The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-26

tried to reach me pole to pull me out.
an'-he, he!-the bank caved in an you
fell in, too. He, he! He, he!"
And do you remember" resumed
Hiram, 1.-THE day we had a fight over
who should carry Lucindy Burtons
books?"
But the words were scarcely spoken
until Hiram would have recalled them
if he could. There was no answering
laugh from the other side of the coun-
ter and the postmaster raised his head
and glanced over the boxes at his
friend. Tobias was gazing soberly at
the floor, his hands clasped on top of
the cane. No one else was in the store
and Hiram walked around the end of
the counter and pulled chair up be-
side his visitor.
Tobias" he said. "why didn't you
writer"
Tobias glanced up.
Write" he replied, ito who?'
ITO 'Cindy," the other answered
For fifty years, Tobias she's bin wait
in for letter from yer. For fifty
years she's lived in hope of hearin'
from yer, but has been disappointed.
Why didn't you write, Tobias?''
81 didn't know she wanted to hear
from me, Hiram" the other began.
Ct"
Yes. you did know, it too, Tobias,
You knowed you left her in huff over
nothin' an went away. You knowed
she loved yer an that she expected you
to come back, or at least let her know
where you were, so that she could go
to yer. But you never even writ"
Tobias leaned heavily on his cane and
made no reply.
She writ to you, Tobias" continued
the postmaster, wrathfully. "She writ
everywhar she thought you could be-
but her letters all come back. But
she kept on hopin Other fellers tried
to go with 'er, but she wouldn't let
'em. She's bin true to yer, Tobias; for
so years she's bin true to yer an to-
day. white-haired like you anime, she's
Twin alone in the old hum up yonder
by the spring
The postmaster went behind the
counter to wait upon a customer, and
Tobias sat silently gazing at the floor,
his head bowed upon his hands, clasp
ing his staff.
Suddenly he arose, a softened CLEAN
in his eyes, and hobbled to the door.
There he paused and looked back at
the postmaster, who was watching
him curiously.
II am thirsty" he said. II reckon
I'll go up to the spring an git a drink
of water, Hiram"
A woman came down the path to the
spring, a pail in her hand and sun
bonnet on her head. She was bent
with age; her hair hung about her
shoulders in snowy ringlets The bit
of lace at her throat, the spotless clean
illness of her plain, gray gown, the
neat, black slippers on her fetal
evidenced that age had not entirely
conquered youth. Her face, wrinkled
and sallow, still bore the evidences of
former beauty, but in her eyes an in
effable sadness slumbered.
AS she turned a sudden bend in the
path she came face to face with an
aged man holding a wild rose in his
hand.
"Cynthy," he said, tenderly, appeal
ingly, holding out the flower to her.
The woman gazed one brief instant
at his face. Then the pail dropped from
her nerveless fingers and she covered
her face with her hands. Her frail body
shook with her sobs and the man rest
ed his hand awkwardly upon her head.
"'Cynthy," he whispered. Il was
wrong. 1t was my deviiishs temper and
stubbornness that have ruined both our
lives, but"
He removed her hands from her face
and gazed long and earnestly into her
eyes.
'It was you that brought me back to
Burton's at last, 'Cynthy."
She smiled through her tears and
placed her wasted hands upon his
shoulders. Her bonnet fell back from
her head, and the man fastened the
rose in her white locks.
Tobias" she said, II have waited
for you-so long"
But I have come he said. For so
years 1 have loved you, 'Cynthy. an
now-I'm goin' to stay here, 'Cynthy."
He picked up the pail and filled it at
the spring, and together they walked
up the path, hand in hand. Fifty years
had slipped from their shoulders and
they WE'RE lovers again-lovers as in
the old, old days. On their faces was
the light of intense happiness and in
their hearts the peacefulness of a great
joy.
Half way up the path Tobias paused
and looked away across the fields.
Hear that medder lark, 'Cynthy,"
he said. my, but amt he a-singin'?"