Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-16

coverlet of twenty-five years his youth
cropping.
large gray limousine rolled slowly
TO the small parks edge. The door
opened: a young woman stepped our
aud spoke to The chauffeur. The cir
moved across the street. leaving its
former passenger standing upon the
sidewalk
Perhaps it was the spring. Perhaps
il was the thing within him that was
waking. Perhaps ii was the effect OF
not having Il drink for t"o days. 1he
twenty-five years slipped into the Toid
of time. Again il was spring. t!nEllnG.
wondrous. Upon his arm WAS the
touch OF gentle fingers. To his nostrils
came the faint perfume OF violets- she
had worn them at her waist, a great
bunch OF them that he had brought her.
Ahead of them romped a dainty. fair
haired wisp of fairy hood. Now she
tugged at her fathers coat now she
hid hersel. behind her mothers skirts.
The broad asphalted street. with its
ceaseless procession of life. faded to n
country lane. meadow lined. sweet with
the breath of flowers, winding brown
and golden into untold Kingdoms OF
unknown bliss.
Then. without warning. stunninelE
through the country quiet came the
deep cry of the city, troubled. haunt
ing. real. 1t was another spring.
Anguish tore him. Something had
hapoened something that in his stun
ned brain would not take definite form.
True il was spring. Through the
windows came the unmistakable feel
of it,
Some one was speaking They said
the child The child that she had
loved What could he do for little
girl alone: How light she was, how
frail. how daintily ethereal!
But think of the advantages. The
world was open to her. Would he close
the door?
See her? All. but that was the con-
dition After her the door would close.
1t was all very dark. His brain WAS
hopelessly logged He could not bring
himself to realize. She-she would
know. But she was gone. They told
hinl-gone.
What was the use after all? 1t was
the only thing to do. He would be
worse than fool to refuse He would
be a criminal That was what they all
told him. They were right. Il was
the only thing to do. And then
1t had lasted twenty-five years.
The young person who had landed
from the gray Limousine upon the
shelving beach Of the i small IL ARK ARE
upon the park bench. The thing raised
its head and its bleared eyes looked
into her own clear ones. me thihk
rose with strange cry and peered
for horrid moment into her face
though in ii he had found all the hid
den things that life had denied nm:
She shrank away with shudder ana
hurried from the place. She Was stlll
upset from the nervous shock when she
re-entered the car across the street.
He sank upon the bench. His head
had fallen forward Oh his breast. He
was "A crumpled heap of dirt and rags
Presently the officer on the beat came
by and tapped him on the back. There
being no response. he repeated the
challenge. stopped and raised the ftiz-
zled old head. Then he walked across
the street to telephone and called
the morsue.
At home the young person related
her adventure to the elderly LADY
whom she called mother. The young
person had now entirely recovered
from her shock.
The stranGcst part, she concluded.
was that he called my name. How
could he have known my name MAS
Alice"
The other patted her cheek affections
ateiN.
HE didn't know, of course. dear.
she said lit was only Il coincidence
But | hope the experience VIII he
lesson to YOU. OF course, it is sweet
of YOU to be interested in the uii-
fortunate. but you really must leave
that kind of people alone"
tTHE ENID