The Tupelo journal., 1911-04-07
|AQuiick " Wooing
By r. a. MITctEL
Copyright, 1910. BY American Press
Association.

tary, called 70 one OF the WOfkmen
employed there. led him to a grave
and directed him to take up certain
plants that needed to te housed in
winter. The matter having been at
tended to, the gentleman started to
walk to the gate and thence to go
home.
The day had been dreary, but sud.
denly soft red glow spread over the
city of the dead. The gentleman stop
ped. A short distance down the ave-
nue. on which he was walking. at
point where 1t entered another aveaue.
he saw In lot inclosed by an jrou
fence young woman In deep mosrn-
ing kneeling beside grave. Her face
was lowered SO that he could not see
It, at least but a part of 1t. and the,
hands were clasped in an attitude Ut
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
N! This man had buried his wife
two years before and had buried with
her. SO he thought, his heart. He had
xince 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
aiightest. Perhaps there was that In
al Of them which Jared upon his re-
tations with the dead. They seemed
10 him to be Of the world, while he
vas bound to one who was not of the
world. In the picture before him he
law counterpart Of his own condi-
lion. It was life. but life reaching
uut for another existence-a link OF
sympathy by which he might regain
bis hold upon that chain Of human at
tections which is changing throughout
;ur lives.
He went on, but stopped again, this
time within a short distance of the
.nourner. There uncovering, he stood.
bis head bowed. his hands crossed be-
fore him, his whole attitude hespeak.
ing reverence till the prayer was fin.
shed and the lady rose from her
knees. Then for the first time she
saw man standing with head bowed
81 low that he was evidently not
sware that she had finished her prayer.
She announced the fact by slight
.ough.
MADAM" said the gentleman. put
lsng on his hat. II am sorry to have
sntruded at moment when it seems
that the world should leave you abso.
utely alone that you may commune
with one who han gone before you
Having intruded. | could but act as |
would were In a temple consecrated
10 the communion between the quick
and the dead"
Il AIN touched. assure vou. With
your reverence and your sensjbillty to-
our most sacred feelings You must
9e one who has sufferej
Her face. beina tufne0 f0syArd him.
xhowed one Of th0ae <ll3 lfy feni-
Aine faces in which Ifaflan artists for
centuries have been striving 10 portray
the mother of God And above he;
brow was something which TO the OBJ
server took the place of d Madonna's
celestial circlet. II was a widows
cap.
When November is fading into its
successor. December, the night comes
on apace. The red light In the west
died and seemed to take with it all
that was left Of the day.
"Madam." pursued the gentleman.
ut is quite a walk to the cemetery en-.
trance. and the twilight is already
gone. beg of you TO permit me to
see you at least to carriage"
Zone whose delicacy of feeling I
have so recently witnessed may see
me anywhere replied the lady.
And so this man who had not low
cred the band that he had put on his
hat for his dead wife two years be-
fore by a single inch walked beside
the lady in her spotless widows cap
for nearly mile. each too reyerential
of the others feelings even to mention
the bereavement that had brought
them to the cemetery. When they
reached the gate it was quite dark.
The gentleman called carriage, put
the lady into it and. being invited to
enter, did so and rode to her home
Here were two people both of whom
were living for the dead because they
needed something to break the current
that held them under its CONTROL .sSNhat
no beauty in shining silk could do fox
the man this woman In somber black
and under a widows cap had done 70,
him. What no other man could do for
this woman this one by single act.
Indicating that he knew her feelings
and sympathized with them. did for
her Nor was it something to grow
between them. 1t was instantaneous
Each had long been needing a break
from an unnatural brooding. and wher
the break came both gFasped for i
eagerly.
1t was quite dark when they drew uT
before the lady's home. Il feel SO Il.
debted to you." she said, that wiss
you to come in, even II for moment
ne feared he would intrude. He was
urged and gave way. Es went inty
the house. remained to dinner anG
passed the evening. When be left it
was midnight, but he departed with 4
lighter heart than that with which he
had entered.
Spring came. but the usual vernal
planting that these two had remem-
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