Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-03-13


er were borne to him from the rustic
seat under the giant maple at whis-
pering spring. He mildly wondered at
IL; reflected that the genial day had
probably for once lured the young
man from his studies, and sauntered
back to his easy chair In the sitting
room.
purr of the wonderful May day borne
In through the, open door, his mind
CROPPING back over the distant past a
memory held him In far-fung retro
spection. Minutes long II held him:
until it smoothed the lines on his face
and softened his hard old eyes.
He rose from the chair at last:
paced back and forth across the
floor a time or two; went into the
small west room to his safe. unlocked
1t; with a noticeable effort swung the
heavy door open; fumbled inside and
drew out a large envelope of stout
manila paper: unsealed; fumbled
deeper and brought out small locket
OF gold; closed the safe, without lock.
ing 1t, and went back to his easy chair.
A long time he sat, with his elbow
propped up on the chair-arm. his chin
in his palm; finally with fingers that
trembled, he pressed in the catch of
the locket. II sprang open. There
were two pictures inside-a woman
and man. Nut the face or the wom-
an was not tho face over the mantel
in the sitting room; II was the face
of the woman beneath the draped
nag in the cabin under the crimson
rambler-what II had been IN her girl
hood. And the face of the man In the
iocket was not the outstanding soldier
above the sword and spurs, in the uni
form of colonel Of Mounted Rangers;
1t was the face Of Simon Colin--what
It had been In the days of his young
manhood.
The old man gazed at the beautiful,
highborn face Of the woman In the
locket; again and again laid 1t to. his
grim old lips, held 1t close against his
breast-suddenly with gasp.
snapped the loclxet shut.
A mighty spasm of pain had gripped
his side. He clutched 1t with his
hands; fought for breath. When it
was over and he was able to breathe
again, his lips were blue, and clammy
sweat stood heavy on HIS craggy brow.
Still clutching his side, he opened
the locket. with its secret, trying not
to see the beautiful face lest 1t turn
him from his purpose: took out both
pictures; struck match, set them
alight and watched them burn to
ashes.
As he sat staring, gradually he
seemed to grow aware of the envelope
lying In his lap. He picked 1t up and
| gazed at it absently, as II his mind
still dwelt with the dead ashes Of the
past-the past with Its disappoint-
ments, it's misunderstanding its
tragedy.
In bold hand that wavered slight
Enthusiastically the hand Of an old
mantle big envelope was addressed,
curiously enough, to Jack Warhope,
with the legend--"Not to be opened
until his twenty-frst birthday"
After a moment the old man fun
bled some legal-looking papers out Of
the envelope; read them through with
great care replaced them; sealed the
envelope and put 1t In his pocket. Then
he walked to the safe; dropped the
empty locket behind some papers at
the very back of it; closed the door; ;
ut~ Cd 81 ctxy IN
the porch again.
The shadows Of the fine old trees In
the yard were creeping well eastward.
The preacher, still truant from his
studies, was with Texie at the spring.
Just over the brink of the decline
where the yard dipped to the park
like orchard. he could see them-the
girl on the rustic seat, the tall form
of the young minister lounging against
fork Of the huge maple
The drone of their voices carried up
to the lonesome old man. at loss how
to spend the hours Of his enforced
idleness, and the splintered ruins Of
what had once been a smile for mo-
ment chased the WEAKNESS from his
craggy old battlement Of face. He
dragged chair to sunny spot Of
the porch and sat down.
The girl, hearing the scrape of the
chair, sprang up.
"Fatherl'' she cried. Hes up"
Springing over the gnarled, exposed
roots Of the great maple, she hurried
up the yard, half laughing back over
her shoulder at the preachers mine
ing steps as he followed
She few to the porch, and in mo-
ment her arms were around the weary
gray figure In the chair.
"F'rgive me, father---I didn't know
y'u was up r I'd "a come sooner"
Jaw, that's all right" he drawied.
Cant expect young folks t. waste
Their time on old ones"
mo. mo- Not waste" She smoothed
his hair. I'm so sorry rrgot-your
good day at home, too"
Tho old M poftad hn~ faon srd ro