The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-11

1 beneath his admiring look, and they ! both laughed confusedly. Thank you for the daisies she | said softly and with another dazziins smile upon him. the girl turned and | walked slowly along down the road ! The man lifted his battered old straw hat and stood there gazing wonder | ingly after her until she passed out | of sight around the bend in the road l Somehow they happened to meet 1 again the next day at twilight and he turned and walked with her down the qniet country road Thus each | day as a summer grew, they met walked and talked as they wandered through inc fields and byways togeth- | CT, each seeming to find some peculiar liking in the native simplicity of the other. It was happy. quickly pass ing summer which heightened into gaycr nnths with them. and Cupid the little God of Love. was doing sharp target practice with his arrows on the hearts of them both. The golden autumn days slipped unheeded from them and the fields grew brown with frozen stubble and the air held the chill of snow and coming winter, then one evening as they strode along the old familiar turnpike in the clearness of the cold moonlight, ahe told him in way that filled his heart with surprise and a new fear, that she was going away.
 You are going away" he exclaim- ed brokenly as he stopped short in the road and gazed fixedly at her.
 "Yes." she answered quickly. To morrow"
 "An6-and leave me here alone,' he muttered slowly.
 Now John." She always called him John when she felt inclined to be ser ious. You will come and see me. Of course, after get-home. Won't your
 "when?' he asked. glance hs'e- fully at her.
 For a moment she made no reply, then coming a little nearer she took lis ha and replied eariostlly.
 ''I want you to come Christmas eve. Will you promise?" she added quick ly.
 'I win come" he answered slowly as if half bewildered. and then she turned as if to leave him, but he step stretched arms and new look stropg in his eyes, but she stepped quickly back and held him from her.
 "No!" she cried chokingly Not now" and her lips quivered under control. Wait until you come. and then" and she smiled bewttchingly at him through 1er unshed toars and
  ing there in the. road alone and con fused.
 Slowly. like one in daze he went back again along the quiet country road up the hill. past the tumble down wall and the old apple tree and on to the old farmhouse beyond. nut tering noodilv to himself in his sim pie lonely way.
 "She has gone" he mused deject- e1Iv. "She has gone home-back to the city. and must forget all about it--that is. after Christmas eve
 
 It is Christmas eve in the city The clocks have just struck the hour. At the right. Just below the stone church on the corner from whose tower now neal forth the Christmas bells, stands a pretentious brick structure with trp- posir.- trnv Il stone fronts. Wt'htn, .n a nagnihcently furnished apartment a woman. fair as a field flower, IS lounging lnxuriouslv among the silken cushions of q Turkish divan. Here and there are a few potted ferns and palms scattered about and a faint sub tie perfume fills the air It reminds YOU of the green fields. the woods and the neadowlands, mingled with the nungent odor of Spanish leather and Egyptian cigarettes.
 There is a look of eager expectation in the DTOWn GNGS Ot ttiC NphisNh 'N waits. Never had the days dragged so fearfuIly slow--and now he was couing-would find hey waiting like an Fn1oress to yield to him the King dom of her heart in the utter servi- tude of love.
 The woman starts--hushes a little and then grows strangely pale for moment There is step outside and tl.e heavy drareries are brushed ouicklv aside and q man takes one step into the room. then stops sud denly half way to her as If in sur p,ise CT wonder She rises t' Her feet and stands there tremblinglv with one hani outstretched to greet him.
 A man. not country clad, but In pnrfect evening dress with a solitary daisy in his lapel stands before he-. He does not seem to see the out stretched hand to welcome his com ing. and touch of moisture gathers in the brown eyes of the woman and h sr lips quiver a little in a sweet, sad smile.
 .Johnw she gasped slowly-in sur prise.
 Ellis" he corrected quickly. There is a slight change in names here you know. We are no longer in country anes" and he smiled cynically as he advanced a step and bowed formal ly.
 BuJ-Dul l tfG SdlilNs navy not changed" she said softly with sob in her words. and she stretched cut her hand tingly-rleadinS ly toward him.
 NO. you are not the same!" he cried hoarsely. You have deceived me D" you know what you have done?' he went on quickly coming a step nearer You created q love within me for what I believed you to bean inno- cent country girl-and now you have dragged me here. your rustic captive to dazzle my eyes with your splen- dor" and he cast a look of con tempt on the luxurious surroundings about him as he continued bitterly. Tt was such as this that irove me from it. it was such as YOU that put me into frocks and overalls. I was tired of all its sham and emptiness"
 The woman listened. "John!" she sfid softly. "I did not mean to de- ceive you. I thought you too were of the country and thai is why I cared why I wanted you to come and see for yourself"
 The man took q turn across the oom and back. "Bah!' he interrupt ed cruelty. You sicken me now with your hypocrisy, your sham and your deceit" and he turned to go, but the woman was before him.
 "Johni" she began, coming a little closer to him and timidly taking his hand. Listen! Hear what I say be-