The Holly chieftain., 1900-05-11

even drawing the curtains Of the win
dows close. he severed the cord that
held in place the little folded note. and
opening the sheet. read:
''Adina. Ny Beloved: can give thee
no greeting as pass thy window, but
l shall even then have close to my
breast the dove which is to bear this
my last message to thee. The mes
sage is but this. that thou hast heard
SO often: love thee, and / charge
thee, by that love, give not thyself to
heavy grief. but ever take courage and
have hope. If thou lowest me, would
have thee bear up with patience under
the heavy burden and to comfort my
father Jephthah. Pray ever for deliv-
erance for us both Sorrow not, be-
loved, seeing that ever love thee, both
in this life and that which is to come
Thine, NAMARAH."
And underneath she had written the
word "Mizpeh."
In reading these lines, the soul OF
Adina was greatly comforted, SO that
he felt new courage come to him, and
ever thereafter, until the two months
were come to an end. he bore himself
patiently and submissively and mur-
INJURED no more. Each day that dawned
saw him beside the old man Jephthah,
sustaining, comforting and cherishing
him, though. mayhap, his own heart
was even at that same time sunk down
with weariness.
And after he had brought the white
dove home that night, it ever came to
him afterward of its own accord, flying
at sunset into his window and perch
ing there, II he was absent, until he
returned, and often he would take 1t
in his hands and talk to it, such words
as his frozen heart refused to utter
unto human ears, and ever it seemed
to give him greater comfort than any
human friend.
AS the two months of absence of the
maiden Namarah began to draw to
close, the soul of Adina grew each hour
more exceedingly sorrowful, and Jeph-
| thah also went heavily from morn till
evening and took no comfort save in
the presence and companionship of
Adina, who was become to him even as
his own son.
And when the eve of the return of
| Namarah and her maidens was come,
| all the people of Mizpeh were aware of
| 1t, but so great was their sorrow for
the maiden, that they feared to look
| upon her face, and as at set of sun the
children playing in the streets
! brought news that the maidens were
returning, behold, the people gat them
| to their houses, they and their chill
dren. that none might look upon Ma
marah in her misery and her affliction.
| And as Namarah and her maidens
made their way along the streets of
Mizpeh, behold, they made a picture
sad to see, for their garments of sack
cloth We're torn and stained with their
sojourn in the wilderness of the noun
tains. and their feet were sore and
weary, and as Namarah walked first
among them, her companions uttered a
low wailing of distress. But the maid
en- herself was silent and made no
sound, either with her voice or with
the ,worn-out sandals of her feet, but
ever moved noiselessly as shadow,
with bent head and hands clasped
!
wearily.
No human creature did they see
| The streets of Mizpeh were as unin-
habited as were the mountain forests
they had left, and vast and solemn
silence. more awful in this place of
many habitations than in the open
country, brooded over everything.
AS they moved along in slow process
sion, suddenly above their heads there
was the sound of wings, and flock of
snow-white doves came downward
from high in the air, and, flying low,
preceded them with slow and steady
motions all up the empty streets. And
as men or women here or there
watched furtively from behind the
drawn curtains of their windows, this
most strange sight-the maidens in
their mourning garments preceded by
the flock Of white doves-struck awe
unto their hearts. And added to the
sight there was strange and awful
sound, for even as the maidens crooned
their low. sad walls. the doves from
their fight in the air joined to the
sound their plaintive cooling and com
planning.
To the other maidens It seemed as
but an accident that the birds should
meet and join themselves to the pro-
cession; but Namarah believed 1t not.
Her heart told her that her tenderly
loved birds had recognized her, and be-
fore she reached the door of her fathers
house one Of them had even separated
from Its companions. and circling
moment, as II in doubt, above her head,