Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-11-19
For some weeks after this Mary Morrison

went into society and appeared as eav as usuai'
But then her cheek paled, her spirits dropped.
and there followed long spell of sickness, from
Ibe enect OF which she apparently did not re-
cover during the winter. And though the fol-
lowing summer found her restored To health
her Old gay spirit had LETT her. The bright
thsughtless girl had in less than wear IN lture,l
into the quiet. thoughtful woman. MANY al
mlred the change, and suitors were not wanting
20 attest me power OF her attractions; yet sh'
gave them no announcement. cannot low,
any man well enough to become his wife =" she
said, "and will not marry without love-"
SO years passed by-two, five, ten years,
mary Morrison was new a tall, elegant, dig
mied woman of twenty-seven-verging upon
OLD maidenhood the young girls said, though
the older people insisted that she was "hand-
somer than ever" and they were right.
In this time Hugh Shirley had often been
heard from. He was prospering-becoming
wealthy and intiuential-but was still unmar-
ried. And when ten years had passed since he
had left Riverside, he wrote 10 his friends there
that business would soon require his presence in
New York, and that he would visit them before
returning 10 California.
Mary Morrison knew when he came, and 10
was noticed that she stayed away from church
the next Sunday. Yet avoid him as she would,
they could not help meeting. Very quiet was
the interview-very cold, even, those present
thought IT, A few polite inquiries, a few com
monplace remarks, and . perfectly composed
demeanor on both sides-this was all. 1t was
plain 10 be seen that each other WAS perfectly
indifferent to the other.
Several times again they met, with even less
Interchange of remark than on the first inter-
view. Some people thought that there must
even exist feeling of dislike between them.
One evening when il would have been twi-
light but for the full moon, Mary Morrison
stood resting upon the little gate OF her front
garden, enjoying the,beauty of the hour and the
sweet breath of the flowers around her. The
house stood at the end of the village street Just
where II commenced to be a pretty, shady,
country road, and few passengers passed here
at this hour.
Suddenly, as she leaned pensively on the gate
the sound of an approaching step caused her to
start. The thick laurel hedge concealed the
person, but she knew by some rare instinct that
the step was that Of Hugh Shirley; and the next
moment he stood before her.
On seeing her he lifted his hat and seemed in
clined to pass on, as Mary hoped he would; but
this under the circumstances would have seemed
almost rude-so he hesitated, and finally stop
ped, with commonplace remark upon the
beauty of the evening. He looked very hand
some as he stood there-a tall, dark man,
bearded and moustached, with his broad brow
barred TO the evening breeze. So Mary thought.
What other thoughts she had, or what were his
thoughts OF her we cannot tell, bat after a while
still fingered.
He made an effort to break the constraint.
The laurel is still your favorite perceive -
he observed, glancing at the shrubs whose glossy
green leaves and pure white blossoms cleaned
brightly in the moonlight.
this allusiOn brought back the recollection of
that evening, ten years ago, when she had last
seen him; and OF the gift Of the laurel blossom;
the cold, cruel parting.
"AndI," he answered, "of all the flowers and
trees on earth most dislike the laurel.n
She made no answer, but lifted her eyes a. IL
expecting 20 give reason.
Because" he continued, in . lower voice,
because i cannot forget how the fortune OF nv
whole who ELI lie once depended upon laurel blossom
There was the just the faintest tince OF bitter
ness in his tone; yet he looked down with calm
cold ewes into her own as he spoke.
" How was ito" she asked.
even I. 50 entirely passed away from your me
mory?"
"ffit /. TO ,hi. to which YOU allude., said
AaIy; slightly cOlorins In the moonlight, and
giving me laurel blossom on the evening when
last saw you-at the picnic"
"fes-a laurel blossom. SO slight thing to
be the arbiter OF mans fate. A laurel bios
som which you refused 20 wear"
Il did not refuse. Ill did not know tha,
you wished me TO wear it," she replied, in en-
"a But the p Iper-the note?'
What note-what paper?"
His eyes grew suddenly larger and brighter a,
he looked down into hers in the dark ness.
Mary, he said, quickly and hoarsely, ''there
was a note concealed within that flower. Did
Yen not know it? requested you 30 look
She stood breathless and very pale. Slowly
OF a great calamity great mistake which had
hung like cloud over their two lives.
a" i did not know it, she murmured-falter-
ingly.
"oh, Mary" What bitter pain. what an
eager trembling joy was there in those two
spoken words.
:" Come with me, she said. And he followed
her into the house.
She unlocked little rosewood cabinet which
stood in the parlor, and opened a small drawer
within. From this she took little box, con-
tanning some tissue paper, which she unfolded,
there lay the blackened and dried leaves Of a
laurel blossom.
- This Is what you gave me- she said al
put it away, as you see it, on that night, and
have never since touched it,"
"LoOk Within he said.
She tremblingly parted the withered. petals
Yes, there was something within-a narrow sir
ofipaper, closely folded, stained aud old, vet or
which che could still trace the words written ter
years before.
"oh.r she cried, passonately, ''if had but
known this"
Would you have worn the flower, Mayo he
asked, as anIiously as though his fate still de
pended upon il.
She only bowed her face upon her hands; but
he could see the flush upon her forehead and
temples.
He took one of the hands and gently reno we'd
il.
"Look at me, Mary-look up and answer me ,
She raised her ewes, Ilustrous with tears
so beautiful as now.
"We have suffered for ten years through z
mistake-a; misunderstanding. Is it too late Il
make the rest of our lives happy?'
We need not record her answer.-N. 2 Suada,