The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-19
LOVE IS
EVER YOUNG.

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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 GA,
but that at "a she looked not a day over
4S, and blooming 48 at that.
True, her hair was silver, but what a
waving wealth Of silver! And it was not
sent to soften wrinkles either. She wore
as many of these ornaments as it Is Ie-
gitimate to wear at 4S and no more. Oh,
she was certainly a 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 had Just returned from
years journey, went in with her to din
ner, and Mr.. Allestree was-but l will
not describe him; simply he was every
thing that the husband of Mrs. Allestree
should have been. Forty-two 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. 81 owe you an apology for my
tardiness, but it couldn't be helped. l
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 mediately-tomorrow."
"Oh, that Perley affair."" she said,
glancing over the page.
81 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 a
thing"
81 am afraid l must do it this time"
he replied mournfully.
They sat in silence for some moments.
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 goneY'
II can't possibly get home in less than
ten days."
"Joseph. 1t will kill us both"
"Ah. no, my DEAR" he laughed; 'it
won't do quite that-at least l hope not
1t will be hard. very hard. But think,
my love. we were apart for FIVE long
years once on a time"
"Ah, Joseph" with a sob in her voice,
shat was before we had ever lived to-
gether. We only knew each other by
letter, you know"
Sand a mighty comfort we did take
out of those same letters. Isn't 1t
| 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 had gone away early on
Saturday. Now it was Tuesday. She
had managed to be 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 1t.
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, NJ
excuse, for such neglect To think thai
this, their first separation in SO man!
years, should be unabridged by a word!
1t was the way of men, and he, i
seems, was no better than the rest Of
them. Once out of her sight, he forgot
forgot all the love and daily devotion O.
AZ years.
By Saturday morning Mrs. Allestre'
was ill-ill enough to go to bed. Jimm!
had to fetch both posts, and, after de
livering in person the first one, whicl
consisted of papers only. he vowed t
Molly that he would not approach Mrs
Anestree again while Mr.. Allestree wa
Iaway.
All day Sunday Mrs. Allestree lay 81
lent in dark chamber. Molly could no
Iget a word from her, nor would she eat.
But by Monday morning she was SUI
fering torments once more. She felt tha
liz Jimmy returned without either Josepl
or a letter she would surely die, and In
deed she nearly died as it was.
When the wheels sounded again upol
the gravel, Mrs. Allestree sat up l
bed. She was whittier than her hair. N
voices were heard below. She clutche
her heart and gasped. But presently
door opened and a step came up tn
stairs. 1t was the step of Joseph. A
he entered the room she fell back anon
the pillows.
"My dear Henrietta, what's all this
He looked around almost accusingly upo
the two frightened women, as if he ha
caught them in the act Of assassinatin
their mistress.
"Joseph, you might have sent me on
little lineT
Henrietta, l wrote to you every da!
and sometimes twice a day."
They stared at each other.
"But never got a solitary letter." sh
said presently. 81 sent to every deliver
went myself until l became i'll. Nj
Framwell said there was nothing frol
you. 1t nearly killed me, Joseph"
However" he muttered, "the
couldn't have all miscarried. I-Hel
rietta! have it! Wait-I'll be back
20 minutes" and the gentleman fairl
ran out Of the room.
He laughed all the way down stair
, and she heard his ha-ha's between b
shouts for Jimmy to bring back the tra
In a few minutes they ratified out Of tt
, grounds, and within the time he mention
ed they ratified back again. Mr.. Allie
tree tore breathless up the stairs, burs
ing boy fashion into his wife's room. 3
, carried a package of letters, which
spread out in a circle on the bed. The
,, were ii of them. and every one was a
dressed to "Miss Henrietta Shower"
Il For a short space nothing was sal
and then the two aged lovers began
laugh, and they laughed until they erie
"Joseph." she said. 'it's very funn
n very, but it was almost the death
me- How did you come to do itT'
= "Why, Henrietta. love. when | on
got out of your dear, familiar presen
!. the old days came back completely. "
6 were little Retta Shower, and"-
Chicago Times-Herald.
His Friends.