THE FACE AT THE FUNERAL.
"Ralph, here is your son," said Paul Morton, ushering the boy into the
sick chamber of his father.
The sick man turned his face toward those who had just entered, and his
face lighted up as his glance rested on his son.
"I am glad you have come, Robert," he said.
"Dear father," said Robert, bursting into tears, "how sick you are
looking!"
"Yes, Robert," said Ralph Raymond feebly, "I am not long for this world.
I have become very feeble, and I know that I shall never leave this
chamber till I am carried out in my coffin."
"Don't say that, father," said Robert in tones of grief.
"It is best that you should know the truth, my son, especially, as my
death cannot be long delayed."
"You will live some months, father, will you not?"
"I do not think I shall live a week, Robert," said his father. "The
sands of my life are nearly run out; but I am not sorry. Life has lost
its attractions for me, and my only desire to live would proceed from
the reluctance I feel at leaving you."
"What shall I do without you, father?" asked the boy, his breast heaving
with the painful sobs which he was trying in vain to repress.
"I shall not leave you wholly alone, my dear boy. I have arranged that
you may be in charge of my old friend, Mr. Morton, who, I am sure will
take the tenderest care of you, and try to be a father to you."
"Yes," said Paul, coming forward, "as your father says, I have promised
to do for you what I can when he has left us. I would that he might be
with us for many years, but since Providence in its inscrutable wisdom
has ordained otherwise, we must bow to the stroke and do the best we
can."
He put his fine cambric handkerchief to his eyes to wipe away the tears
which were not there, and seemed affected by deep grief.
Robert cast a glance at the friend to whom he was to be consigned, but
saw nothing to inspire confidence. There are some who almost
unconsciously attract children, and draw young hearts to them in love
and confidence. But Paul Morton was far from being one of the class.
There was much in his crafty, insincere face to repel, little to
attract, and so Robert judged, though he did not think of it at that
time. He rather wondered why he felt so little drawn toward the man whom
his father praised so highly; but the instincts of childhood were right;
and the boy found no subsequent reason to correct his first impressions.
The interview did not last long, for it was apparent that the excitement
was acting unfavorably upon the sick man, whose strength was now very
slight. So Paul Morton left the room, but by Ralph's request Robert was
left behind, on condition that he would not speak. The boy buried his
head in the bed clothes and sobbed gently. In losing his father he lost
his only relative, and though he had not seen very much of him in his
lifetime, that little intercourse had been marked by so much kindness on
the part of his father, that apart from the claims of duty arising from
relationship, he felt a warm and grateful love for his parent. The
bitterness of being alone in the world already swept over him in
anticipation, and he remained for hours silent and motionless in the
sick chamber of his father.
Matters continued thus for two days. During that time Paul Morton came
little into the sick chamber. Even his audacious and shameless spirit
shrank from witnessing the gradual approaches of that death which had
been hastened by his diabolical machinations.
Besides, there was no object to be gained, he thought. Death was now
certain. There was no need of his doing anything more to hasten it.
Then, as to the disposition of the property, there was no chance now of
any change being made in the arrangement. He knew precisely what
advantage he was himself to reap from his friend's death, and though it
was not so great as he at first anticipated, it would be enough to put a
new face upon his affairs.
Besides, he would have the entire control of his ward's property, and he
did not doubt that he could so use it as to stave off ruin, and
establish himself on a new footing. Then again, there was the
contingency of the boy's death; and upon this, improbable as it was, he
was continually dwelling.
After two days the end came.
The nurse came hurrying into the room of her master, and said, "Come
quick, Mr. Morton. I think the poor gentleman is going."
"Not dying?" asked Paul Morton, with a pale face, for though expected,
the intelligence startled him.
"Yes; you must come quick, or you will not see him alive."
Paul Morton rose mechanically from his chair, and hastily thrust into
his pocket a sheet of paper on which he had been making some
arithmetical calculations as to the fortune of his dying guest, and
following the nurse entered the sick chamber.
It was indeed as she had said. Ralph Raymond was breathing slowly and
with difficulty, and it was evident from the look upon his face, that
the time of the great change had come.
Robert stood by the bedside holding his father's hand, and sobbing
bitterly.
As Paul Morton entered, the dying man turned his glazing eyes toward
him, and then toward the boy at his side, as if again to commend him to
his care.
Paul understood, and with pale face he nodded as if to assure the dying
man that he undertook the trust.
Then a more cheerful look came over the face of Ralph. He looked with a
glance of tender love at his son, then his head sank back, his eyes
closed, and the breath left his body.
The deed was consummated! Ralph Raymond was dead!
"Poor gentleman! So he's dead!" said the nurse with a professional sigh,
"and no doubt he's better off."
No answer was made to this remark. Neither Paul Morton nor Robert seemed
inclined to speak. The former was brought face to face with the
consequence of his crime. The latter was filled with the first
desolation of grief.
Three days later the funeral took place. Paul Morton took care that
everything should be in strict accordance with the wealth and position
of the deceased. He strove to satisfy his troublesome conscience by
paying the utmost respect to the man for whose death he had conspired.
Owing to the long absence of Ralph Raymond from the country, there were
not very many who remembered him, but Paul Morton invited his own
friends and acquaintances liberally, and the invitation was accepted by
a large number, as there are always those who have some morbid feelings
and appear to enjoy appearing at a funeral.
The rooms were draped in black. The doorbell was muffled in crape, and
the presence of death in the house was ostentatiously made known to all
who passed.
Among these there was James Cromwell, who for some reason, nearly every
evening, after his hours of labor were over, came up to take a look at
the house in Twenty-ninth Street, which appeared to have a great
attraction for him. When he saw the crape he managed to learn through a
servant the precise hour of the funeral, and applied to his employer for
leave of absence on that day.
"It will be inconvenient," said his employer.
"I must go," said the clerk, "I wish to attend a funeral."
Supposing that it must be the funeral of a relation, or at least, a
friend, the employer made no further objection.
As the time of the service approached, James Cromwell attired himself in
his best, and made his way to the house. His entrance was unnoticed
amongst the rest, for there was a large number present. He got into an
out-of-the-way corner, and listened attentively to the solemn service
for the dead, as performed by one of the most eminent clergyman in the
city. Among the rest his eye rested on Paul Morton, who sat with his
face buried in his handkerchief.
At length Paul looked from behind the handkerchief, and his eye roved
over the company. Suddenly he turned livid. His eye met that of a thin
young man, with light hair, in an out-of-the-way corner, _and he
remembered at once under what circumstances they had met before_.