ready for the start that very after- 

 noon into the mountains we were 

 to have no more roofs for a glorious 

 while. 



Being unoccupied, I drifted down 

 the main street and into a little park 

 surrounding the Court House. Sev- 

 eral children and dogs were playing; 

 on the benches were a few loafers 

 and some women from the country 

 with baskets a long line beyond of 

 dusty vehicles with horses hitched 

 testified that it was market day. 

 Selecting a vacant and shaded bench 

 I sat thereon and extracting a tiny 

 volume of verse from the crown of 

 my hat began to read I have no 

 idea how long. 



" Fair lilies, roses red, 



That once above my head 

 Waved in a wealth of soft caressing splen- 

 dour " 



"Miss, did you ever see a dead 

 man?" Shot into my ear like an 

 arrow. Someone had whispered it 

 sibilantly. My slow astonished gaze, 

 thus torn from the contemplation of 

 youth, love and beauty, saw beside 

 me a small woman in shabby black, 



