Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-11
Two Easter Lilies
A.sho Easter story by r. N. STEPHENS.

ton, and not Immediately awake to their
significance. did not move or speak.
The girl appalled, by his hesitation, has
tily drew back the profered lily. Her
face became crimson and she turned and
hurried confusedly from him, passing with
the throng up the steps and into St. Paul's
church.
In the vast arched interior her senses
met subdued light after the sunshine, the
hum Of discreet conversation, the soft foot
falls Of worshipers going to their seats, the
rustic Of omen's gowns, the odor OF flow
ers, the colored rays that fell obliquely
from the stained glass windows.
The man remained standing outside be-
wildered. After a few seconds the girls
meaning dawned upon him. Thereupon he
began to twirl his mustsshe rapidly. in ac-
cordance with his custom when in deep
thought. Som one touched him on the
shoulder.
Hello, old mani Going int"
Eyes, yes, certainly" he said quickly,
and ran up the steps without turning to
look at tho speaker. He pushed his way
up the stairs and forward TO a place on the
front row Of seats IN the gallery, a feat
dificult because of the Easter crowd, but
to him easy by. reason Of his abstraction,
which made him Indifferent to the elbows,
shoulders, attire and toes Of others.
Already the deep notes Of the organ were
quIvering on the air. A summary scanning
Of the congregation failed to discriminate
the girl Of the lily from the hundreds Of
women whose bright headgear gave the
congregation the aspect Of an indoor flower
garden. His eyes rested upon the chancel,
held by the general effect Of the grouped
white Resurrection lilies, c%allas. a~cacias.
palms and yellow azalias. A cross Of lilies
surmounted the floral pyramid. To him
this morning. all the world was Easter
lilies.
The clear voices Of the ohoristers rose
from beneath him, in harmony with the
organ, as the white-robed boys moved up
the aisle. But the splendid anthem, HE is
Risen," seemed to him as coming from
afsr." He was meditating.
So she was in love with him-this lily
like grill Her offer Of the flower might
have passed for a Jest, but her almost
angry withdrawal Of 1t had told the truth,
as In a flesh. Why had he not already
seen7 Cllnglng to the old love had kept
him blind. He reviewed their acquaintance,
from the first meeting at the house Of her
aunt, four months before. Her shy look,
her alternate moods Of cordiality and cool
ness. her studied avoidance of him, her
sudden appearance before him during his
calls at the house, all, with much else,
should have warned him He remembered
that night at the theater when chance had
placed him beside her. 1t was at Pixies,
and the play was "As You Like It." He
had not before asked himself why that
night had remained so sweet in his memory.
She, too, had not forgotten 1t. Her greet
ing this morning, the title Of Monsieur
Melancholy" applied by Orlando to Jacques,
was a souvenir of that evening.
Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for
US; therefore let US keep the feast"
The anthem. with him. fell upon needless
ears. Yes. this girl, at the sight of whom
he had taken some pleasure, whom ne had
always viewed as a child Just from school,
was snfhciently a woman to have fallen in
) love with him.
There was but one thing to do. He must
go away, that she might forget him, for
his love was with the dead.
More glad Easter music rose to his ears.
The church seemed to thrill with the TIE
Deum Festival. He remained insensible ia
the notes Of the organ and the great COM
r posite voice of the choir. Since he must
' betake himself from the possibility OF
I meeting her again, where should he go
Meditating upon this, he sat Indifferent alike
q to the Collect, the Epistle, the Gospel, the
SeTUlOus buL 4 "a Mulles udl luNOluu-
e tarily. he was searching the congregation
below with his eyes for a glimpse of a GER
l. tain maid bearing a lily.
0 1t would be a sacrifice for him to leave
town now. 1t occurred to him that life haC
q been pleasant to him of late amid his pres.
ent surroundings in the city. For the frs
time in Ave years, existence had recently
q begun to have some piQuancy for him. HI
n had not sought the cause. Assuredly, h,
: was showing rare consideration for thii
II girl in deciding to leave the city in ordel
that she might be spared the pain of
d hopeless love. There we're few others, 1
any, for whom he would 30 readily disturb
e the routine of his life.
q He would like, however, to see her fac
y once more before putting II forever into hi
L past. 1t was such a charming face. Nov
that he came to think Of 1t, was there eve
"a a more charming face-but one2 VIII
could he not single her out in the GENT,
N swaying surface of hower-trimmed bonnet
stretched out before his gaze7 Why had h
not ascertained the location OF her aunt
le pew?
He found her at last, far to the from
IL and the left. He knew her by the lily 4
her hand. She sat perfectly still, in a ra
OF light from a high window. She SCENE
IN wrabt in contemplation.
How pleasant 1t would be to sit besid
herl
And when at last the Gloria in ExcelsI
ie was swelling up to the yaulted roof. he ha
ID begun to ask himself whether It we're neces
IS sary to leave town, after all.
n He found himself unwontedly eager (
reach the front OF the crowd as It made Il
le way to the doors after the service. H
c. pushed his way down the stairs, out frOI