Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-01-13


Yet. ali, that spring should vanish with the rose,
That youths sweet scented manuscript should
close!
Omar Khayyam
AlwyS did not assist in the parish
There were so many women who did that
kind of thing-Womcn who had once been
quite young.
Alan arrived. He was the new doctor
who had bought old Manscll's practice
For brief thrOhbing period church work
ceased to he all CngroSSing to certain Of
the congregation from whose waiting
hearts all hope had not yet faded. as
leaves ON the decay of summer, for WHOM
all possibilities were not yet ended.
But from the beginning lakewood saw
only AlwyS. He loved her dcvoutly when
first he hch"ld her one May evening in
the old church. sitting in an ovcrcrowded
pew and dressed in black Ia shabby black,
if he had noticcd), with radiant eyes
fixed. it seemed to him. on the stained
window above the altar. 1t was poor
specimen of Il stained windOw-a SCnti-
mental st. Peter dragged an impossible
net out of Il pale, dirty sea. The half
trained choir droncd with their own ac-
cent, "'Owly. 'Owly, 'Owly" The school
master or=anSt Numbered on the pedals,
as usual. Alan wondered much at the
fcrvor of the young girl. rapt as some
virgin visionary Of old time. For himself
he had come only to be seen, which is
necessary for the country doctor.
Love grew like n flower in the sun
shine. They were intensely happy. and
AlwyS' parents were pleased. 1t was Il
complaccnt relief to them, for the child
was delicate and by nature untitled to do
battle.
And so the early summer passed. IL glad
procession of quickly speeding days. and
the joy in their hearts was ovcrwhcm-
ing. so that they marvcled at their own
happiness. 1t was perfect.
But the time was short. for one day
as Alan rode out along the Northbank
road to an urgent case of diphthcria in
house beyond the town he met gypsy
caravan crcakng slowly along the road
to llldon fair. Ills quiet old hack grew
uneasy and FESTIVE at its approach. When
the yellow painted van drew near, the
warm smell of the bears pclt and the
low vibrating growl sent Bruce mad
with panic. There was no holding
him. Half Il mile farther on he crashed
into Il stone wall. horse and rider were
hlliNh hiliN. -Aidtll W as tdlIb'l
to IIildon.
Alwys did not cry: only the faint color
left her checks. and the light died from
her face. The night of the burial il
raincd. and then she wept for the first
time. She feared for him under the
damp mold.
Sometimes she would meet vilagcl
whose bright good morning she passed
unhcedingly, and sometimes little brown
birds would tluttcr in her path, and
chCcping. fly away unnoticcd. for she had
eyes that saw not and ears that heard
not At night she slept i'll, but sat
crouching in chair through the dark
hours, and when the birds sang early
in the morning she rose and went out
The fresh sounds of summer were q
vacant silence and the gladncSS of the
day rs nothing to her. Everything had
ceased to hc-eXtinguishcd in her dull
memory. And only week before she
had been alive.
The man was coming toward her. The
way he vaultcd the stile caused her heart
to beat more quickly. He came swiftly
to where she stood, trembling. irrcSolute
"Arc You not glad to see mc?' he ask
ed. Ills face was strangely white. though
not more so than her own, and his voice
was thin.
'Alan.' she cried. Startin. forward on
heart throb. and then drawing back
''But You are dead. They buried You
siX-scvcn days ago
Il am not dead" he said in low voice
Il am alive, and you see me. Are YOU
gaG?"
She passed her hand vaguely across her
forehead, puzzled.
'BUt You did die" she repeated in her
shadowy monotone. You were thrown
from your horsc-don't you rcmcmbcr?"
She shuddcrcd.
And YOU placed flowers in the coffin,
the roses you love. from your garden.
They were pale roses" He spoke al
most as to himself as he walked sound
lcSSly by her side. She turned toward
him.
"Tcll me the meaning of it, Alan"
She stretched forth her hands to touch
him. but he quickly drew away.
"Thc time is not yet" he said.
care you dcad?' she asked, her eyes
glistcnig 9.
Only body lies in Hildon churchyard
covered with moist earth. and there are
flowers planted on my grave-white roses
in the black mold. And | live"
"And where are you and what do you
do?"
Il am in the strange land" he said.
y transparent silence fell between
them. The next moment he had passed
from her view.
With Il quick. light step she ran almost
to her home They gpzcd in wondcrmcnt;
it WAS aS if she had been raised from
the dead. Eagerly she explained, and
their expressions changed
She persisted in her statements.
"sirc." she cried. You will believe me
now. Here is his handkerchief; he drop
ped it. and picked it up"
In happy triumph she held out the OBJ
jcct in her hand.
Good God" said the gray haired GU
rate.
1t WAS IL fallen leaf
Bat aftcrward she saw him often and
many were the sweet conversations they
held. They had taken her away from
the white village to great brown house
where all treated her with Il pitiful kind
ness, and grave looking men asked often
after her health. Not unseldom her rcla-
tivcS came to see her,and she would talk
brightly To them of Alan and laugh hap
PLY. She could not understand why they
wept.-Wcst End.
All Lives Are Interesting.
Not Il blade of grass but has story to
tell, not Il heart but has its romance, not
= Il life that does not hide a secret which