Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-15

while the slow ritual of the service "The happy dead are here;
 Their spirits in the sun Sing softly and make cheer
 Because that life is done.''
 She said to herself bitterly that it was cruel and unfair that he should be free and joyous on some happy spiritual plane whilst she spent long gray years in the world that had suddenly become uninteresting He had been so kind. so considerate, so much her own dur ing the fortnight that they had spent together. She missed his ready atten- ton, the exclusive delight which he had in her company, the way that his hand caressed the short bits of hair in her neck. She dared not allow her. self to realize that she would never have these things again. The thought hurt her intensely, and she detested pain.
 Something in her mind cried out: 70, come back! Come back! I want you!" His death, his vanishment, as she thought of it, sitting in the dark church with her eyes fixed on the white mass of flowers, seemed too monstrous and unnatural to be true
 She cried little as she walked back across the churchyard and thought of the text which the curate had several times repeated: So also is the resur- rection of the dead. It is sown in cor l ruption; 1t is raised in interruption"
 Her father-in-law and his two daugh- ters were with her. They all felt q little tired and dull now that the great x1yoc krI~ S<<~xy the church lane, through the garden gate, up the path still marked with the heavy footsteps of the bearers. The dead man was in all their thoughts just then; he had been great gardener. and had planted a little while before his marriage the lilies which his bride now brushed with her stiff crepe skirt In the garden which he had given life to it was difficult to believe in his death. They looked at each other, recognizing between them an added sensation of loss
 And in the porch they found him waiting for them.
 Afterwards, when they came to talk about it. no one could quite remember what he wore or how he looked Only he was there, standing in the doorway, as he had been accustomed to stand looking at his flowers after a morn ing's work at the desk. There was an air of entire reality about it.
 His father, tongue responding auto- matically to the stimulus of sight, be- gan to say: Hello. my boy!' Then he stopped, looked hastily at the others, and hoped they had notAheard him. For just five seconds there was dead silence The father heard the watch tick in his waistcoat pocket and the scuEd of his own strenuous breath. He knew that the three girls were all looking at the figurNin the porch Then the bride gave a little cry. Her hus-i band had stepped towards her, holding out his arms with that boyish gesture of affection which she had always liked so much.
 Bertha, darling, couldn't leave you!" he said. His voice had the joy fnl note of traveller come home. She turned away from him and flung herself against her father-in-law, hid her face on his sleeve, and began to cry hysterically
 I'm so sorry" said the young man. ''I've startled all of you I thought, somehow, you'd understand when you saw me here; but of course you don't. It was stupid of me. The point is, I've come back. Bertha wanted me; and leaving her alone seemed so horrible" He turned back into the house, and 1 the others followed him, staring stupid 1 ly, and not liking to speak to one an l other. No one as yet had said anything l to him
 They went into the dining room He was not there. The cloth was laid for lunch; there was faint scent of cab bages and stewed rabbit
 l They all felt reassured It was so l evident what had happened. They had been the victims QS collective haHu- cfnation-a natural thing enough un- l der the circumstances of nerve strain l and shock. The bride raised her veil, and on Ter small white face there were 1 tracss of relief as we'll as of disappoint- ment Sue went upstairs to take her things of
 They heerd her light footsteps and rustling dress, and then a heavy foot step that went after hey. The elder daughter rose quietly and went to the open window. T can't sTeathe; this
 room is stifing," she said
 A sound came through the opened sash-the grating sound of aSpade, and l then the heavy, regular thud of wet
 earth thrown from height. The new l grave was being filled up. l Whilst this still held them with a
 reminder of ...s> mornings work dool
 above was opened and shut quickly. Then they heard confused falling
 sound s-eS a scream They rushed up