The Cairo bulletin., 1910-11-29
AQuick Wooing
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association,

employed there. led him 10 q grave
and directed him to take up certain
plants that needed TO Ne housed in
winter. The matter having been at
tended to, the gentleman started to
walk to the gate and thence to so
home.
The day had been dreary, but sud
denly a soft red glow spread over the
city Of the dead The gentleman stop
ped. A short distance down the ave-
nue. on which lie was walking, at a
point where it entered another avenue,
he saw in Il lot inclosed by an iron
fence young woman In deep mourn
ing kneeling beside grave Her face
was lowered so that he could not see
it. at least but part of 1t, and the
hands were clasped In an attitude of
prayer. The picture was tinged by
the heavenly light that came from the
setting sun.
How often and by what singular
incidents are revolutions effected In
us! This man had buried his wife
two years before and had buried with
her, so he thought, his heart. He had
since met women by the dozens who
would have been glad to take the
place she had left vacant. Not one
of them had appealed to him in the
slightest. Perhaps there was that In
all of them which Jared upon his re-
Iations with the dead. They seemed
sns,I1 yyh 10
was bound to one who was not OF the
| world. In the picture before him he
saw a counterpart Of his own condi-
ton. 1t was life, but life reaching
out for another existence-a link OF
sympathy by which he might regain
his hold upon that chain of human af-
| fections which is changing throughout
| our lives.
He went on, but stopped again. this
| time within q short distance OF the
mourner. There, uncovering, he stood.
his head bowed, his hands crossed be-
fore him, his whole attitude bespeak-
ing reverence till the prayer was I'm
| ished and the lady rose from her
knees. Then for the first time she
saw a man standing with head bowed
so low that he was evidently not
aware that she had finished her prayer.
She announced the fact by a slight
cough
Madam" said the gentleman, put
ting on his hat, II am sorry to have
intruded at a moment when it seems
that the world should leave you abso-
lutely alone that you may commune
with one who has gone before you.
Having intruded, could but act as
would were | in temple consecrated
to the communion between the quick
and the dead"
Il am touched, I assure you, with
your reverence and your sensibillty to
our most sacred feelings. You must
be one who has suffered"
Her face. being turned toward him
showed one of those especially femi
nine faces IN which Italian artists fol-
centuries have been striving to portray
the mother of God. And above heI
brow was something which to the OBJ
server teok the place of Madonna's
celestial circlet 1t was a widows
cap.
When November is fading into it
successor, December, the night comes
on apace. The red light in the ives
died and seemed to take with 1t al
that was left Of the day.
Madam" pursued the gentleman
ut is quite walk to the cemetery en-
trance and the twilight Is alread,
gone / beg of you to permit me Il
see you at least to a carriage"
Zone whose delicacy of feeling
have so recently witnessed may se'
me anywhere" replied the lady.
And so this man who had not low
cred the band that he had put on hi
hat for his dead wife two years be
fore by a single inch walked besid'
the lady in her spotless widows cal
for nearly a mile. each too reyerentia
Of the others feelings even to mention
the bereavement that had brough
them to the cemetery. When the.
reached the gate it was quite dark
The gentleman called a carriage, pu
the lady into it and. being invited t
enter, did so and rode to her home.
Here were two people both of whom
were living for the dead because the.
needed something to break the curren
that held them under its control. Wha
no beauty in shining silk could do TO
the man this woman In somber blacl
Eand under n widows cap had done 70
him. What no other man could do TO
this woman this one by q single act
indicating that he knew her feeling
and sympathized with them. did 70
her Nor was it something to groy
between them. 1t was instantaneous
Each had long been needing a brea
from an unnatural brooding, and whe
the break came both graspeA for
eagerly
1t was quite dark when they drew u
before the lady's home. II feel SO In
debted to you" she said, 'that | wis
you to come In, even IL for moment.
He feared he would intrude. He wa
urged and gave way He went int
the house. remained to dinner an
passed the evening. When he left
was midnight, but be departed with
, lighter heart than that with which
had entered.
. Spring came. but the usual vernt