The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-14
HE LEAF.
By Elliott walker.

I a'frafN | Copyright. 1905. by Daily Story Pulp fishing company.) l The eims were bare, but on the high
 est branches of the slender poplar a l few leaves clung. yellowed, dancing company, bending and rustling in the westerly breeze where the topmost spires outlined symmetrically against the blue and white background of the southern sky.
 leaf dctached to iutter downward. catching here and there upon the skele-
 ton twigs earlier despoiled of their ndornment by the froets Nthan those i, high. fortunate brothers still holding 1 hravely in the tawdry decorations of November
 The tuft of grass was yet green where at last the lone leaf fell to finger staring upward surrounded by it's piti- fUI sisters. their summer silver now a tarnished brown---a group of the de- spairing welcoming in silence one more unfortunate companion. while far above tho remnants of their once bright whispering clan. looked down in twink ling unconcern and rustled in the sum shine.
 They will never get back" sighed the girl, idly watching the falling Ieoyps from her window. How like they are to people. Once down, their hold broken after hanging on for so long, the rest seem to laugh, insecure as their own position is. There goes another. and I'm glad Of 1t. It will be in more sympathizing if more miserable society.
 Not so very long ago budded and frightened In the sunlight. even as they did,' she went on wearily. T used to watch them glisten and culver and whisper merrly. Now. the frosts and the end of 1t all-so like me--so like me-
 Her hands flew out with 8 passionate gesture; her low murmur, despondent and hopeless, rose to full notes of trembling anger.
 Whose fault was tt? Whose fault but her ownT' she cried. If her tenn per and whims made him miserable, disgusted and reckless, I was not to blame. When he turned to me for cheer and comfort, who laughed. say, ing 1t was a relief to pass him over to a silly child for his amusement for he was only fit to play with children. She didf
 His amusement: A silly child! Yes. her ways, so bored by her gay friends, and I. what cared I save to make him smile. to hear his voice grow gentle and boyish. to watch his face light up with interest at my chatter.
 "Ah! It stole upon us as the sun steals into the shadows, little by little. unril everK hidden flower lifts It's head and smiles and we both knew and loved its coming because 1t was a great icy and forbidden.
 'Tn our eyes, In our voices. in the thrills of accidental touch. never by words nor any definite act, grew that which we called friendship.
 sIYayv keen are the eveq nf fha xUarIdf How busy the gossiuing tonRuesl Poor innocent love so blind and deaf to all hut the present. so self -deceiving, .so transuarent to others Only touch ! Of Fate's finger was wanting to draw naide the curtain and hiss us from the ]tage--two hlareIess actors, uncon- | scInhs of their fault.
 ''Tt came! |
 Could we help the sudden storm | that lashed the lake to fury and drove | us 10 that lonely island and the empty, | sheiterinR hut? Could we return be- | fore the waves subsided and danger was past? The flight of time-could | that be halted? It was very late, al- most mifnight, when he reached the hotel and met-what?
 Scandal! Not anxiety. not weicom- Ing, relieved faces, not thanks for our preservation, not eager listeners for | exclamation. No! It was in the air. Whispers, lifted eyebrows. sly smiles and winks omong the men: seorn o1 women's lips.
 "Oh, yes. they had heard of that hut. Very convenient, of course Wasn't | inc mainland much nearer2 The ind had moderated at sundown. We were known to be perfectly safe. Some one had seen us disembark, through a spy glass. Nearly time for bed. but, really, until they were assured of our return, l 1t was hardly the thing to retire.
 "Au this behind yawns, and back of | the yawns that terrible covert sheer. We stood there, half-drenched aud 1 exhausted. in a vague. wondering an- ger, silent with contempt and repressed