The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1909-06-10
The Secret of
the Oak

watching the woodmen work their
havoc in the small patch of woods,
stood John Matthews To all save
one or two he was a stranger, yet less
than half a score of years before he
had been known by almost every one
in this little village.
But during the years Of his absence
most of the older folks had gone to
their last home, the companions Of his
youth had married and moved to
larger cities, while the children had
grown to manhood and womanhood
and to the present inhabitants John
Matthews, owner of the big house on
the hill, was somewhat of a myth.
He had returned from Africa the
day before, returned upon the urgent
request of his solicitors, who needed
his assistance in settling the estate
He had come from tho city on an early
morning train, anxious to close up his
affairs at once and get away from the
village as soon as possible, for be
had no desire to remain there.
He had expected TO md strange
faces and many changes, but was
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 ne had hunted for fair
les with Mary, his little playmate. his
later sweetheart, and the cause Of his
desertion of home and country.
AS he stood looking on, the chop
pers paused to select another tree
and cry almost escaped him when
he saw that their next victim was to
be a great oak. It seemed TO the man
that an old friend was about 20 be
sacrificed.
Under this great oak tree, centuries
old, perhaps, he had spent the hap
piest hours of his life. There was q
hollc% n Ct that they had discovered
one day. Mary had trained wild vinea
20 grow over It, and they had called
1t the treasure keep of their castle.
Then when they had gone away to
school and college, it had. been their
post ONCE. So.
Returning for the holidays, II Mary
was absent he was sure to ind let.
ter waiting for him in the hollow. and
he would leave one for her whel he
went away. At last, when school days
were over, and they were home once
more, the oak had been thei. trysting
place, until the summer that his rival
had come to the village.
A strong win, new scenes and
friends, had helped him to forget, but
now the memories came rushing back.
Once more he corid see Mary as she
paused at the entrance Of the Moods
T-ifsS he had pleaded with her to give
her answer to the question he had
asked so many times that summer. Il
''You will find your answer IN the
oak at sunset" she had said.
He had come back at sunset only
to find the hollow empty and then, he
knew her answer, knew that the other
man had won, and that. she had let
heir old friend, the oak, tell him what
her lips could not. That had been the
end, for he left the village that might.
and now after ten years one would
scarcely recognize the by. "a this
stern, gray-haired man.
The blow of an az brought John
back to tho present. AS he was about
to turn from the scene of destruction,
he saw something small and white
balance a moment on the edge Of the
hollow and fall ITO gthe ground. The
woodmen picked it'up, consulted q
moment, and then one OF them came
| toward him.
"The boss thinks this belongs to
YOU" he said, handing John a small
envelope, stained and yellow.
John nodded to the foreman, one Of
the few that had recognized him, and
with quick-beating heart hurried
away from the curious throng Ar
irving at the house he went quickly
TO the study that the care-takers had
made ready for him. Hastily he tore
open the little yellow envelope. The
note 1t contained was dated ten years
before. Don't you know the answer
is yes, Jack?" was all 1t said.
Then the truth came upon him like
a fash. A wind had carried the note
upwards as she tossed II into the hol
low which she was not quite tai
enough to reach, and 1t had lodged IN
a creYice above instead of dropping Il
the bottom.
The woodman's AK had Jared Il
from It's resting place Of years. In hiI
haste that day long ago he had over
looked It and had misunderstood. L
had been he that she cared for aftei
all and not the other man. But wha
must she have thought Of his suddeI
departure, what had she thought dur
ing those years OF silence? He woult
find her.
There was a CLEAN Of the fire o
youth In his eye and the stemnesi
had vanished from his face as he has
tily glanced over some mail which hi
lawyers had forwarded.
"That can walt" he said, but on'
postmark seemed to catch his alter
ton; he could not understand why
but It seemed vaguely familiar, and b,
opened the envelop.
! ell, Al. hrgehtuaoo Ala 49,. "a