Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-05-29

Il
her after him. half laughing. half seri-
Gus. down the steps and across the
sunlit sward.
Peaceful and pleasant II certainly
| was In the cool shadows OK the great
trees. where the liquid note OF wood
thrush drifting downward through the
boughs was the only sound that broke
the stiffness. The professor dropped
| on his knees before the headstone,
parting the grasses that had grown up
and hidden the name cut upon II.
ABNER PEr1s
Died May 10. lse2.
Aged %.
he read. then added quietly rs II to
himself. a soldier. maybe"
"Wait. There's something more
said Cynthia. who was poking the toe
| OF her little shoe deep down among the
clover blooms.
Lennard pushed aside the thick tufts
OF green and. standing out In larger let.
ters. saw the one significant word OF an
| epitaph:
"CowARDl'
The hot blood rushed stinging to his
| checks as he released the merciful
leaves aud blossoms that sprang back
into place. shutting out the dead mans
| shame.
What does that meanY" asked Gym
thla In n hushed tone, awed not so
much by the inscription as by her hus-
bands emotion. He moved away from
the grave step or two and. seating
| himself In the long gpass, drew her
down to his Sle.
1T means that We can't be blind to
| the sorrows and sadness Of other lives,
little one. They rise up and confront
us wherever we go. Very likely we
shall never know anything more about
Abner Pettis than we know now, but
this glimpse Of his history Is enough
to convince me there must have been
a reason why they laid him In this
lovely spot. And am sure II was by
his own desire. Dear, you can't grudge
| IL to him"
L
nard slowly. 1T seems to me cow
ard Ia a pretty poor specimen Of hu-
manity. And to have II on his tomb
stone too!'
The evil that men do lives after them
The good 10 OF inferred with their bones.
quoted the professor. I'VE are igno-
rant Of the circumstances. Perhaps In
his place you and would have been
towards too"
Your She broke into soft. incred-
ulous laughter. His manliness and
courage had appealed to her above ev-
erything else. They were the very
foundations Of her love for him. You
run from an enemy"
Sometimes the coward stays and
fights, the brave man walks away"
answered Lennard, fixing long gaze
on the misty hills.
But not In battle. Robertw she pro-
tested. THAT Is only In moral
scrap"
"The moral scraps are the mighty
battles Of the world, sweetheart, and
they are being fought all about us ev-
cry day. unseen, unheard. Their VIC
tins fall by thousands. Even those
who come out Of them bear scars they
carry to their graves"
He spoke very earnestly, and Gym
thia. wondering In her turn, went on
with energy:
"Well. Abner Pettis may have been
that sort OF coward. I don't believe
II, though. He was soldier In the
army, mark my words, did something
to be ashamed OF, and his family would
not have him put In the lot with those
whose name he had disgraced. Let US
ask some one In the village about II,
Robert. II am right, then you sure
ly cannot object to having this remov-
ed"
The professor drew a deep breath
and buried his face In handful OF the
fragrant clover that he had been pull
Ing absentmindedly while he talked.
Then he shook his head. and round his
mouth crept the determined expression
that she had cause to know so well.
When she saw that, she realized that
she had run up against an Iron will,
rigid. infieIible, not to be bent by love
or broken by time.
NO" he said. II have made up my
mind that we will not ask any one In
the village Let the dead past bury its
dead. Many a man Is honored by his
fellows as a hero who Is coward at
heart. and there may be some towards
who would wear the prOudest laurels
and sit on the thrones II the true story
Of their lives was known"
80 there's no credit In facing can
mons mouthT said Cynthia sarcas-
tically.
Credit, yes. It takes brave spirit
to march into the jaws Of death, into
the mouth Of hell, but that's only for
one mad. excited day. when one may
be swept along by torrent and have
no chance to choose deliberately what
he shall or shall not do. Can't you see,
Cynthia, what finer, nobler kind Of
courage 1t Is that turns away day after
day from fierce temptations, not even
| yielding to the satisfaction Of fighting
them. sure as one may be Of coming
OF conqueror In the endT
She scrambled to her feet
"Are you going to be quixotic. Rob
ertY' she asked, brushing back her ruf.
fed curls and looking particularly
young and giriish as she stood before
him. "You can't forbid me to ask
questions, and when l learn the ro-
nance Of Abner Pettis, aged %. which
| Is sure to be quite commonplace, you'll
have to hear It. Hark! Is that mu-
sicr'
The sounds of fife and drum were
blown distinctly to their ears from the
winding road, Of which they could
catch glimpaes here and there through
the trees below.
"Oh, yesr' she pursued. ut is Me-
mortal day. The procession must be
going to the cemetery. It sounds a. II
It were very near"
She ran to the brow Of the knoll and
peeped again.
Robert they are turning down our
lane! What does It meanr
She looked over her shoulder at him.
IN excitement, her lovely face dushed.
A~ golden hair Tying in he eees.s