The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-01
OUlG OWN.
BY HAYS RLACKMAN.

Copyright, 1905, by Daily story fup.
 Co.)
 The woman sat before the mirror at her dressing table and looked at the face reflected there. It was neither a young face nor q happy one though it was beautiful. They were delicate lines about the mouth. lines which would have developed into wrinkles save for the careful massage that kept them in an incipient stage. There were other lines about the eyes. and tonight wearlness had painted violet shadows beneath the brown eyes and the face was pale even beneath its stage makeup. For the woman was very tired. That night she had walked to and fro before d crowded house that went mad with the thrill of her acting, but it was over now and she was alone. The reaction was upon her. .h
 A box of flowers was on ner dress ing table. along with many rare blos- soms that had come to her. She open ed it and found it full of field flowers, wood violets and, buttercups and some sprays of crab apple blossoms with their exquisite fragrance, and a shel- tering of green fern fronds. The flow CTS were fresh as though they had just been plucked.
 Tine sweetness of the crab apple blos- soms brought a pang to the woman's heart. And the damp tang of the fern. how we'll she remembered it. She could see again the rocky hill pasture where the crab apples grew and her. self child again. picking the pink and white blossoms and reveling in their sweetness. She remembered how she had used to put the crab ap- pie blossoms and the wood vfole's to- gether and how the blending of color brought a keen sense of joy. She had always loved the beautiful things of life. And the fern! Down where the little spring branch empited into the creek there was a high bluff of gray stone. Moss covered its sides and along the foot in every crevice of the rock the wild ferns grew. How often she had pIucked the green fTonds iuxuriattng in their bittersweet tang
 While she held the flowers and dreamed over them, someone knocked at the door and a man entered the room without further ceremony. He was a country preacher, a circuit rider. Thewoman knew him at once as he knew her She stood up. the flowers spilling on the floor about her
 "Hedley," she said, you here."
 The man came forward. He was
 
 sighted eyes were shielded by glasses and his face was the face of a man who has practiced stern self denial "Beatrfoe," he said, 'I have thought of YOU for a long, long time. l have come to save you. I want you to leave the fife that you are living and to come back home with me. I have tried to forget you, but"-he hesitated and stammered over the word, a blush suf-
 
 trice. l can't forget you. I want you to marry me-"
 The woman facing him had grown as pale as he All of the soft light had died from her face, and the lines showed plainly. Go back with youT' she said cupiously. gro what, He'd lew"
 '+ro our work, the man answered earnestly. we will work together. Beatrice. The work is waiting and 1t needs us both.''
 ed deep into his eyes. She came closer and laid her hand upon his arm. Once she moved as though to put her hand in his. Then she drew back with quick drawn sigh like a sob.
 'T can't, she said sadly. Its too late"
 The man came neaEer and the wom- an drew a step further from him. Her heel crushed the field flowers strewn upon the floor. 'Tt is never too late" the man said, never too late to re- pent and amend our lives. Come back. Beatrice. lNe you. will help you to give up all of this.' He flung out hls arms, with a gesture that swept the room and included all of the wom- ans life.
 The woman sank down again in the chair before the mirror. Tt Is too late, HedIey," she said again. And why should I give up this life. It is only you. you with your narrow ideas of right and wrong. you wit your pet ty creed that would cramp the divine Love into the confines of your own church and never see that ood meant men and women to know and love all