The Democratic advocate., 1908-06-05
Che fa(llng
Of Lucy.
Nv CLARISSA MACKIE.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

was the low, leu ohANA ~ AA
'.@hor end of which the road wound
away between the young oaks, now
Lowing faint misty brown in the
late April sunshine.
with q sudden impulse he arose and
orasned his hat and grip. In another
:.s+ont he stood before the station
ho,,so while the train screamed away
uoh the wooded tunnel of oaks.
uo looked around at the familiar
scane. slightly bewildered at the result
of his impulsive action. He had left
Now York with the intention Of spend
.,r the week end with friends at
Chrimn Cove, but the familiar scenes
through which the train had sped and
,rbicb marked milestones in his men,
ory had reused within him depths Of
fooling that he thought could not now
exist.
Evading the puzzled glance Of the
station agent, he turned down the
,rigbt hand road. Ultimately 1t would
take him to the village hostelry. Incl
dentally it would lead him over old
notbs and permit his fancy to revel in
banished dreams.
He Nodded through the thick vel
low sand with eager eyes on the bud
ding hedges. Gratefully he inhaled the
delicate spring odors that seemed to
omanate from the golden afternoon
sunshine.
He paused, once beside a foaming
snring where sweetflag was shooting
green blades from the black, oozy
mud, and again in the Honeyspot road,
where arbutus clung to the steep
hanks and the pink pouch of the moe
casin flower sprang from the lichened
tree stumps Each time he removed
his hat and stood with painfully knit
ted brow and reflective eyes. Then he
moved on.
The village hotel was under new
management and he passed unchal-
lenged by old acquaintances. He
strolled down the irregular street after
the evening meal was over and in the
spring twilight revisited old haunts
and revived old memories until his
mind was a chaos of rage with him
self and grief for the unattainable.
The next morning when clamoring
bells rang out from the white painted
churches and the quiet streets were
gay with the Easter fnery of the vii
lace bellies Elwood made his way to
quaint old edifice tucked away on the
shore road, so that when he was seated
in a familiar place he could see the
white sails in the harbOr and the thin
drift of smoke from passing steamers
on the sound.
The gathering congregation looked
curiously at the dignified, middle aged
stranger who sat in the old ElwOod
pew, but he maintained an attitude of
motionless rigidity, with eyes fixed
steadily on the ripping water beyond
the window He was listening with
painful eagerness for light step.
1t came He heard the swish of silk
and the soft slip of her feet as she
assembled the steps of the chancel and
took her place among the assembled
choir. In his eyes mind he could see
her, cool and pale, with faxen hair and
dark blue eyes.
There would be little change in her
appearance after fifteen years. Her
fair skin might have faded a little,
and her slimness might have become
angularity, but there would be no 9th
er visible alteration. Still, he could
not look.
Two women rustled into the seat be-
hind him and conversed in kissing
whispers that reached his ear with an
nOying distiuctness.
Lucy Clifford's got on her blue fou-
lard silk, amt she?''
Yes! wonder if she's going to sing
today?"
Il suppose so. Mr.. Larkin said it
would be the last year she could sing
in the choir"
Her voice is getting terrible thin,
and once in awhile it gives out. She
amt sung for two or three weeks now.
l guess she was saving it SOS she
could sing today"
Lucy's getting to be regular old
maid. Now that she's left alone down
10 the old place, 1 guess she wishes
sne'd taken up with young Elwood
after ALL
i hope her voice don't fail today"
remarked one of the women as the low
tones of the organ rumbled through
the church.
Elwood turned his head. Yes; there
sne sat, her pale, pure profile outlined
against the red and purple of the chan
eel window.
ene looked as his memory had limned
ner save that she was not angular;
sue still retained her youthful slim
ness' There was pathetic droop to
ner once proudly lifted head and a
usefulness in the full lidded eyes as
sue turned toward the congregation.
Ihe organ ceased, the white robed
munster entered and knelt in prayer,
anu then with triumphant burst Of
nuSlc the choir arose and the notes of
'ne anthem rang through the little
Inurch. Elwood pressed hand across
us stlnging eyes as the familiar melo-
uS proceeded. 1t seemed but yesterday
.nat ne had stood beside Lucy Clifford
III the choir and lifted his strong young
'olce III that same strain.
ne heard the high notes of her thin
soprano above the reedy tenor and the
tuinoe OF alto and bass, and there was
al uncertain quality in it that caused