The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-17

She tapped the door lightly. Facing east as 1t did. the room was darker than when one stood in the open.
 With glad exclamation, which coming through her habItual sedats- ness showed how much she loved the young girl. Sister Ruth started to her feet. There was something of such truth in the note she had sounded. something so earnest so genuine. that all the poor lonely girls heart went out to her in abandoned fullness. She held out her arms: and, as she came close to the other, fell rather than sank at her feet. The older woman made no effort to restrain her; but sinking back into her own seat laid the girls head in her lap, and held her hands close against her own breast where the other could feel the quickened beating of her heart.
 Tell me-" she whispered. Wont you ten me, dear child what troubles you? Tell me, dear. It may bring peaceP'
 Neither of them noticed how in the intensity of her feeling the Quaker form of speech which though she had exercised 1t for forty years was not her own had failed her when her heart went back to the days of its own trouble.
 aoh, I am miserable. miserable. miserabler' moaned stephen In low voice whose despair made the others heart grow cold. The Silver Lady knew that here golden silence was the best of help; holding close the others hands. she waited. Stephens breast began to heave; with an impulsive motion she drew away her hands and put them be- fore her burning face, which she press ed lower still on the others lap. Sis- ter Ruth knew that the trouble, what ever it was was about to find voice, and the emotion with which the feeling came to her almost overcame her. It was her own hands which she pressed now-and pressed hard-upon her breast.
 The shadows of the twilight seemed to fall ghost like, wave after wave; the stone pillars of the windows began to stand out dark and hard-edged. And then came in low shuddering whisper voice muffied in the folds of the dress:
 q killed a man!"
 In all her life the Silver Lady had never been so startled or so shocked. She had grown so to love the bright, brilliant young girl, and her love had come haloed with such trust. that the whispered confession cut through the silence of the dusk as a shriek Of mur- der does through the silent gloom or night Her hands flew wide from her breast, and the convulsive shudder which shook her all in an instant woke stephen through all her own deep emotion to the instinct of protection of the other. The girl looked up, shak- ing her head, and said with a sadness which stilled all the others fear:
 "Ah! Don't be frightened It Is not murder that tell you of. Perhaps if 1t were. the thought would be easier to bearl He would have been hurt less If 1t had been only his body that slew. We'll I know now that his life would have been freely given if wished it: | if it had been for my good. But it was the best of him that killed; his very soul. His noble. loving, trust | ing, unselfish soul. The bravest and truest soul that ever had place in a mans breastls ." Her speaking ended with a sob; her body sank lower. Sister Ruth's heart began to beat more freely. She understood now, and all the womanhood, all the wifehood, motherhood suppressed for lifetime. awoke to the woman's need Gently she stroked the beautiful head that lay so meekly on her lap; and as the girl sobbed with but little appearance of abatement, she said to her softly:
 "TeIi me, dear child. Tell me ali about 1t! Seel we are all alone to- gether Thou and I; and God! In Gods dusk; with only the silent land
  me, dear one and speak" The habi- tual Quaker speech had returned to her with the consciousness of self command.
 And then. as the shadows fell. and the dusk of the room grew into dark. and far-off lights at sea began to twin kle over the waste of waters, stephen found a voice and told her without re- serve all the secret of her shame and her remorse. And the quick sympathy | of her nearer understood what lay be- lhind them both, her love.
 At last. when her broken voice had | traiied away into gentle catchings of the, breath, the older woman, knowing that the time had come for comfort, took l her in her strong arms, raised her and llaid her on her breast, holding her wet l face against her own, their tears mingling.
 "Cry on, dear heart" she said in