The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-28
Doves of Aphr0dite.
BY F. H. LANCASTER.

Copyright, 1902 by Daily Story Pub. Col And hecatombs of doves were slain upon the altars of Aphrodite. for the | Greeks admired this goddess of love greatly, and made daily sacrifices to her."
 The student leaned back and closed hel book unwiiiingly, her fingers caresEne it's covers while her eyes wandered to the sunset beginning to glow among ths pines. As she gazed an odd smile twisted her lips. =,
 Tn these later days we ,s sacrifice ruret rel dreamily. Then with sudden passion 'Oh, love, what monstrous murders ars committed daily in your namcImurder ., mind and moral! Life after lire proken and bruised at your breast. Her prows knitted slowly and again that odd smile Two years ago Helen Nord had found herself alone in the world. That she vas was penniless had not troupled hsri r,,. nu nr $10 a month and save money. Moreover, she fancied that she could ge-to tnat place and make the N0. It was m tne Pine Barens of South Mississippi. Ine.s were a couple of small public schools there, lying a few miles apart, one ol which was taught in summer ana one in winter. each having a term or doui months and paying about nuhoi eu '
 dollars per anmum Mnen sfe for tpforma ton, he gave her besides bit or ad' vice three bits-"Teach the schools non. estly; keep your mouth shut; don't nirl M
 with the girls sweethearts. sne thanked him, feeling the advice 10 ps sound, and went away to follow it. As teachers go she had been success | rui. Sne heid ner school against all rivals and had a hundred dollars in bank and her pupils, without the ald oL a,sa Gnal .lyc III olh hoard steadily aC quiring a sound English education. . For two years she had boarded at \ per month, dressed plain, worked hard | and studied. She had gradfied he
 Books banked mp steadily in her httl. | room, books that she had yearnet l all her life to possess, and she read then | over and over in the long, delicious hour | after her days work was done.
 Two years of Eden. and, To, the ser pent.
 | She had paid small attention when h. l first entered her garden. Only by oe | grees had 1t dawned upon her that n' | was, like young David, strong Of poo!
 look upon.Later on she noted that m
 neither drank nor swore: that he Rep l his nails in order and was always neal | l He lived at the house where she boaraeo and brought her mail from the far-awa.
 post office. He was always polite va | this Cajan-born Donician, yet his pres | ence troubled the fair young teacher | Vaguely he iuterfered with her studies
 apd she resented the interference. ,, | But the sunset glow was fading whil
 she dreamed of Aphrodite and her doves | What was Aphrodite to- her? Or th | doves? Dreadful. melancholy birds tha
 made even the glad pine woods mourn l full with their plaintive cooing. Helei laughed a little as she put away he
 much-loved books and went out into tn l bold fresh air for that delightful hal hour between the lights.
 How gTandly solitary her life was. Sh | could not even understand the lanSuag | that was spoken around her. She did no | wish to understand. Solitary as a strong
 tall pine standing alone in the midst
 scrub-oak plantation!
 | She threw back her tired shoulders an' drank in deep breaths of vigor. Glory
 ing In the reckless pride of youth
 Standing between the fading sunset glov | and the brightening gleam of the risin
 moon. Appropriating the grandeur an an | light-tipped pines only glorited pride Blind to the serenity that is born O
 suffering: deaf to the note or sadnes
 that thrilled through their melodiou
 chantfng-to her only a burst of deer
 Oddly enough. in the midst of thes
 shaken vibrations of her soul came th
 practical reflection: | q can live on s10 month and say l money: and I can make the $10." Sh dropped her eyes from the pine crest | and saw Donician before her.
 II fin some mail for you at the offic'
 Miss Helen" He spoke with a sligf
 accent in voice deep toned and mt
 sical,
 Helen started and her nerves duiveret
 "Oh. thank you so much, she too , the mail and their hands touched. TT
 young fellow colored slowly, but sh
 tried not to see.