Middletown transcript., 1909-05-22

VIbtSS bAOOV = AAAese-
", walking as though absorbed
in thought; man Of no more
than twenty nine years Of age,
whose hair was yeta silver white
and whose face was stamped with
the lines of some bygone sorrow.
The thrushes sang their merriest
songs in the branches, and from
the woods beyond came the clear
call of cuckoo. But neither the
beauty Of the morning nor the
songs of the birds suficed to
rouse John Lyall from his sad
absorption. He passed slowly
down the hill, looking neither to
the right nor the left.
From cornerof the vicarage
garden, where a gap in the
thicket Of laurel and rhododen-
dron gave a glimpse of the road,
agirl stood and watched him as
he passed; a girl with masses of
dusky hair and dark eyes that
wore an expression habitualy
thoughtful even when they lit up
with mirth. She raised her hand
to call the attention of her father,
an elderly and benign looking
man, who stood not far off in the
garden, admiring 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
clergyman I told you of yester-
day. You wouldn't believe me.
Confess now that you were
wrong.
All. yes, my dear, said the
Rev. Mr.. Hawes seriously, | con.
fess at once. Last night heard
all about him. He is staying
with the Lamberts. He is a mis-
sicnary and has been in China.
He looks young, and yet his
hair is white, she said thought
fully.
His is a sad story-a terrible
story, answered her father gent
ly. Mr.. Lambert told it to me
last night. He went out there
four years ago, taking with hin
his young wife. They seem to
have been very much attached
to each other. They were given
charge of a small station in the
interior - somewhere upon the
Yangtse River, l believe. He
was doing good work there. He
had a school and a hospital.
Then disturbances came. Print
ed lies were circulated among the
natives, their passions were ex'
cited, and aud the the fHeeRa rest mandarin
was too far off to render any help.
They burned his school For a
time he defended himself in his
house until that, too, was burned.
He was struck on the head, rem.
dered unconscious and cast
into the river. His life was
saved by a few faithful members
of his flock. He was taken down
the river in a junk and sent home
to Europe to recover.
And his wife? asked the girl,
with parted lips.
That is the saddest part of the
story, answered her father grave
". He was forced to shoot her
with his own hands, to prevent
her from falling into their power,
The beauty of the morning
darkened before the girls eyes,
She stood silent, a shadow Of
pain upon her forehead.
Poor man she said with,asigh,
it must be terrible for him tc
think Of.
Mercifully, he does not think
of it, replied her father. The
blow he received seems to have
affected bis mind. He has nc
memory of it. He does not ever
know that he has been in China.
AT times he even talks of going
there.
Edith HaWes passed into the
house, filed with pity for the
man whose story she had heard,
His face, with its lines Of suffer.
ing haunted her. She was by
nature and by training deeply re.
igious, and in her eyes the mar
who had suffered so much for his
faiths sake became invested with
the halo Of the martyr. She pit.
led him from the bottom of her
heart, and it needed only time and
opportunity that that pity should
ripen into love.
Two days later she met him ct
a garden party at the Lamberts.
Mrs. Lambert introduced them
casually and hustled OFF to attend
to other guests. She stood look.
ing at him with plying interest;
he at her with an arrested atten-
ton that had in its intensity some.