The herald., 1918-06-20
GROWING GLORY
BY MILDRED WHITE.
Copyright, 1918. western NewspapeF Union

passed her by, leaving so few or It's
pleasures. For surely this silvery
shimmering crown upon her head was
proof that youth had gone, and she
must no longer deceive herself with
rs possible coming joys"
Thoughtfully she unloosed the heavy
rolls Of hair. letting 1t fall in a wavy
mass about her shoulders, almost, IL
seemed TO have turned white in q
hight. a few silvery strands which
appeared from time to time had not
seemed TO matter. but nOw-Con-
stances dark eyes were brOoding and
pathos curved her red lips. Always
she had been attendant upon a pa
ient invalid in a wheel chair. And
while girl companions enjoyed them
selves here or there, Constance
solaced herself with the thought that
faithful service was the least she
could give, in gratitude for the care
her aunt had bestowed upon her own
orphaned childhood. Now Aunt Della
was gone, and after a long sOjourn in
the outer world, from which she had
been withheld, Constance returned
again, with q grateful sense Of home
coming 10 the empty house on the hill.
Constance had arisen early upon
this first Sunday Of her homecoming,
and had gone alone to answer the call
Of the bell swaying high in the old
church steeple. Very conscious was
she of the silent nudges and whisper
lngs In her direction.
do you see Constance Gail?- she
could fancy her old neighbors saying;
her hair has turned white"
Resentfully she glanced at the COM
/ panions of her girlhoOd, with their
brown or black locks unchanged: yes.
/ youth had been unkind in leaving her
so soon. Thus, as she sat before her
/ mirror, into the eyes that still were
young, came a sudden retrospective
smile. After all, there had been a few
hours OF enchantment, OF light-hearted
/ responsibility, and though these oc-
/ casions stood out with startling dis
/ tinctness, perhaps the one best re-
membered was that Of the olden-time
party at Stauntons. She had gone
dressed as Colonial maiden, while a
friend had stayed with her aunt for
/ company, and perhaps the memory of
this evening was especially pleasure
bic because Of the daring, mysterious
/ cavalier who had claimed her undivid-
ed attention.
! Seated now before her mirror. the
face Of Constance flushed between It's
curtain Of silvery hair; the man had
kissed her goodnight, and she had
never forgotten the kiss.
Why should she recall the episode
now. awakened TO the fact Of a youth
past and gomez With careless grace
she pinned up the masses Of her hair
and moved toward the door, It was
the twilight bell which called to wor-
ship. Hatless, through the summer
night, Constance followed on down the
lane. Back in the old family pew. a
sensation Of being steadily observed
caused her TO raise her eyes to the gal
lery; and there. looking down upon
her, as though in glad recognition, was
the very same daring face
Older, Of course, was this man In
the gallery. with q certain grave dis
tinction, but there could be no mis-
taking the fine. frank face or the deep
eyes with their humorous twinkle.
Hardly had she stepped out again into
the night, when he was at her side.
II claim remembrance" the man said
quickly. from the long ago. You may
have forgotten a certain bold young
guest Of the Stauntons, who attended
their olden-time party, but I have new.
er forgotten my charming companion,
whose name had not even known.
You must pardon me for assisting your
recollection: we met during the eve
ming Of the party upon the veranda,
and in spirit of youthful adventure,
preferred to spend the evening with
out learning each others identity. At
midnight. like Cinderella Of the ball.
you disappeared, and" he laughed
shortly, Il saw you no more"
Constance, gazing into the mans
eyes, smiled. 81 remember 1t an" she
said: but you are mistaken as to the
last. Several times upon the street
sfterward I passed you without rec.
ignition. That was the humiliating
ending Of my adventure"
"Impossible!" the man declared.
"Why. I walked the village streets,
searching in vain for a golden-haired
maid. From the fair texture of your
skin, 1 fancied your hair must be gold
en-. The night Of the dance, you may
recall. 1t was powdered white. glorious
ly white, like some olden-time picture.
Beneath It your eyes, with their dark
brows and lashes, were beautiful"
The man was walking along now at
her side, seeming almost to forget the
fact Of her real presence, in the de-
light Of her past fancied one
Through the years that are gone he
went on, Il have kept upon my dress
Ing table. the picture Of a white-haired,
red-lipped colonial maid. and Just be-
cause she reminded me Of you"
Constance stood still in the center
OF the path $50 that Is why II all
came back to you tonight" she said
slowly, because of my white hair"
Her voice broke TREMENDOUSLY. 'Tt
l.