Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-12-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
= q
: THE OLD PINE TREE !
= BY Lucy NJ. Cobb. e
BY Lucy NJ. Cobb.
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= HE train rolled along through
the darkness. Every half
hour or so some small village

hour or so some small village
was passed. First one could
see the light afar off, looking like clus-
tiers Of stars in their dimness, and
then, as the train reached each sta
lion. they dazzled the eyes Of the pas
sengers at the windows and showed
them the usual crowd of loungers
swinging their feet from the platform
and standing around the wooden
depot.
Some had their hands in their pock-
cts. some We're chewing tobacco and
looking oblivious Of all passing things,
time rs well as trains. Still others,
half grown boys with impudent
stares. and small boys bearing walters
on which were thick white cups filled
with coffee and platters of chicken,
passed through the car.
Dick Harnett threw down his paper,
yawned, tried to find more comforta.
bic position, looked out Of the window,
and finally settled back against the
cushion of his seat. Whether the
N''hSN VI postum VIE lIuNtltT
more at ease could not be told, for the
face with the firm. set mouth,
wrinklcd forehead and panied eyes,
was far from restful looking.
SO Mary would be married on the
morrow. In the paper he had just
seen an announcement of the marriage
of Miss Brevard. daughter of Colonel
Jonathan Brevard, of Oakdale, North
Carolina, to Mr.. Thomas Falconer. of
Springfield, Ohio. 1t was queer that
the paper hadn't given her Christian
name, queer, too, he had received no
invitation to the wedding.
In an hour or two this same train
would be ut Cakdale How well he
the little town on the
clay hill, with its two rival hotels
near the station, the red clay cuts OF
the railroad down which he and Mary
used to run years ago! He could see
the old Brevard house. with its white
pillared piazza, its massive front door.
and the old brass knocker. Back of
the garden was the small schoolhouse
fronting on the Dabbs road, for they
had roads, not streets, in Oakdale.
Jim. Harry. Rosa, Mary and he. had
gone there to school together. How.
often with his tin bucket of lunch he
used to wait for Mary at the school
house door! Down the road to the
pine. tree they would go to enjoy their
good things together. .-,
Five years ago he had gone back
there, and Mary had talked to him
unGer the same pine tree. Mary was
eighteen then, so there We're no more
fly away curls and skirts; but she had
the same demure smile. the same lit
tie, dimples in her hands. that had
been hers as a child.
How he loved her! He told her so,
but she did not affect her surprise,
for 1t was quite genuine. She loved
Dick just as she did Harry and Jim,
her brothers. Oh, she loved him so
we'll that way!
Won't that satisfy you, dear:"
Then he had gotten angry, said that
his heart was broken, and used other
high-tiown language. Papa mends
things nicely with glue; shall 1 get
him to work on your hearth" she said.
How could she laugh when he, her
playfellow, was miserable, and she
had caused the misery?
After that dreadful day he promised
himself to go no more to Oakdale.
Rosa ut first wrote kind letters to him,
and was ever his ardent supporter.
But he kept his word. Well, now it
wouldn't matter. Tomorrow she
would be married, and he couldn't
even think of her as his.
The train had almost reached Oak
dale. Why shouldn't he stop there for
the night, walk by the old schoolhouse
and pine tree once more, and finish his
journey on the morning train?
Here, porter, help me with this
baggage"
The whistle sounded the train
moved back and forth aud pulled up
at the tiny station.
Everything had been finished. Aunt
Wincey had done herself proud" on
her share Of the wedding supper; for
no fashionable wedding was this to be,
but a regular old time "infare," Win
cey told the people who came to look
at little missis' weddn' fixin's."
Mary was tired. The one brides.
maid who had come had gone to bed
with headache. Rosa was talking
to Tom about details of the wedding
No one would miss her, so throwing II
light scarf over her head, she walked
apidly down tie garden walk. Had
Dick received that invitation? Mary
insisted ON her addressing one to him.
wen If he had been out of. their world
tor five years. Five years. How long
they seemed! After, that moonlight
night with Dick under the old pine
Tree she had thought great deal of
him. Somehow tonight, with Tom
here. when the wedding should he up.
permost in her mind. Dick would coma
into her thoughts. Dick was good and
true. Now she knew what such love
was-a love begun in the pima 'ore age
and stronger than eve Altman, e.
tate.
A little ache would come in her
heart. and u lump rise in her throat.
but she would be gay and happy
enough tomorrow. Rosa and Tom
were very happy, SO. why should q
shadow Of misery darken her heart
1t was selfish to let 1t come at such q
time.
In her musings Mary had walked
by the schoolhouse and was almost at
the pine tree. No thought Of danger
entered her head thou gh she had not
intended to go so far A football
startled her Looking up, white.
pained face met her ewes A man was