The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-10-09
At the Turning Of the Long Lane.
By RoSALINE MASON.

black kid gloves out of her corner
drawer, and gave the strings of her
Sunday bonnet a final adjustment be-
fore she turned away from the mirror.
1t was the self-same mirror in
Bolid mahogany frame with little
drawer in the stand, that had reflect
ed Miss Janet Galbraith's face fer
ever thirty years; but the mirrors
task Elust have been as grateful now
rs ever, for the face under the Sunday
bonnet was undeniably comely and
winsome, with the pink of rose eptals
tn the cheeks, and an attractive crinkle
dn the soft hair that was turning 10
that beautiful creamy white that re-
compenses many Scots woman in
her oil age for the red tinge endured
in her youth. But it was Miss Janet
Galb.aith's eyes that made her lovabe
eyes blue and apologetically gentle,
with, in them and in the soft wrinkles
around them a wistful hint of sad
mess
It was not Sunday and yet Miss jan
ct donned her Sunday bonnet and took
cut her best black kid gloves this May
morning, and sailed forth with a face
of dignified intention She was to-day
going to carry out great resolve, to
put into execution a long and prayer
fully considered purpose; size was go
ing to select the spot of ground which
she intended to purchase in the new
graveyard, in order that she might feel
that her bones would be decently laid
there when her time came. Her father
who had so long been the chief doctor
in the small town and everybody's
friend in time of trouble, and her
mother, whom she could not remember
md the half-dozen little brothers and
sisters, who had died in infancy be-
fore her birth, as well as several un-
eles and aunts and cousins, were all
laid beneath one upright slab in the
wall of the older burying-ground; but,
alas! an uncle-in-law who had died
ten years previously, had left it in his
will that he desired to be buried beside
his wife, and this, as Miss Janet pa
thetically remarked to the minister,
''flllled up the lair" and left no room
for her. But she had not gone against
che dead mans wish-and she was too
gentle to be assertive.
Miss Galbraith visited the grave
every Sunday at the conclusion of SER
vice. This was decorous habit, al
Rowing Miss Galbraith's little servant
time to run home and rapidly dish the
potatoes, and also allowing time for
the congregation to disperse. When
Miss Janet had read, line by line, the
names and ages of her forbears and
Kindred down to the inconsiderate un-
fle-in-law in the last line-'Thomas
Wyllle relict Of the above Susan Gal
1raith'- then she was sure the last
oOiterers would have gone, and that
she could feel secure from garrulous
acquaintance. For Miss Janet was
hopelessly shy and diffldent, and her
dignity of carriage and reserve Of
speech were as much the outcome of
shyness as they were the result of the
pride natural in the last survivor of
. highly respectable and professional
family. "Ay, she keeps herself to her..
SELF" they said about her in the small
0arket-town that had known her for
over half a century. "She has aye
Kept herself to hersel,' and been that
respectable doot if she has ever had
m offer O. marriage" it was once
added
But the speaker was mistaken. The
calendar are not the only ones in a
Woman's reckonng. There was a GER
kain day-in June 1t was, when the sun
shone and the birds sang year after
year In unconscious cruelty-when
Miss Janet always, unostentatiously
wore black; and in the afternoon,
when the duties of the day were
over, she would go upstairs to her
own room and after carefully draw
ing down the blinds, whether to keep
out the sunshine or to prevent the
birds from looking in was uncertain,
would unlock an old desk and take
hence three letters tied together, and a
Yhotograph, and two or three appar-
emily meaningless trifles When Miss
0albraith came downstairs again quite
two hours later, the sad look in her
blue eyes was intensified, and her
gentle mouth was somewhat tremu-
aous But, indeed, there was no one
70 notice.
When Miss Galbraith walked into
fhs graveyard on that May morning
n was with an added sense of import
ance that she made her way, not to
the moss-grown monuments she knew
20 well, under the dark yew-trees be-
low the church, but up towards the
newer part that lay east. Here red
granite and new black lettering
abounded; and as in most Scottish
churchyards. very few Of the grave
stones were in the form Of crosses.
Miss Janet went towards . green cor