Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-11
LOVE is
EVER YOUNG.


She had not the least shame about tell
ing her age. On the contrary, she wa.
rather proud to do SO. 1t was sometime
to be proud Of. Not that she was Ga
but that at 64 she looked not a day over
aS, and blooming 4S at that
True, her hair was silver, but what q
waving wealth of silver! And it was not
sent to soften wrinkles either. She wore
as many of these ornaments as it is lie.
gitimate to wear at 4S and no more Oh
she was certainly n wonderful woman
for her age, was Mrs. Joseph Allestree.
Her husband had been to town and
was late to dinner.
| Mr.. -Allestree, after embracing his
wife as If he bad Just returned from O
years journey, went In with her to din.
ner, and Mr.. Allestree was-but | will
not describe him; simply he was every.
thing that the husband of Mrs. AIlestree
should have been. Forty-two years had
gone by since their marriage. and In al
that time they bad never been separated
u single day.
Dearest" said Mr.. Allestree as they
sat down, II owe you an apology for my
tardiness. but it couldn't be helped.
got letter calling me away ON an i'm.
portant matter. and l had to stop to at
tend to some things at the village.
must go NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
"Oh. that Perley affair" she said
glancing over the page.
Il cannot, Henrietta. It's got to be at
tended to at once"
But, Joseph, you can't go without
me. You know you never did such o
thing"
II am afraid I must do it this time, (,
he replied rnournfully.
| They sat In silence for some moments
Twice Mrs. Allestree wiped away a sly
tear with her napkin. At length. brave.
iy assuming cheerful aspect, she asked
"How long will you be gomez"
II can't possibly get home in less than
ten days"
"Joseph. It will kill us both"
"Ah. no. my dear" he laughed; 'f,
won't do quite that-at least l hope not
1t will be hard, very hard. But think
my love, we wers apurt for five long
years once on time"
"Ah, Joseph" with sob in her voice
"that was before se had ever lived to-
gether. We only knew each other by
letter. you know"
And a mighty comfort we did take
out of those same letters. Isn't II
strange that in two and forty years we
should never have had occasion to write
to one another? Not since you were
Henrietta Shower"
Mr.. Allestree hfd gone away early on
Saturday. Now \ was Tuesday. She
had managed to tn patient over the Sab
BATH. but on Monday morning when
Jimmy came up from Stoneton empty
handed she refused to believe that be
had not dropped the letter or that the
postmaster had not overlooked it.
There were only two deliveries in the
"a hours, and at the evening the same
/ performance was repeated.
| On Tuesday Mrs Allestree went her.
self to Stoneton and delivered a severe
lecture to the postmaster upon the gen.
eral Indifference of government officials,
thereby greatly annoying the poor man.
By the middle of the week her whole
mood changed. She felt hurt, deeply
hurt. There seemed to be no reason, nc
excuse, for such neglect. To think that
| this. their first separation in so many
years, should be unabridged by word!
| 1t was the wey of men, and he. il
seems, was no better than the rest OF
them. Once out Of her sight, he forgot
forgot all the love and daily devotion Of
AZ years.
By Saturday morning Mrs. Allestree
was ill-ill enough to 60 to bed. Jimmy
had to fetch both posts, and, after de-
livering in person the first one, which
consisted of papers only, he vowed to
Molly that he would not approach Mrs.
Allestree again while Mr.. Allestree was
away.
All day Sunday Mrs. Allestree lay ST.
lent in dark chamber. Molly could not
get word from her. nor would she eat.
But by Monday morning she was suf-
fering torments once more. She felt that
if Jimmy returned without either Joseph
or letter she would surely die, and in
| deed she nearly died as 1t was.
! When the wheels sounded again upun
| the gravel, Mrs Alestree sat up In
bed. She was whittier than her hair. No
voices were heard below. She clutched
her heart and gasped. But presently a
door opened and q step came up the
stairs. 1t was the step OF Joseph. AS
he entered the room she fell back among
the pillows.
''Aiy dear Henrietta, what's ali this ?"
He looked around almost accusingly upon
the two frightened women, as il he had
caught them in the act of assassinating
their mistress.
"Joscph, you might have sent me one
little linew
Henrietta, wrote to you every day,
and sometimes twice day."
They stared at each other.
But never got a solitary letter." she
said presently. II sent to every delivery
went myself until became i'll. Mr..
Framwell said there was nothing from
you. 1t nearly killed me. Joseph"
"However," be muttered, "they
couldn't hpva all miscarried. HEN
rietta! ! have It! Wait-I'll be back in
90 minutes" and the gentleman fairly
ran out of the room.
He laughed all the way down stairs,
and she heard bis ha-ha's between his
shouts for Jiumy TO bring back the trap.
In few minutes they ratified out OF the
grounds, and within the time he mention
cd they ratified back again. Mr.. Allies
tree tore breathless nm the stairs. burst
Ing boy fashion into his wife's room. He
carried package of letters, which he
spread out in circle on the bed. There
- %k... a