The daily tribune. (Florence, Colo.) 1903-19??, 1909-04-30
The Secret Of
the Oak

| the oilers of the village who were
watching the woodmen work their
havoc in the small patch of woods
| stood John Matthews To all save
one or two he was n stranger. vet lsex
| than half a score of years before he
| had been known by almost every one
in this little village.
But during the wears NJ bis absencs
| most of the older folks had gone tn
| their last home. the comuanions of hi,
youth had married and moved tn
larger cities. while the children had
grown to manhood and womapbood
and to the present Inhabitants John
Matthews, owner of the big house on
the hill. was somewhat of myth
He had returned from Africa the
day before. returned upon the urgent
request of his solicitors yvbo needed
his assistance in settling the estate
He had come from the CITY on an early
morning train. anxious 10 close nm hi,
affairs at once and get nwav from the
village as soon as possible for he
had no desire to remain there
He had axnoota, 20 e,, s.roro
rhAnRaS
hardly prepared for the scene before
him, the destruction of this woodland
the Black Forest of his boyhood
days, In which he had slain imaginary
giants and dragons. and where In his
gentler moods he had hunted for fair.
les with Mary. his little PLAYMATE his
later sweetheart. and the cause Of his
81
AS he stood looking on the chop.
psrs paused to select another tree
and a cry almost escaped him when
he saw that their next victim was IN
be a great oak. 1t seemed to the man
that an old friend was about to he
sacrificed.
Under this great oak tree centuries
old. perhaps. he had spent The han.
piest hours of his life. There was a
hollow in It that they had discovered
one day. Mary had trained wild vInes
to grow over 1t. and they had called
1t the treasure keen of their castle
Then when they had gone away to
school and college, II had been their
post office.
Returning for tho bo,,1ovs - Mary
woa absant he w,s eura to 9r5 =, lot
ter waiting for him in the hollow and
he would leave one for her whom he
went away. At last. when school d6vs
we're over. and they wer, home once
more. the oak had been their .rystine
place until the summer that his rival
had come to the village,
st-ore will ,aw soo,o, an,
friends had beIned him IN foryet hnt
Once more he could see Mary as she
paused at the entrance of the woods
when he had blended with her TO give
her answer to the question he had
asked so many times that summer.
you will find your answer In the
oak ct sunset" she had said
He had come back at sunset only
to fad the hollow empty. and then he
knew her answer, knew that the other
man had won, and that she had let
their old friend the oak, tell him what
her lips could not. That had been the
end. for he left the village that night
and now after ten years one would
scarcely recognize the b. in this
stern, gray-haired man.
The blow of an ak brought John
hack to the present Az he was about
To surn from the scene of destruction
he saw something small and white
balance a moment Oh the edge OF the
hollow and fall to the ground. The
woodmen picked II up. consulted n
moment and then one of them came
toward him
"Tbe hoss th;nks this balance 10
Won be said handing Jobn a small,
enveIone stained and veIlow
Jobn nodded IN the foreman ono n,
tho few that had recognized him and
With on,ck. heating heart hurled
away from the curious throng Ar.
irving a, the house he went quickly
IN the study that the care-takers had
made ready for him. Hastily he tore
omen the little yellow envelope. The
.s,o 1. oo,t,t,od y,,o J,,al TO-, mean,