The Glenwood post., 1906-03-10
CHAPTER VIII.
A Pair of Shoulders,


IL cannot be denied that Constance
preferred to think of her husband -
dead rather than untrue to her; and,
as wishes tint ones thoughts daily,
till the color becomes strong and en-
during after time, SO Constance.
chose to think of herself as a widow
"a widow bereft of her husband, who
had died in the discharge of his duty,
and doubly martyr, since his towns
men denied him his dues of honor, but
instead covered his remains with OBJ
loquy. She did not wear the widows
crepe, though she considered well be-
fore eschewing it, but the deepest,
most sombre black; and her children
she dressed in black and white. No
one was hard-hearted enough to ques.
tion her course, though her uncle pri-
vately considered it a foolish one.
A branch of famous marble bust
ness had recently been opened in
Grovedale, and though Mr. Allen, the
manager, had been but a few weeks
in town, the time was quite long
enough for him to become conversant
with the history of the savings bank
cashier, and to know Mrs. Hamilton
well by sight. He was somewhat mys-
titled, therefore, by her coming to him
to consult about procuring a monu-
ment to place over the remains of her
husband.
Il wish something to be set as soon
as the spring opens; something plain,
yet rich and elegant"
"But-ah-is it quite sure that your
lamented husband is dead, Mrs. Ham
ilton?"
There is no doubt of it, sir; none
whatever"
Mr.. Allen without word placed be.
fore her some cuts representing the
different styles in Scotch granite and
Italian marble, and she finally chose
one of the finest marble with granite
base.
Il wish the inscription to be very
simple" she said. Just his name,
Vane Hamilton"
Very chaste. madam, both the
monument and inscription. 1t shall be
cut as soon as possible, and set up in
the spring as soon as the frost is out
of the ground"
THANK you" she said ooh, Vane,
Vane!" was the cry of her heart, as
she walked home. 81 may not put the
inscription on the marble, but on my
heart are engraved a million loving
words
Mrs. Hamilton and her two children
always attended the Congregational
church.
Constance took a very strong inter
est in religious matters; indeed re-
ligion and love for her children were
the only subjects unimpaired by her
trouble, and these were more intense.
Therefore she never entered the
church without glancing in the direc-
tion of the mill peoples pew to see if
they were as well filled or better than
usual. On the occasion of which
write, the one following the day when
she had chosen her monument, as she
entered she glanced that way as usual,
and for a moment her heart stood still.
Then it gave a tempestuous bound.
Constance never paused, but, with
flushed cheeks and startled eyes,
walked up the aisle to her own seat,
and the minister laid open the big
Bible, adjusted the long velvet book
mark laden with Maltese and Roman
crosses (Mrs. Hamilton's gift to the
church,, and began reading With we'll
modulated voice the morning lesson.
But he could not prevent his heart
from recognizing the pink flush on
one woman's face and the fact that 1t
made her marvelously beautiful.
And what occasioned it? Only a
pair of shoulders in the mill peoples
pew; pair of shoulders of square
cut. yet peculiar mould, that remind
ed her instantly of her husband. Moth
ing else, less than nothing else, for
the head above them was covered
with dark, almost black hair, and her
husbands was a golden brown Of
light shade.