The Remembrance of Lilacs

The family had just moved to Rhode Island, and the young woman was feeling a little melancholy on that Sunday in May. After all, it was Mother's Day -- and 800 miles separated her from her parents in Ohio.(maple story mesos)

She had called her mother that morning to wish her a happy Mother's Day, and her mother had mentioned how colorful the yard was now that spring had arrived. As they talked, the younger woman could almost smell the tantalizing aroma of purple lilacs hanging on the big bush outside her parents'back door.

　Later, when she mentioned to her husband how she missed those lilacs, he popped up from his chair. "I know where we can find you all you want, "he said. "Get the kids and c'mon. "

So off they went, driving the country roads of northern Rhode Island on the kind of day only mid－May can produce：sparkling sunshine, unclouded azure skies and vibrant newness of the green growing all around. They went past small villages and burgeoning housing developments, past abandoned apple orchards, back to where trees and brush have devoured old homesteads. wow gold
 
Where they stopped, dense thickets of cedars and ju nipers and birch crowded the roadway on both sides. There wasn't a lilac bush in sight.

 "Come with me , "the man said. "Over that hill is an old cellar hole, from somebody's farm of years ago, and there are lilacs all round it. The man who owns this land said I could poke around here anytime. I'm sure he won't mind if we pick a few lilacs. "

Before they got halfway up the hill, the fragrance of the lilacs drifted down to them, and the kids started running. Soon, the mother began running, too, until she reached the top. world of warcraft power leveling

  There, far from view of passing motorists and hidden from encroaching civilization, were the towering lilacs bushes, so laden with the huge, cone-shaped flower clusters that they almost bent double. With a smile, the young woman rushed up to the nearest bush and buried her face in the flowers, drinking in the fragrance and the memories it recalled.
While the man examined the cellar hole and tried to explain to the children what the house must have looked like, the woman drifted among the lilacs. Carefully, she chose a sprig here, another one there, and clipped them with her husband's pocket knife. She was in no hurry, relishing each blossom as a rare and delicate treasure.

 Finally, though, they returned to their car for the trip home. While the kids chattered and the man drove, the woman sat smiling, surrounded by her flowers, a faraway look in her eyes.

When they were within three miles of home, she suddenly shouted to her husband, "Stop the car. Stop right here!"

The man slammed on the brakes. Before he could ask her why she wanted to stop, the woman was out of the car and hurrying up a nearby grassy slope with the lilacs still in her arms. At the top of the hill was a nursing home and, because it was such a beautiful spring day, the patients were outdoors strolling with relatives or sitting on the porch.  world of warcraft gold

The young woman went to the end of the porch, where an elderly patient was sitting in her wheelchair, alone, head bowed, her back to most of the others. Across the porch railing went the flowers, in to the lap of the old woman. She lifted her head, and smiled. For a few moments, the two women chatted, both aglow with happiness, and then the young woman turned and ran back to her family. As the car pulled away, the woman in　the wheelchair waved, and clutched the lilacs.

　"Mom, "the kids asked, "who was that？Why did you give her our flowers？Is she somebody's mother？"The mother said she didn't know the old woman. But it was Mother's Day, and she seemed so alone, and who wouldn't be cheered by flowers？"Besides, "she added, "I have all of you, and I still have my mother, even if she is far away. That woman needed those flowers more than I did. "
 This satisfied the kids, but not the husband. The next day he purchased half a dozen young lilacs bushes and planted them around their yard, and several times since then he has added more.  aion gold
 
I was that man. The young mother was, and is, my wife. Now, every May, our own yard is redolent with lilacs. Every Mother's Day our kids gather purple bouquets. And every year I remember that smile on a lonely old woman's face, and the kindness that put the smile there.

The Letter

The following day was dull and foggy.The Hall was sur rounded by heavy,low clouds,which opened now and then to show the grim,cold moor and its wet,grey rocks.The weather made us miserable.It was difficult to be cheerful when we felt danger all around us.I thougth of Sir Charles'death,and the awful sound of the hound,which I had now heard twice.Holmes did not believe that there was a supernatural hound.But facts are facts,and I had heard a hound.Was there a huge hound living on the moor?If so,where could it hide?Where did it get its food?Why was it never seen by day? It was almost as difficult to accept a natural explanation as a su pernatural explanation. (maple story mesos)

That morning Sir Henry and Barrymore argued about Selden,the escaped prisoner.Barrymore said that it was wrong to try to catch Selden.

'But the man is dangerous,'said Sir Henry.'He'll do any thing.Nobody is safe until he is in prison again.We must tell the police.'

'I promise he won't break into any house,'said Barrymore,'and he won't cause any trouble.In a few days he will catch a boat for South America.Please don't tell the police about him.If you tell the police,my wife and I will be in serious trouble.'

