The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-04
Our Daily $bort Story

words, the cutting stabs of all which had made him miserable in the past did not mar the sweet pictures which l hoated up from the past All he felt was the old love and admiration for his queen among women. He saw her cuduettish giances, heard again her l laughter, and the tones of her low voice--her beauty and little graceful
 poses had ever been his admiration. She lay there, white and still. Be- tween her slightly parted lips gleamed her even, pear1y teeth, and the yellow band of their wedding ring made her waxen finger seem whiter. f He had been too severe, he thought. She had truly loved him, forgiven him, and had asked his leniency with her last breath. How white her cheek against the pill low!
 He had not understood, and had gone away when she really loved him above all others. Better judgment would have prevented the loneliness of the past two years.
 Her brown hair lay in wavy masses across her shoulders. a silken sea of beauty!
 Separation had in some way dead ened the living truth Of the tie which had bound him. and now the angel Is- rafii had touched her with his destroy ing finger. The erosion of passing months had made it easier for him to lose her. he thought. yet the past was full of her. He did not think of the future as without her. The past only came to him.
 Out of 1t all came new sensation. Ali the old happiness had tSen-it might be again--might be his and hers if she were alive, but--she lay deadi
 "Dead" came in a whisper from his lips. They trernb1ed with the word His fingers clasped and unclasped. A sigh escaped him. His face paled and tempest of emotion worked to and fro in his breast. He reeled in his suffer- ing, and with an incoherent cry he half fell with his arms across the still form.
 A minute--hve minutes--passed. The weight of his agony went deep. but nature was not overthrown. His brain cleared and he stood erect He stared vacantly about. and nut tered the. single word: Strange"
 He passed his hand across his eyes in a bewi1dered way.
 Did i dream it--am losing my sensesr' he half whispered. looking around curiousfy. Turning to the bed he said, suddenly:
 "Did you speak to me, Julia? He bent forward anxiously, as if ex- pecting the pa1lid lips to move In re- ply to his question. He picked up one l of the little hands ana stroked 1t in a mechanical fashion.
 Say 1t again. my darlingi Tell me again you are not dead--that you will
 soon speak to me!' He uttered the words doubtingly, yet | with d certain expectancy. "I must have dreamed it." he nut
 tered, as he bent pver the bed; yet 1t | seemed a reality"
 | The reaction came with the realiza- l ton that only his loved one lay dead before him, and amid bitter tears his | choking sobs told the tale of his suffer- ings as he knelt at her side. At last he arose. pressed caress upon her I lips and turned away. As he laid his hand on the door ray of sunshine fell across the brown hair on the bed lighting it into gold. His glance caught 1t and his eyes followed the beam as 1t rested on the beloved face | He went again to the bedside, and
 as he leaned to touch the curved lips they sweetened with a smile, and two | loving eyes looked into his. It was when the mellow, hazy, au- tumn days made the loss of the beau-
 tiful summer a pleasant recollection
 that Rollo Ward and his wife spoke
 again of his strange experience as he
 lay unconscious by her bedside.
 "Yes. dear. I did speak to you. tried to put my, arms about you. and
 I said, Rollo. am not dead, but can
 not rhoVe--lo something tu waken me i--do not leave mel will speak very snon You see, was only in a condi- | ton of suspended animation"
 "It seemed like a dream though" | Not to me, RolIo. It was real to | me and--suppose they had buried me
 sol"
 Thank God. you are here"