The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-10
' OUR DAILY SHORT STORY *

1 up again about 5 o'clock. only one-half was done.
 You are doing it beautifully" said the lady Now be of to Mrs. Dunn's parior--youve done quite enough for , one day"
 The spinster deliberately replaced her needle in huswife of pale green silk embroidered with purple and rose col ored flowers. She turned toward the bust. her eyes filled with an odd wist- fulness.
 My lady" she said. T feel in my heart that you are kind--that you will not believe that l ask for the mere sake of folly"
 Ask anything you please; I'll answer | if can."
 About the head--do you believe that Shakespeare was really like that? I'd l be glad to know--to know would save me from much ponderinsl" Lady Danman assumed her wisest
 look. Most authorities agree; yes. believe it."
 T thank your ladyship most earnest ly. I cannot describe the qualification I have felt in being so near--in work ing almost as it were under his su- pervision--in winning his approval. And it seemed to me as If the distance
 betwixt him and me were not so great. after all."
 Lady Danman withdrew n haze
 of thought "Good Heavens." she said.
 The creature's either mad or a ge-
 nius! What a remarkable thing-a wo
 man of her order knowing anything of
 Shakespeare
 At home the old maid moved in a
 dream of delight. Her cottage that evening was transformed into a TO-
 mantle grange. her garden into Juliets garden, into the Temple garden, into
 Gvvna Dae
 sunset. when the distant hog's-back of
 Winhill was yelled softly in red mist, she walked to and fro on her little
 paths, a1oof from everything but sheer
 delight. Tn the morning she rose early, set her house in order. and after breakfast went to ciouSh where Grass or Far nassus grew in a marsh with Ragsed Robin and Water Speedwell and tall buIlrushes. The first flower had tempt ed her. Grass of Parnassus must surely be the finest to place before the efhgy hours passed before she found more than a little posy Then her skirts were draggled, her feet wet, her wrin- kled cheeks gleaming with the heat. | But she felt no weariness now; in her veins flowed the blood of immortal youth.
 The groom found her curiously silent during the long drive; in fact more | than once she failed to reply to his ob- servation upon the weather. At Cresswell hall, after her dinner with good Mrs. Dunn. she placed her | tribute on a little table before the painted bust, and set to work imnIe- | diateiy. The alarming became poetry; 1 the chair was sacred as having been in | existence in the days when Shakespeare | lived. Perhaps. who could tell. some l one had sat therein who had touched his hand, who had listened to his soft
 and thrilling voice.
 Lady Danman came up again in the afternoon, and stood for awhile in the doorway, the old maid kneeling beside | the great chair, diligently plying the bright needle So engrossed was Flu nice in her work that her ladyship
 moved to her side before she was aware of her presence. Her eyes fell on the flowers before the bust; she was still sensitive enough l to feel a curious pang. as if some- thing had thrust her back into the dist ant past.
 Grass of Parnassus:'' she said.
 How stranse-how very strange Eu- | nice shipped the last thread. The works finished now," she said. q hope
 and trust your ladyship'l be well sat 1 isfied. l T am more than satisfied" said Lady
 Danman. "I thank you--I have learn | ed something from you-somesning that
 I cannot pay for"
 | Eunice replaced her needle in the
 huswife. My lady" she said, "TIl be
 better pleased if no mention of pay
 ment is made--if you'll take what I've
 done as gift. It has been a privilege-rd hundred thousand times not have money. It Las meant much to n1e-far more thAn I can ever l tell you. Ay, I know that lin pre-
 sumptuous in asking this favor; hut
 once Tn my life I'll sew for naught.
 . It seems a sao-ilege to talk of money before him ' | She pointed to the bust. Lady Dan
 mans perplexed frown gave place to | a. radiant smile. HI offer you no
 money She took Eulice's gnar!ed
 hand: the old mai stood very proud
 and stately In her own little way.
 T thank your ladyship," she began.
 But Shakes 3elre has never had
 greater honor paid him, The bust is
 yours; it shall be taken to your house l this very evening
 My lady! my lady" Tt is yours, said Lady Danman, again. moving to the door. half
 ashamed of the weakness that made l her voice duaver.