The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-31
"AS PROOFS OF HOLY
 WRIT"
BY MRS. GEN. G. E. PICKETT.

It was a tiresome ride. The sur dipped impertinentIy down and dazzleo
 Mrs. Linthorpe's eyes. Mir. Linthorpe
 was driving out to Brookside Farm to see about closing out the mortgage on the property.
 T am In luck" he had said trium- phaptly. ."rhe third farm nave taken in this. year shall soon bc the largest land holder in town. It was only stroke of fortune that this came my way. If Hewlett had not had the fever in the spring he'd come out all right"
 A reminiscent mood had fallen upon Mrs. Linthrope as she went along the quiet country road She remembered the old farm where she had lived in her girlhood. She wondered how she would have felt had 1t been sold out then when she loved it.
 In some subtle way she felt herself walking down the hill-slope to the brook where the buttercups grew and the evening wind swept over the clover and fragrantly breathed upon her cheek. Was there a sunny slope al Brookside with path going over II to the buttercups, wherein girl with twilight eyes and dreamy heart walk ed when the evening star waited al the bars of sunset?
 "I will stop at the inn. she said.
 MT. Linthorpe drew rein, sprang out and helped her to alight. She stood Tor moment as he drove away and watched him. He did not love horse but he loved the sense of power 1t gave him to sit upright stolid as carver stone. and hold the reins and make th'
 powerful beaot go according to hie will. A curve in the road left only the wide sweep of prairies and the va cant sky. She turned and went In.
 She had often stopped here when sht had ridden out with Mir. Linthorpe. Il was the place where travellers stopped to feed their horses. They would buy milk or elder. or, red apples from thu tree that leaned over the south wall Farmers making an all day trip from the surrounding country would stoI there and stay all night, ready to drive in next morning to the early market. There was a pleasant little landlady
 whose admiration for Mrs. Linthorpt expressed itself in acts of quiet devo. tion. The great armchair was al ways at her service with the ottoman cushioned with red roses of zephyr perennially blooming. She would give her cakes and glasses trimming over
 with creamy milk. When she wa: tired there was a cup of tea to restore
 her strength.
 The hall was empty and she turned | toward the parlor. There was { china shepherdess and a whistlinl | faun on the mantel that would amus' | her for a time. The white cat. in dolently tolerant of life, might b, there to present infinite diversion. She was surprised to find the Coo closed, hut she softly turned the knoi
 and went in. The room was strange l ly dark and the change from tn, bright sun blinded her. As she became accustomed to the darkness she per
 eeived that in the center of the room
 was a coffin supported on wooder ! trestles. She closed her eyes tightl, 1 In the sudden repulsion of this darl | cloud across the summer day. Aftel
 moment she opened them and saw | that a profusion of flowers was heapet upon the coffin. buttercups, wild phlos and daisies and columbine; near tn, head some of the red roses that gre V | In the inn garden. She remen%eret | that the landlady had given her som, l like them the last time she was here | Above the roses some one had put { cluster Of lilies of the valley. The, looked like flakes of snow against tn, | crimson flame.
 Then she saw still face with wave, of gray golden tinted hair ripplini around it and-ah! Is there one drol of gilead in all the wide world for {
 heart that has dotted and doubted? She knelt beside the coffin. Memor, went back from gray to gold to tn, time when some one went with hel along the sunny path down the hill | eide to the little stream bordered witt
 the gold of the buttercups; some on, with crown of auburn brown curl.
 and eyes that looked into hers a mes, sage that had bridged across the in finity that lay between earth anc
 heaven. Was it she who had crossed
 that bridge hand in hand with him
 An. no! it could not have been. I
 was some radiant soul that wen
 straight into the light eternal iron
 that glad summer.
 She remembered how one day tn glory all faded from the sky that hat
 been so brilliant. It was when for tn | nrst time the demon of jealousy whis l pered message to her soul If h, had loved her why had he kissed th fair-haired stranger girl who had com, | to Mrs. Leighton's for the summer And then when he saw that she haC seen why did he not tell her the SC | cret that he confessed was in his hear but which he said he could not tell "Only trust me-" he had said, "hav, faith In me, and some day you will
 know. Now I must be silent. Yes Thursdav "ruE S1rf1craa OEr r.