Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-12
LOVE Is EVER YOUNG.


She had not the least shame about
telling her age On the contrary she
was rather proud to do SO. twas some.
thing 10 bc proud Of Not that she was
Ga but that at 81 she looked not Il day
over IS. and a blooming IS AT that,
True, her hair was silver. but what Il
waving wealth of silver And IT was
not sent to soften wrinkles either. She
wore a. many Of these ornaments as 1t
is legitimate to wear at IS. and 10
more Oh. she was certainly wonder
tul woman tor A,r age, was Mrs Joseph
AllcStreel
1t did not dctract from the compare
lively youthful appearance of Mrs Al
lcstrce that her costumes always repre-
scented the height Of the fashion.
Quaint, indeed, she appeared, partic-
ularly on a certain evening" standing III
the old square portlco, with the sun
shining straight under the trees into
her face.
The house at her back was low and
long. 1t stood oudwise to the lazy little
river that flowed at the foot of the
abruptly Sloping lawn. On the other
side, at the end of a long, shady av
enue, was gate with an old fashioned
wooden arch over il, concealed by vines
1t was toward this gate that Mrs. Al
lestree looked. leaning forward eagerly,
like girl, one hand shielding her eyes
from the level sunbeamS. She wore
Il, i.
white! She was watching for Joseph
He had gone down 10 StOnetOn-only IA
mile distant-fOr the post at o'clock.
That was two hours ago. Joseph did
love dearly to gossip with the old farm
ers and shopkccpcIs bat he really ought
TO remember dinner time.
But Joseph had not forgotten his
dinner At this very minute the gate
opened and his little gig rolled ii, fol
lowed by three enthusiastic dogs-a st.
Bernard and two red settlers
Mr. AllcsUce. after embracing his
wife, Is if be- had just returned from Il
year. jour, Y. went in with her 10 aim
ncr, and Mr.. Allcstrcc was-but | VIII
not describe him; SIMPLY ne was every
thing that The husband Of Mrs. Allestrce
should have been Forty-two years had
gone 10y since their marriage, and in all
that time they had never been separated
a single day,
Dearest" said Mr.. Allcstree as they
sat down i owe you an apology for ny
tardincSs. but il couldn't bc helped
got letter calling me away on an i'm
portant matter, and had To stop To at
tend 10 some things III the village.
must 60 tcly-tomorrow -
"Oh, that Ecrlcy affair, she said,
CHANGING over the page But, Joseph
can't You put il off: Remember tho
Kennedys are coming IN the morning L.
stay over sunday.
Il cannot, Henrietta It's got to be
attended 10 at once -
But. Joseph, you can't go without
me You know you never did such II
thing
II ann afraid l must do it this time. -
he replied mournfully
They sat IN silence for some minutes
Twice Mrs AlleStree wiped away Il sly
tear with her napkin. AT length brave.
ly assuming cheerful aspect. she ask
ed, How long will you be gone
Il can't possibly reach London, ac-
complish all | want 70 and get home
again in less than ten days
Joseph, ii viii kill Us both
All, no, my dear, he laughed: "it
won't quite do that-at least hope not
1t will be hard very hard But think,
my love we were apart for five long
years once on time
All, Joseph, with sob in her voice.
that was before we had ever lived TO-.
gethcr We only knew each other by let
ter, you know.
And mighty comfort did we take
out Of those same letters. Isn't il strange
that in two ana forty years we should
never have had occasion to write 10 one
another: Not since YOU were Henrietta
Shower. "
1t Is singular circumstance, she
replied. "Gcs, we can write Do you
know Joseph, the thought IF it already
consoles me little 1t Will be such d
delightful novelty.
1t was a good thing for Mrs Allcs-
tree that she expected visitors But
after tic guests had departed her couui.
ton was pitiablc Especially Is no let.
ter had come
Mr. Allestrcc had gone away early On
Saturday Now it was Tuesday. she
had managed To be patient over the
sabbath, bat on Monday morning. when
Jimmy came up from Stoneton empty
! handed, she had refused 10 believe that
he had not dropped the letter or that
the postmaster had not overlooked il.
There were only two deliveries in
the "a hours. and at evening the same
! performance was repeated.
On Tuesday Mrs Allestree went her
self TO StunetUn and delivered IA severe
| lecture To the postmaster upon the gen
eral indifference of government officials,