Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-08-07

- sN1>s1& A<s&s<<< tt<5zz3 <z< LIZA 0IQ
NOS look at these. StealbiIy she ap.
preached the house WIRE she Rad
lived one brief year viii Stephen.
Al this hour he wns SIRE 20 be oui
in his boat. Only ne bog, Watch,
was on guard At the dor stone. Al
the sound Of Lisa ) sep fhe animal
looked up and wagged II tail ii rs.
Icognition. Watch VOID tell nc
tales. She stroked bis wny head,
and creeping 20 win1ov, peered
through into the kitcheu !
The table was piled u<Ik unwash.
ed dishes, the aoor h3l nos boeu
swept since her dep <uxe, The
baby's empty cradle 81 si6oll Ia i
corner; the stove presessed . spec
tacls o. ashes. shavinrs and black.
ened cooking vessels. ftephen was
nota handy mamie rouil never rid
up o place. Lisa's brdcr-loving
heart ached to see herformer home
in such plight. She longed to en-
ter-to wash the disles and scrub
the floor; but that W. clearly inn
possible. Fearfulof benz surprised
at her surreptitious RESERVATIONS
she turned and hurried osek through
the Ioachard. The next dy a neigh
Dor startled her with ness:
It's easier, any time. 10 manage
a mule than q man, Lisa Stephen
has sold his boat and gDse away TO
sea. He's left the key d the door
OF his house. You'd better 90 and
take it out. For the babys sake you
ought 10 look after his ht of prop.
erty."
Lisa put down her mixing bowl
on the kitchen table and Ian 70 Ste
phen's deserted dwelling
Yes. IL was empty. me shades
had been pulled down ovtf the win
dows. the front gate was nailed up.
Watch. on the door step. greeted her
with lonesome whine she found
the key in the door, IS her neighbor
had said. Having drakn IL forth,
and having satisfied herself that ev-
rything was secure about the place,
she twisted her hand In the dogs
collar and led him back with her
through the orchard.
You win live with me now,
Watch. :, sslszsai4l ..4s 4s.-s-z4&s--zs:.-
in her mothers porch and gave him
a bountiful dinner. Then she went
TO her own room and hung the key
of Stephens house on nail above
her bed. It hung there, untouched,
for fifteen years.
Rastus, strolling through the
woods one day, came suddenly upon
Lisa, in pleasant spot among the
pines. She was seated upon the
trunk of fallen tree, watching her
little daughter as the child pulled
the pink and white arbutus from un-
der the brittle brown needles. The
balm OF spring stepped the air. The
woods, awaiting resurrection, stood
silent and breathless. Only the
pines whispered at intervals, and
the fiuting of q thrush echoed in the
distance.
How d'ye do, Lisa?' stammered
Rastus, as his broad figure inter-
yened, like column, betwixt her
and the sunshine. The two had not
met before since Stephens depart
ure. Lisa nodded coldly.
Any news of Ssephen?' Rastus
managed to articulate.
mol" she answered, in q tone
that made him jump.
You'll never hear from him again
the big hulking fellow blundered
on, Steve is dead, fast enough-all
the town folks say so. They re
about dropped his name from their
talk now. Whether you believe IL
or not. you re widow, Lisa !"
She made no answer. Her eyes
were following the movements -of
her child. Rastus stood dumb and
shaky beside her. He could not 90,
and he dared not remain. Present
ly she turned her handsome head.
What are you still here?" she
said in a whitening tone.
IT thought I'd like to talk with
you, q bit Lisa, he replied, humbly.
i've no time for talk to-day.
Tim busy with the baby. Don't let
me keep you waiting any longer
Rastus shutfied of through the
dead leaves and never looked back.
He went fishing on the Banks, and
then shipped aboard q coaster; and
five more years passed before he
spoke a second time 70 Lisa. Then,
early one frosty morning. he echanced
to pass by Stephen 5 sdeserted house.
Rastus always slackened bis pace at
that particular turn in the road, for
though he was not q bad-hearted
man, he liked to look over into
Stephens tangled garden and think
what a fool bis rival had been.
Now. as his ewes wandered beyond