The Florida agriculturist., 1907-07-10

the sand dunes beyond Pacific Heights.
Only here and there a lanceOlate beam
touched the hills, from the ccrimson
ball going out to sea through the
golden gate There was a scent OF
lilies in the air, mingling with the more
Wonted perfume of February roses.
The hum of the city sounded far away,
and the song Of a meadow lark could
be heard from treetOp.
The door of the house stood open,
revealing broad hall, There was
a suggestion, in the dim light, of
waving ferns and the silvery CLEAN OF
fountain, in the conservatory at one
side. From the door jamb there sway
ed in the breeze long ends Of soft,
snowy ribbon, holding in place a clus-
ter of white roses.
that opened upon the hall stood tiny
white casket on slender pillars. Two
candles burned at it's head By a win
dow a man sat, gazing with unseeing
eyes, into the creeping shadows OF
the trees. A woman lay in a crushed
heap among the pillows of divan.
Neither had moved for long time
The little form in the white casket had
been their all Now it lay scarcely
stiller than they
Suddenly the silence was broken by
the sound of a woman's voice, high
pitched and clear.
willy! Willy! oh, Willy" it cried
A friend within the house hastened
to the door, Along a pathway through
the shrubbery handsomely dressed
woman appeared. "Oh!' she exclaim-
ed, advancing; have you seen a little
boy about four years old? My little
boy is lost! Some one said they saw
him come i'll here. [ cannot find him
and | am afraid he has fallen some
where i'll the sand dunes.'
Have you notified the po1ice?"
Long ago. They are all on the
lookout for him. But he may be
buried in the sand We have been
searching for hours. Oh, have lost
two little ones through death, but I
never felt as do this moment"
The mothers heart walled forth be-
hind the cultured woman's enforced
COmpOsure.
The woman who had been lying
among the cushions came through the
hall to the door.
"What is it?" she asked
The friend put her arm about her
and would have drawn her back; but
the stranger spoke.
MY little boy is lost" she said,
excitedly. "He is only four years old.
we are afraid he is among the sand
dunes"
"Oh," cried the younger woman, II
am so sorry! Is there nothing we
can do? Cannot we help you look
for him? The poor little fellow! Think
Of him all alone in the dunes! How
did it happen?' And she put her
hand in the strangers for sympathy
The latter was full Of her story of
coming home from a round of calls
to find the child missing and the other
children seeking him. Even as she
spoke, voices could be heard calling
from the sand dunes, ''Willy! Willy!
oh. Willyr'
Il must CO." cried the mother. ooh,
my heart is breaking! Willy! Willy!
Where can he be?"
AS she turned passing zephyr blew
the white ribbon on the doorpost
straight out across her cheek She
started back, dismayed
"Why," she cried, ''you have a dead
child in this house,"
eyes," said the other mother; Erny
only child, a little boy, just four years
DID,, died this morning"
Tears came into the strangers eyes
"Oh," she cried, "do forgive me!
am SO sorry I did not know. Dear
heart! to think should have troubled
you I, too, have lost two children by
DEATH but this is more terrible. My
little boy! You see I do not know
L. e