Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-06-26
A CONSPIRACY.
Father Discovers Why He Was Asked
to Go to the May Services.

some evening at dinner in the latter
part of May" said Mr.. Parokeyal, "the
wife asked me IL wouldn't like to so
to the May services at church that
evening-with her, of course. 1 caught
her exchanging glance across the
table with our eldest boy. a tike OF
ten. when she made that suggestion to
me. Therefore. said 1 to myself right
away, ii was a put up job.
But there l was-no way to get
out of IL. | thought bit aggrievedly
OF the comfortable, lolling smokes Ia
miss il I went, aud L experienced just
teeny touch of resentment over the
rather smooth and serene way 1 was
being chiselcd out OF 'em. But there
was no way out.
why, certainly mother, I'll 60
glad to- said / as hearty as l could
make IL, and then again / caught that
significant exchange of glances be-
tween the boy aud his mother, just as
IL they'd achieved some kind of vic
tory or other.
well. the boy executed his usual dis
appearance soon after dinner, and then,
allowing me to burn up just one cigar,
my wife began to hustle and hustle me
around, and presently we were on our
way TO the May services. | had to
grin bit sheepishly as we drew nigh
the portal.
"'Fine work for you, little lady, said
l to the boys mother. DO you know
how many years it's been since l at
tended May evening services?
"'Plcase don't tell me- said she. 4
don't want to hear it. And don't ever
say anything like that before the chill
dren. You know how they notice these
chance remarks And with that we
were inside the cool, fragrant church
and on our way to the pew.
well, well, what a long stretch of
years that fragrance took me back
across-tbat mingled fragrance of roses
and drifting incense. Noticed IL the
minute l set foot within the church
first, the smell of the roses that were
heaped up on the main altar and on
the SIDE altar and then, as we got in
side. that other aroma of the incense.
declare that those two fused fra
grances-and they go mighty well to-
gether If you've ever noticed-just
clean picked me up and set me back
on the road a good thirty years, and a
good bit Of that road right hard going
at that
THE wife and sat down in the pew,
and l was listening to some Of the old
familiar May evening music, full Of
dim "reminiscences, when the mother
gave me slight nudge
II turned and looked ut her, and her
eyes We're shining mighty bright. sure
enough. And she was nodding in the
direction OF the altar. I thought that
she meant that she wanted me to stop
looking around at the decorations and
things and to pay attention to what
was going on at the altar, and SO I
followed her gaze
well, then l understood the mean
ing of that put up job between the
boy and his mother.
''For there was the boy on the altar
in surplice and cassock, at the right
hand Of the priest ut that. / under
stood. all right.
"When | turned to her again her
eyes were still shining away like as
II they'd-but, when II comes to that,
couldn't see her very we'll myself,
for IL all came a-romping back to me
In an Instant that she looked Just
exactly, for all the world like my own
little mother had looked. away back
yonder over the craggy path OF the
years, when she'd seen me diked out In
cassock and surplice for the first time
for all the world and to the life!
Same shining, starry eyes, same
trembling around the corner OF the
mouth, same speaking pride OF the
features-the joy or the mother-wo-
man when she sees one OF her own
taking part for the first time I'm a rite
at any kind OF shrine!
That's why shed got me out OF my
armchair To attend the May evening
services. The conspiracy between her
and the boy stood revealed. But 1
didn't feel aggrieved about those sacfi.
flee smokes any longer."-New York
Sun.