Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-05-27

The sun SlO0e on the surface of
ihe read. A shower had laid the dust
and washed the hedges, and the air
was sweet with the scent of MAY.
Down the little village street a man
rasssi slowly, walking as though alb
serbed n thought; a man of no more
than twenty-nine years of age, whose
hair was yet a silver white and whose
face was stamped with the lines of
some bysone sorrow. The thrushes
sans their nerTiest songs in the
branches, and from the woods beyond
cane the clear call OF q cuckoo. But
neither the beauty of the morning
nor the songs OF the birds suflced to
rouse John Lyall from his sad absorp-
ton. He passed slowly down the
hill. looking neither tc the right nor
the left.
From z corne OF the vicarage gar
den, where a gap in the thicket of
laurel and rhododendron gave a
glimpse OF the road, a girl stood and
watched him as he passed; a girl with
masses Of 6usky hair and dark eyes
that wore an expression habirually
thoughtful even when they lit up
with mirth. She raised her hand
to call the attention OF her father, an
elderly and benign locking man, who
stood not far OF in the garden, ad-
miring the blossoms Of a laburnum.
Attracted by her gesture he came TO
the wall.
See, father" she cried, pointing
down the road, there is the clergy
man l told you of yesterday. You
wouldn't believe me. Confess now
that YOU were wrong"
All. yes. my DEAR" said the Rev.
M. HAYES seriously, Il confess al
once. Last night 1 heard all about
him. He is staying with the Lam
berts. He is a missionary and has
been in China"
He looks Young. and yet his hair
Is white" she said thoughtfully.
His is a sad stoTv-a terrible
story" answered her father gently.
Mr.. Lambert told it t o me last night
He went out there four years ago
taking with him his young wife. They
seem to have been very much at
tached 10 each other. They were Civ.
en- charge Of a small station in the in.
terior-somewhere upon the Yang
tse River, l believe. He was coins
good work there. He had a schoo.
and a hospital. Then disturbance:
came. Printed lies were circulated
among the natives. their passion.
were excited, and the nearest manda
rim was too far off to render an,
help. They burned his school. Fol
q time ne defended himself IN hi
house until that, too, was burned. Il.
was struck on the head, rendered IN
conscious and cast into the river. Hi
life was saved by a few faithful mem
bers OF his flock. He was taken dowI
the river in a junk and sent home II
Europe TO recover"
And his wife," asked the girl
with parted lips.
That is the saddest part of tn,
story" answered her father gravely
H vas forced to shoot her with hi
W. hands. to prevent her from fall
ing into their power"
The beauty Of the morning dark
ened before the girls eyes. She stool
silent, q shadow of pain upon he
forehead.
Poor man" she said with a sigh
cit must be terrible for him to thinl
Of"
"Mercifully. he does not think o
II, replied her father. The blow b
received seems to have affected hi
mind. He has 10 memory of it. H
does not even know that he has bee,
II China. At times he even talks o
going there"
Edith HAYES passed into the house
1lled with pity for the man who's
story she had heard. His face, wit.
us lines Of suffering, haunted bel
sne was by nature and by trainin
oeeply religious, and in her eye
Inc nan who had suffered SO muc1
Ior his faiths sake became investe
With the halo Of the martyr. She pi,
led him from the bottom of he
aea-r, and it needed only time an
opportunity that that pity should r.
Pen into love.
Two days later she met him at
garden party at the Lamberts. Mrs.
LAMBERT introduced them CASUAL
ehd hustled Off to attend to othe
guests. So the threads of their fat
we're interviewer. She stood 1Ookin
q hln with plying interest; he q
-ef with an arrested attention ths
NSa IN its intensity something tia
"as almost painful.
~oC go TO China. shortly. I bt
-s'e. she stamme-ed, il the efol
" max conversation.
Very soon" he answered, euietl.
~ work will lie there. Il is.
~s[E1. q most interesting COUNTY,"
enc was startled as she realize
-" lack Of recollection. True, he
Z a,aer rad told her OF it, but to gail
II from the mans own Ups ga,
EE d shock. II seemed to ner tn:
must have spoken in much th