Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-02-17
AN ANSWER Ed
QUESTION
BY Rose Churchill.


Shall we ever know wonder,
In the days that are to be-
What has kept our lives asunder,
Tho our hearts as one agree.
Tho' our lips would fain caress,
Tho our eyes still mutely blessf
Shall we gladly read life's story,
In the quiet rest of age,
waiting till heavens final glory
Shines upon each darkened page;
TIL we see In fullest light
All now hidden from our sight?
Ut shall we apart still drifting,
AS the shadows round lie.
Cease to wait for their uplifting,
Cease for broken toys" to cry
FORCING back each vain regret
Praying only to forget?
That's pretty thing they are
playing, dear. What is it called?" Mr..
Blanchard asks us, with a sigh Of sat
lsfaction. He settles himself more
comfortably in his cushioned rocker
and prepares himself to be sung to
sleep by his daughter Blanche, as is
his usual custom directly after supper.
He is a busy man, headmaster Of
high school and coach" to two or
three private pupils besides, and this
Is the only recreation he allows him
self. One hour of rest and sleep be-
tween supper and the time for the ar
rival of Clinton Drysdale, his most i'm
portant pupil.
Drysdale is reading for a Latin exam
nation, on which language Mr..
Blanchard is an authority Of high re-
pute
The song is called Questions,
+, Blanche replied, in an absent-minded
way, hurriedly wiping the tears which
have gathered in her eyes, and hiding
the piece in question at the back of
the music she had arranged in the
rack In front of her.
She plays beautifully, but can sing
we'll only in the presence of those She
loves and whom she feels love her.
Once she was conscious of singing
her best when Clinton Drysdale was
present, but now a strange con-
straint had sprung up between them,
and she feels shy and awkward in his
company. She bushes holly as she
thinks of the way she has allowed her
self to diff as it were, into an atti-
tude of appropriation of him, which
she has no right to assume; and de-
termines to be stiffness itself in her
future demeanor toward him.
Blanche is veritable child of ma
ture, 'Eas most clever women are, and
Blanche is clever woman, beyond
question, having taken science de-
gree at the London university,
spending two years in Europe for that
purpose.
When she hears her father make a
little noise in his throat she knows
he has gone to the Land Of Nod
and takes out Questions" from it's
hiding place and gives vent to her
souls emotion in singing it again and
again. She does not hear the front
door slam behind Clinton Drysdale,
who swiftly ascends the stairs to the
drawlng-room and stands on the mat
outside the slightly open door. He
knows it is mean to listen, but he can
not resist the temptation.
Thus Blanche finds him, as, with
a swift movement, she reaches the
door without making sound, which
may awaken her father from his much
needed slumber. Those ridiculous
songs always make me cry" she says.
with vain attempt to laugh. so |
they do me-" Clinton said, gravely;
"but call them lovely, not ridicu-
lous," and then by common impulse |
they sit down on the stairs (Which are
conveniently near) and Blanche lis
tens entranced to the sweet old
story"
II thought you did not love me-"
Blanche says. presently, shyly CLAN |
cling up at the impassioned face above |
her. Your manner was so altered, |
was afraid to speak to you. thought !
you must either have cared for me /
or seen some one you liked better"
"These are your only rivals" Gin
ton says, gently drawing from his |
pocket cards and brandy flask Il /
knew. as oil and water cannot mingle,
that you and these things could never
share my devotion. 1t must be one
or the other, and | could not make
up my mind. 4
Il am ashamed to say it, but 1t is
the truth know now that am
only throwing away the husks and
keeping the kernel, that l have a
treasure that is above rubies.''
How do you, know that / am
ruby?" says Blanch. Il may be
merely a piece of glass for all you
know -
Eyes, you may" says Clinton, and
then they both laugh.