Something in his voice had
touched her; it was the note of suffering, of unrest, which a woman
feels first. She knew something of his history. He had been Edward's
friend. Her father had pictured the scene wherein he had cornered and
defied Royson.
"I am sure we shall be friends, Mr. Gerald. Mr. Morgan is so fond of
you."
"We shall be more than friends," he said, gently; "more than friends."
She misunderstood him. Had he divined her secret and did Edward promise
him that?
"Never less," she said. He had not removed his eyes from her, and now as
she turned to speak to Virdow, he came and stood by her side, and
lifting gently one of her brown curls gazed wonderingly upon it. She was
embarrassed, but her good sense came to the rescue.
"See the light upon it come and go," he said. "We call it the reflected
light; but it is life itself glimmering there. The eye holds the same
ray."
"You have imagination," she said, smiling, "and it is fortunate. Here
you must be lonely." He shook his head.
"Imagination is often a curse. The world generally is happy, I think,
and the happiest are those who touch life through the senses alone and
who do not dream. I am never alone! Would to God sometimes I were." A
look of anguish convulsed his face. She laid her hand upon his wrist as
he stood silently struggling for self-possession.
"I am so sorry," she said, softly; "I have pained you." The look, the
touch, the tender voice--which was it? He shuddered and gazed upon the
little hand and then into her eyes. Mary drew back, wondering; she read
him aright. Love in such natures is not a growth. It is born as a flash
of light. Yet she did not realize the full significance of the
discovery. Then, oh, wonderful power of nature, she turned upon him her
large, melting eyes and gave him one swift message of deepest sympathy.
Again he shuddered and the faintest crimson flushed his cheeks.
They went with Virdow to see the wing-room, of which she had heard so
much, to look into the little cabinets, where he made his photographs,
to handle his weapons, view his favorite books and all the curious
little surroundings of his daily life; she went with an old man and a
child. Her girlish interest was infectious; Virdow threw off his
speculations and let himself drift with the new day, and Gerald was as a
smiling boy.
They even ventured with unconventional daring to peep into the
glass-room. Standing on the threshold, the girl gazed in with surprise
and delight.
"How novel and how simple!" she exclaimed; "and to think of having the
stars for friends all night!" He laughed silently and nodded his head;
here was one who understood.
And then her eyes caught a glimpse of the marble bust, which Gerald had
polished and cleared of its discolorations. She made them bring it and
place it before her. A puzzled look overspread her face as she glanced
from Gerald to the marble and back again.
"Strange, strange," she said; "sit here, Mr. Gerald, sit here, with your
head by this one, and let me see." White now as the marble itself, but
controlled by the new power that had enthralled, he obeyed; the two
faces looked forward upon the girl, feature for feature. Even the pose
was the same.
"It was well done," she said. "I never saw a more perfect resemblance,
and yet"--going to one side--"the profile is that of Mr. Edward!" The
young man uttered no sound; he was, in the swift passing of the one
bright hour of his life, as the marble itself. But as he remained a
moment under the spell of despair that overran him, Gen. Evan stood in
the door. Only Mary caught the words in his sharp, half-smothered
exclamation as he started back. They were: "It is true!" He came forward
and, taking up the marble, looked long and tenderly into the face, and
bowing his head gave way to his tears.
One by one they withdrew--Virdow, Mary, Edward. Only Gerald remained,
gazing curiously into the general's face and thinking. Then tenderly the
old man replaced the bust upon the table, and, standing above his head,
and said with infinite tenderness:
"Gerald, you do not know me; if God wills it you will know me some day!
That marble upon the table is the carved face of my daughter--Marion
Evan."
"Then you are Gen. Evan." The young man spoke the words coolly and
without emotion.
"Yes. Nearly thirty years ago she left me--without a farewell until too
late, with no human being in all the world to love, none to care for
me."
"So Rita told me." The words were little more than a whisper.
"I did not curse her; I disowned her and sought to forget. I could not.
Then I began to cry out for her in the night--in my loneliness--do you
know what that word means?"
"Do I know?" The pathos in the echo was beyond description.
"And then I began a search that ended only when ten years had buried all
hopes. No tidings, no word after her first letter ever reached me. She
is dead, I believe; but recently some of the mystery has been untangled.
I begin to know, to believe that there has been an awful error
somewhere. She did come back. Her child was born and Rita cared for it.
As God is my judge, I believe that you are that child! Tell me, do you
remember, have you any knowledge that will help me to unravel this
tangled----"
"You are simply mistaken, general," said the young man, without moving
other than to fold his arms and sink back into his chair. "I am not the
son of Marion Evan." Speechless for a moment, the general gazed upon his
companion.
"I thought I was," continued Gerald; "I hoped I was. My God! My God! I
tried to be! I have exhausted almost life itself to make the truth a
lie, and the lie a truth! I have struggled with this secret here for
twenty years or more; I have studied every phase of life; I well-nigh
broke Rita's heart. Poor honest Rita!
"She told me what they claimed--she was too honest to conceal that--and
what she believed; she was too human to conceal that; and then left me
to judge. The woman they would have me own as my mother left me, a
lonely babe, to the care of strangers; to grow up ill-taught, unguided,
frail and haunted with a sickening fear. She has left me twenty-seven
years. Rita stayed. If I were sick, Rita was by me. If I was crazed,
Rita was there to calm. Sleepless by night, sleepless by day, she loved
and comforted and blessed me." He had risen in his growing excitement.
"I ask you, General, who have known life better than I, which of the two
was my mother? Let me answer; you will not. The woman of thirty years
ago is nothing to me; she was once. That has passed. When Rita lay dead
in her coffin I kissed her lips at last and called her mother. I would
have killed myself afterward--life seemed useless--but not so now. It
may be a terrible thing to be Rita's son; I suppose it is, but as before
God, I thank Him that I have come to believe that there are no ties of
blood between me and the woman who was false to both father and child,
and in all probability deserted her husband."
Gen. Evan turned abruptly and rushed from the room. Edward saw his face
as he passed out through the hall and did not speak. With courtly
dignity he took Mary to the buggy and stood with bowed head until they
were gone. He then returned to the glass-room. Gerald stood among the
ruins of a drawing and the fragments of the marble bust lay on the
floor. One glance at this scene and the blazing eyes of the man was
sufficient. Evan had failed.
"Tell them," exclaimed Gerald, "that even the son of a slave is
dishonored, when they seek to link him to a woman who abandons her
child."
"What is it," asked Virdow, in a whisper, coming to Edward's side.
Edward shook his head and drew him from the room.
"He does not know what he is saying."