The Cairo bulletin., 1909-05-04
The Secret of
the Oak

havoc In the small patch of woods,
stood John Matthews. To all save
one or two he was a stranger, yet less
than half 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 en-
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 the 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 he
had no desire TO remain there.
He had expected to find 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 he 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 a cry almost escaped him when
he saw that their next victim was 10
be great oak. 1t seemed TO the man
that an old friend was about to be
sacrificed
Under this great oak tree centuries
Old perhaps, he had spent the hap
plest hours of his life There was a
hollow in it that they had discovered
one day. Mary had trained wild vines
TO grow over it. and they had called
it the treasure keep of their castle.
Then when they had gone away to
school and college, it had been their
pest Office
Returning for the holidays. If Mary
was absent he was sure to IND let
ter waiting for him in the hollow, and
he would leave one fer her when he
went away. At last, when school days
were over, and they were home once
more, the oak had been their rystlng
place, until the summer that his rival
had come 10 the village.
A strong will, new scenes and
friends, had helped him to forget. bat
now the memories came rushing back.
Once more he could see Mary as she
paused at the entrance Of the woods
when he had pleaded 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 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
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
/ back to the 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 to the ground. The
/ woodmen picked II up. consulted a
moment, and then one of them came
I 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 caretakers had
made ready for him. Hastily he tore
open the little yellow envelope The
note it contained was dated ten years
before. Don't you know the answer
! is yes, jack" was all II said.
Then the truth came upon him like
fash. A wind had carried the note
upwards as she tossed Il into the hol-
/ low which she was not quite tall
| enough to reach, and it lad lodged in
a crevice above Instead If dropping TO
! the bottom.
The woodman's * bad Jared IL
from its resting place q years. In his
haste that day long ago he had over
/ looked il and had misunderstood II
I had been he that she cared for after
/ all and not the other man. But what
/ must she have thought OF his sudden
departure, what had she thought dur
1 ing those years of silence? He would
! find her.
There was CLEAN of the fire of
youth in his eve and the steTnness
had vanished from his face as he has-
tily glanced over some mail which his
/ lawyers had forwarded.
THAT can wait" he said, but one
postmark seemed to catch his atten-
ton; he could not understand why.
/ but II seemed vaguely familiar, and he
opened the enyelop.
II Slowly the brightness died from his
- +ho hard lines HpaupuaI nnoo