The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-01-05

touched by the ryenoU- hrc. stephen aP-
fcar.,l Arre, hi, shoulder hung a limp,
black bply Tie mo,ioned to the cn'wd
below
They brought a ladder aud planted it
against the caves lie descended slowly
and ,ulsieadily. His face was scorehed
and blackeuel leyond p-ogni,ion. lie
put his hapl,-~, laIr,icn in Martha ''r.gg
arms
She wa king ou the garnet ao"r.
Slno:hey,l With smoke he -ruaned then
t.s.k a step i,swsrl and re,'le,l aud fell lu
the mid>, # them
Thcv huYied Mr. Iarc in she graveyard
by the riyer The oaly mpurs'er t'' follow
her sn her la,i resting place VA Martha
,.rcels At.a neighborng farmhouse both
stephen and htS blind sister lay. s. the
lswu .goik, sid al death i,-,r
Irtsys fcs4, having drawn IS" cl'~' G"
,ha, myslS ,hry~hold, Ias-',i ever. and
Stephen wa legt alaue
Tie was yorna aud -tr,ag. and be cau'c
back ta liip relag,anily, but surely N'''n
Il wst- sr,i---i alr,,.ii that be bad -nld hSs
lsar,,.u arms and was goinz &" -,ek hi- i"T-
tune ia thc far Ws,s
And a e,.sd uove :; l, -sid the g,s
s;ie Naturally enough. the "ld Ilaoc )
hateful 10 him now \ likely fellow hike
S,cg.hs,. with his hand, frec, and the l-->;
part If liz. before him viii b. sure ~ }"
we'll Ia t'y.ls.rsds.
One sabbath morsgiu. stephen Hare
f,s the Ia, time. saIkc,l into the ald chHT,h
uhesc ln,u ehildho.l he had becn want
tss worShir aa,l tss,k he's -sst alnne tp the
issis,l Harc pew
THIS nliIl hassslS rams min-lu- into the
.ilc aisles With narrowing cTt'ak in iheIT
.koss and an unnatural slecknss~s in their
hair Up in the ehuir the giTi- were gig
cling lnd eating tsFlerniu;s behind their
-iasips. la-,ks. and hi a rg.buss ycl's', -cuSh
iosei vew under ,hc pulpit CathaTipe
lIarlinz. the Observed al sll ob+eryvr-. sst
"a solitary state.
Ssrphen dropped into hi> "wu corner.
t,eking neither to the night hand u"r the
left Hi, facc was sill marked with un-
.ishtly -eafs. his -inrrl hair WaS cti Ike
q s,nvirt. lie baked hag=srl. Ihin and
saru
When the eonsr,yatioIi aTrs-e 1" sing the
,l.,x,,l,s-y. and the yoisc of Cathsrine Hart
ING brole oui Ike Au,e ri,lug high over
al the ,,hers. and the perfume from her
,lrs1eyies va waited 90 hi n.s-tril, and
her pr,,nd dark eyt- wandered his way.
and ssll uysn him e,mpas~lausiely he did
ma iuFn ~ hsk He was shatbu. h,S
.sarTesl face with hi, hand and the hand
was ~, resnoys-l Perhaps !, was enough
fpg hin, 20 hear her voice Thrnugh the
long. pn~v ssr1aun he sal a. motiouir-, -
stone Fnan all parts If the h,'use curious
ewes wrre watching him. hut he did n"'
s,4m a. know IL When the benedicti"n
wa, pronounced. Mis- Harding moved out
IN advance. The rich ful,ls ii her dre~-
r,.-sle,l a.ains, him in the ehnrvh porch.
He never ance kokcd up With head
hent upsn bis breas, he passed. "n down
the walk aud thn,ush the ga'e--plssed
her by making ne sign,
Il was late summer weather Wild
a>teFs and golden -r-d .;lorifed the heldS.
f The cricks{- chirped plaintivcly in the dry
grasS stephen way led By lonely path
slg,. the riyef side tie walked with a
languid step There was un-peakable sad
n,-s in his face. unsleakable detection IN
F hi> Slow patient figure The river laughed
in the san He did not hear il, The
I blackberr1 xinas made crimson >nares for
Z his feet, He did not see them lie was
( hurt ia kody and in spirit and dead for
7 the time. 70 al outward things
( Presently another sound pushed. little
BY little, upon his senses. 1t was like a
step following his own through the grass.
IL drew nearer and nearer He heard a
quick breath. and turned and saw her al
last.
She sf,sd irresolute in the path but 4
few feet from him-Catharine Handing
her rieh dress gathered in one pearl gl"yed
hand. her pale face shining through her
wind-blown hair the dark eyes like some
startled wild creature :. Stephen was
hardly prepared for such sight.
Nis Harding-you2 he stammered
4 There was moment of indecision. then
she ran mp to him.
Is it true that you are going West to
morrow she said hurriedly.
III lsstue. answered poor stephen,
Wifhmu a word Of farewell to-to-
anyone
He dared not look at her. He turned
and sazed out across the river.
I There is no one left to whom my fare
wells can now have any meaning he re-
Piled drearily.
She was silent, standing there in the
sunshine. with panied uncertain look IN
her proud eyes.
Why do you 90? she said, at last.
He set his teeth.
Because must
i Is it, she faltered. changing rapid
color-- pardon me--is ii your mother :
death.or Letty's. which drives YOU away?
M.
Isit the loss of your home?
no