Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-12-25
THE UNDYING PAST.

leIJ HlnlSch sunni, PltLlSColiS' ihNot-
unfairly his shoulders bowed, his face
grew creased with wrinkles.
1t was not until he raised his eyes
and saw himself observed by the lady
that he regained his youth
Though startled, he lost nothing of
his customary grace.
Il crave your pardon" he murmured,
dofing a hat which disclosed no giz-
zled locks.
She granted it with a gracious bow;
and then, as he still fingered raised in
quiring, almost protesting eyebrows.
Was she not woman-would she not
sympathize with his pilgrimage He re-
solved to confide in her.
Il am revisiting," he said accordingly,
''the scenes of my boyhood"
Indeed said she. 1T was some time
ago?"
Twenty years. he sighed, by the
| calendar; by memory, yesterday"
You see" he explained -diffuseness
was not one of his failings-"she was
my first love"
How romantic. Do you remember her
name?''
Il shall never forget it. Her name
he CROPPED in the recesses of his memory
''her name was Mabel"
Mabel" echoed the young lady, her
| lips between her teeth
1T was here'-he laid his hand af-
fectionately upon the gote-''we first
met"
It's wet she warned him
| He withdrew his hand hastily
1T had just been painted" he men
| toned as a strange coincidence, ION that
unforgettable day. She had on a white
| frock, but | wore a red blazer; | went
to bed without tea that night. At the
time it struck mo as a hardship, but
now to fee! again that divine thrill,
would gladly suffer such martyrdom"
Twenty years." he unused Time is
a curious whirligig. Everything is gone,
but the old gate remains
She shook regretful head
Its the third / remember; it was
only put up yesterday"
AT any rate" he consoled himself,
after a momentary pause, its where
the old gate used to stand
The girl hesitated and glanced at
spot some yards lower down. but being
unwilling, perhaps, to shatter another
illusion held her peace.
81 feel mentioned the young man,
as though | We're again seven"
WAS it exactly twenty years ago?"
This very month";" he assured her
You were not then born
She admitted the fact
And YOU came she suggested, to
visit her-shrine?"
Her tomb,' he corrected MY little
sweetheart slumbers beneath the sods
of twenty years, Her only monument
is doubtless stout matron, and her
epitaph Mrs. Somebody And vet am
probably her only mourner.
Your constancy is remarkable"
1T is so easy" he mmmured, ito be
constant to a memory. It's not until
ones ideal materializes That the strain
comes
she may not be stout remarked the
girl, seeking to cheer him. After all,
| twenty years ="
1t was hereditary" he said sadly
The fear haunted me even then
| He glanced at the house.
THAT was her window" he indicated.
Oh said the girl, ooh. really"
| Every morning | would come and
whistle beneath it, and she would pull
the curtains on one side aud smile down
at me. We would 90 out together and
awaken the larks to cmulation-I taught
her to cycle
To cycle half protested his listener,
twenty years agc!"
1T was early in the morning" he re-
minded her half reproachfully, and we
saw no harm i'll it. The bicycle was
much taller than we were, which made
mounting difficult, and dismounting less
difficult. perhaps, but even more dan
gerous."
| You We're on a holiday"
a month How we wept at parting
here. at this self-same gate, or, rather
what was the gate then [ broke
siNpence in half, remember, for a keep
sake" He smiled reminiscently and
glanced at his hand Il have the scar
still"
And to think that you should be liv-
ing here
The girl gazed at him with puekered
brows, and eyes which limited at secret
amusement.
Somebody must live here, she re-
marked.
Well, yes he admitted; zone cannot
expect constancy of house"
The remark drew scornfui smile to
her lips.
Had You found her here you would
have been sorry"
You think sog You have seen her;
she is much changed2"
she is my sister" said the girl calmly.
The young man gazed mt the distant
trees in silence for moment; when his
eyes came back to her she saw they
were full of a strange wonder,
Her sister" he repeated, and his
voice had taken ON Il new tone; and
She"
"She has not forgotten YOU she said
gravety. Her voice shook little as she
added. "and she is not married.
''She is-g' His questioning glance
Travelled to the house.