Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-03-27
Come Together az Last.

Miss Carney walked up the long green
lane on her way home from tea party.
She wore brown silk dress and a
brown bonnet, end carricda large brown
parasol in her hand. The browns were
OF different shades, and ran softly into
each other, like the tints upon a dove.
All the lines OF her figure were smooth
and rounded. She was a very pretty
old lady, indeed. and must have been
very pretty girl, though she was a
spInster, and people who believed that
all unmarried women were left upon
the bough Of single blessedness because
they tempted nobody to pluck them,
must have owned that il could not be
90 in her case.
Down the lane, coming towards her,
walked a gentleman. He was tall and
broad, his hair was grey. and his hat
was grey; and his summer suit was
grey, his beard was grey also. He, odd
" enough shaded of into another sort
Of dove. The green trees were all about
them both, the green grass beneath
their feet. The roses nodded over the
fence.
If these had been two young people
instead Of two old people, one might
have fancIed IL q lovers rendezvous,
but they were old. OF course there
could be 40 romance about them.
In the middle OF the lane. shaded by
great chesnut trees. stood an old house.
Honeysuckle draped the porch. There
was an old fashioned sweepin the well.
II was altogether thing of the past
no modern cottage Of architectural mys-
teries. II was so old fashioned that it
must have been the same when those
two people were young. Yes, when
their parents were born doubtless il
stood, by no means new house, just
NJ il stood now.
The pretty old lady in brown reached
.he gate Of this house first. She lifted
the latch and stood looking down the
road, thinking that Il must be the hand
some old man in grey had lost his way
and would inquire OF her, for the lane
was no thorougfiare because fence
and gate had sign. with "All per-
sons are forbid to trespass upon these
grounds" nailed upon it.
The Iady's father had put up the sign
che day after the Pedlar had stolen all
his pears. No neighbor minded -, but
strangers did. So the old lady waited
curiousIy to tell the stranger that he
might take the short cut through the
orchard 10 he chose.
"Ha walks like somebody know
Who can il be 7" she asked herself
Then she suddenly blushed and looked
pretlier than ever. Yes, certainly, il
could not be because no one desired 10
remind her that she remained a faded
rose upon the branch-Miss Carney,
not Mrs. Anybody.
On came the old gentleman in his
grey coat and as he looked at the little
old lady he doiied his grey hat.
MADAME" he said, ''this is where
Mr.. Edward Carney used TO live,
know. Does he live here nowi'
But the old lady looked at him with
a sudden start. "Oh!" she cried; and
added, "No, he does not"
"He is" began the old gentle-
man.
''It is his tombstone that you can see
under The great willow in the highest
part OF the churchyard," she said. point
ing through the trees. He was eighty
when he died"
"Time flies fast" said the old gentle
man.
"Fearfully fast" " said the old lady.
She was not looking at him now, but
at the flowers in the borders at her
feet.
"Mr. Carney was a widower when
knew him, and had but one child-@a
daughter" said the old gentleman in
grey. ''She is living, is she not:"
''Yes," said the old lady.
"But she cannot be Miss Carney still"
said the old gentleman.
S"But she IS" said the old lady, and
looked him in The face again.
Their eyes met. Hers were brown
and bis were grey.
'tPeople alter out Of knowledge in for
ty years" said She. land how on earth
/ came TO know you don't know. Tor
you look like your own grandfather,
Marx Turner"
"Ask the old gentleman 10 walk in,
then, Miss Carney" said he, for he
ought 10 be more weary than he used
20 grow on the same road a lifetime
ago, coming from the mill, you remem-
Der. Priscy, every Sunday evening"
ibid yOul' said she, pretending to
forget.
"Oh. yes OF course will ask you 10
walk in, SIR. Turner"