The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-04
fR HOLbROCk LIT TIL. SHOP
With hiss nGTn


tion all her own-a plaintive and yet
p1easurable one resuscitated from the
lavender and rosemary of her lost
youth.
Some miles beyond the village there
lived upon his ample and ancestral
acres at place called Woodley Mr..
Holbrook, a yeoman of the old school.
Everything about Woodley Mr.. Hol-
brook strove to keep as it had been
kept for centuries. The door of the hall
of the big stone house stood open all
day, and there was no driveway lead
ing to it. You alighted at the front
gate and approached the hospitable
portal by box-bordered walks con-
filming beds of old-fashioned flowers.
Letters addressed to Thomas Holbrook
Esq, We're always sent back unopened.
He was a plain yeoman as his fathers
had been before him, said the proprietor
of Woodley, and no squire, though many
men of fewer acres assumed that title
in these days. Mr.. Holbrook was Miss
Poles cousin, and had been the hero of
Miss Mattys little romance of the long
ago.
Cousin Thomas was not quite enough
the gentleman, I suppose to suit Deb.
orah," said Miss Pole in telling the story,
land SO poor Matty said No., when she
meant 'yes'-and that's all there was to
it You see the Jenkynses are closely re-
lated to Sir Peter Arley. But Cousin
Thomas has made his market town at
Misselton ever since"
One day when Matty was shopping in
Crawford store she happened to stand
near stout old gentleman clad in a blue
coat with brass buttons, drab breeches
and gaiters-in short, in the general ap-
parel Of a prosperous yeoman of past
generation. The man drummed on the
counter with his fingers until he was
waited on, and when he answered thu
shopman's query as to what he would be
served with, Miss Matty suddenly, at the
sound of his voice, sat down in the near
est chair. 1t was the lover out of the
past the beloved Thomas Of the lost
years.
"siiss Jenkyns will have the black sarse-
net" said shopboy. The big man turned
at the name. "Matty-Mss Matilda-Miss
Jenkyns!" cried Holbrook. God bless my
SOUL should not have known you. How
are you? How are you?" And he kept
shaking her hand in a way that showed
the warmth of his friendship. But he
kept repeating. half to himself, 81 should
not have known you, 1 should not have
known you"
Mr.. Holbrok left the shop with Miss
Matty-both forgot to make their intended
purchases-and escorted her to the door
! of her house. What did they talk about
Well, one remark was overheard by a
'Your poor sister, your poor sister, Well,
well, we all have our faults
That was new idea to Cranford-the
late Miss Jenkyns having been possessed
of faultsl
When Mr. Holbrook left Miss Matty at
| her door she went straight to her room
and did not appear again until tea time,
when she looked if she had been cry
| ing. A few days after came a note from
Mr.. Holbrook, inviting Miss Matty and a
| young lady who was visiting her, Miss
| Smith, whose father had been the bus
| mess adviser of the late Deborah to
pay him visit at Woodley and take din
ner He had invited Miss Pole, he said,
so that they could join In the expense
Of carriage.
Poor little Miss Mattty was all of a
futter. Would it be proper? Would Deb
orah have approved? But Miss Pole and
| Miss Smith so aided and abetted with
powerful arguments the secret longings
of Miss Matty's own heart that the in
vitation was accepted and the day of all
days In Miss Matty's starved life came
There were bright sunshine and the
odor of flowers in the clear air, the war;
bling of birds was upon a thousand
boughs and beautiful, soft green spread
| over the rolling fields such as Miss Matty
had not noticed before for many a long
| year.
/ 1T should think my cousin might con-
| struct drive, said Miss Pole as they
| alighted at the gate of Woolley. ut is a
] very beautiful place." said Miss Matty in
whisper as she cast her eyes over the