'What do you say,Watson?' asked Sir Henry,turning to me.

'I don't think he will break into houses,or cause trouble.If he did,the police would know where to look for him and would catch him.He's not a stupid man.'

'I hope you're right,'said Sir Henry.'I'm sure we're breaking the law.But I don't want to get Barrymore and his wife into trouble,so I shall not tell the police.I shall leave Selden in peace.'

Barrymore could not find the words to thank Sir Henry enough.Then he said:'You have been so kind to us that I want to do something for you in return.I have never told any one else.I know something more about poor Sir Charles'death.'

Sir Henry and I jumped up at once.  wow gold

'Do you know how he died?'Sir Henry asked.

'No,sir,I don't know that,but I know why he was waiting at the gate He was going to meet a woman.'

'Sir Charles was meeting a woman?Who was the woman?'

'I don't know her name,'Barrymore said,'but it begins with L.L.'

'How do you know this,Barrymore?'I asked.

'Well,Sir Charles got a letter on the morning of the day he died.It was from Newtown,and the address was in a woman's writing.I forgot all about it,but some time after Sir Charles died my wife was cleaning the fireplace in his study.She found a letter.Most of it was burned,but the bottom of one page was not burned.On it was written:“Please,please,burn this letter,and be at the gate by ten o'clock.L.L.”The paper fell into pieces as my wife went to move it.We don't know who L.L.is,but if you could find out,you might learn more about Sir Charles'death.We haven't told anyone else.We felt it would not be good for poor,kind Sir Charles.But we thought we ought to tell you,Sir Henry.'

The Barrymores left us and Sir Henry turned to me.'If we can find L.L.,the mystery may be at an end,'he said.'What do you think we should do,Watson?' world of warcraft power leveling

'I must write to Holmes at once,'I said,and I went straight to my room and wrote a letter to Holmes,which gave him all the details of Barrymore's story.

On the following day heavy rain fell without stopping.I put on my coat and went for a long walk on the moor.I thought of Selden out on the cold moor in this weather.And I thought of the other man,the mysterious watcher.

As I walked,Dr Mortimer drove past me.He stopped and said he would take me back to the Hall.

'I expect you know almost everybody living near here,'I said.'Do you know a woman whose names begin with the let ters L.L.?'

Dr Mortimer thought for a minute,and then he said:'Yes,Mrs Laura Lyons.She lives in Newtown.'

'Who is she?'I asked. 

'She's Mr Frankland's daughter.'

'What,old Frankland who has the large telescope?'

'Yes,'said Dr Mortimer.'Laura married a painter called Lyons who came to paint pictures of the moor.But he was cruel to her,and after a while he left her.Her father will not speak to her,because she married against his wishes.So her husband and her father have made her life very unhappy.'

'How does she live?'I asked. world of warcraft gold

'Several people who knew her sad story have helped her.Stapleton and Sir Charles gave her some money.I gave a little myself.She used the money to start a typewriting business.'

Dr Mortimer wanted to know why I was asking about Mrs Lyons.However,I preferred to keep the reason secret,and we talked about other things for the rest of the journey.

Only one other thing of interest happened that day.In the evening after dinner I had a few words with Barrymore alone.I asked him whether Selden had left the country.

'I don't know,sir,'Barrymore replied.'I hope he has gone.But I've not heard anything of him since I last left food and some clothes for him,and that was three days ago.'

'Did you see him then?'

'No,sir,but the food and clothes were gone when I next went that way,'Barrymore told me.

'Then Selden was certainly there?'I asked.

'I think so,sir,unless the other man took everything.'

I sat very still and looked hard at Barrymore.'You know there is another man,then?Have you seen him?'

'No,sir,but Selden told me about him a week or more ago.He is hiding from someone,too,but he is not an escaped prisoner.I don't like it,sir.Something evil is going to happen,I'm sure.Sir Henry would be much safer in London.'

'Did Selden tell you anything more about the other man?'I asked.

'He looked like a gentleman.He was living in one of the old stone huts on the moor.A boy works for him and brings him all the food and things he needs.That's all Selden told me.' world of warcraft power leveling

I thanked him,and he left me.I went to the window and looked out at the rain and the clouds.It was a wild night.I knew the huts Barrymore had spoken about.There were many of them on the moor.They had been built many hundreds of years ago by the people who lived on the moor.They would not keep a man warm and dry in bad weather.Selden could not choose to live anywhere else,but why did the other man live in such conditions?

I sat and thought what I should do next.I decided I must try to find the man who had been watching us.Was he the en emy who had been following us since the very beginning in London? If he was,and I could catch him,perhaps our diffi culties would be at an end.

I also decided to hunt the man on my own.Sir Henry was still shaken by the terrible cry we had heard on the moor.I did not want to add to his troubles or to lead him into more danger.