Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-20

She had not the least shame about tell
ing her age. On the contrary, she was
rather proud to do so. 1t was something
to be proud Of Not that she was 64. but
that at "a she, looked not a day over IS,
and a blooming As at that.
True her hair was silver, but what a
waving wealth of silverl And 1t was nos
sent to soften wrinkles either she wore
as many of those ornaments az 1t is ieSlt-
innate to wear at 46, and no more. On,
she was certainly % wonderful woman
for her age was Mrs. Joseph Allestree.
Quaint indeed, she appeared, rhftacu-
larly ON a certain evening, standing IN
the old square pcEtico, with the sun shin
ing straight under the trees into her race.
The house at ltfr back was low ana
long 1t stood endwise to the lazy little
river that flower at the foot Of the abrubt-
IN sloping lawn. On the other side at
the end of a long shedy avenue, was a
gate with an old-fashioned wooden arch
over it, concealed by vines.
1t was toward this gate that Mrs. Al
lestree looked. DeanlnS forward eagerly
like a girl, eneahand shielding her eyes
from the level sunbeans. She wore
white-thinkt OF her daring 10 wear Wfnte /!
she was watching for Joseph. he hau
gone down to Stoneton-only male dis-
tant-for the post at O'Clock. That
was two hours ago Joseph did love
dearly to gossip with the old farmers ana
shopkeepers. but he really ought TO re-
member dinner time
But Joseph had not forgotten his DIM
ner. At this very minute the gate opened
and his little gig rolled in. followed by
three enthusiastics dogs--a st bernard
and two red settlers
Mr. Alestree, after embracing his Wl1e
as If ne had just returned from q Year 5
Journey, went in with her to dinner, and
Mr. Allestree was-but l will not describe
him: simply he was everything that the
husband Of Mrs. Allestree should have
been. Fortytwo years had gone by since
their marriage and in all that time they
had never been separated a single day.
Dearest" said Mr.. Allestree as they
sat down, Il owe you an apology for my
tardincss, but It couldn't be helped.
got a letter calling me away ON an i'm
nortant matter, and / had to stop to at
tend to some things in the village 1
must go immediately.-tomu
"Oh, that Perley affair" she said, glanc-
ing over the page. But, Joseph, can't
you put it off? Remember, the Kennedys
are coming in the morning TO stay over
Sunday"
tended to at once"
"But. Joseph, you can't go without me.
You know you never did such thing"
II am afraid | must do it this time"
he replied mournfully.
They sat in silence for some minutes.
Twice Mrs. Allestree wiped away sly
tear with her napkin. At length, brave
ly assuming a cheerful aspect. she asked:
.'How long will you be gomez"
Il can't possibly reach London, ac-
compish all l want to and get home
again in less than ten days"
Joseph 1t will kin us both"
"Ah, no, my dear" he laughed; cit
won't quite do that At least, l hope
not 1t will be very, very hard. But
think, my love, we were apart for i've
long years once on a time"
.'Ah, Joseph" with a sob in her voice.
that was before we had ever lived to-
gether We only knew each other by
letter, you know"
And a mighty comfort did we take
out of those same letters. Isn't it strange
that in tive and forty years we should
never have had occasion TO write to one
another? Not since you were Henrietta
Shower"
1T is a singular circumstance" she