The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-30

these thirty years, and We never getting
on together anything to speak of p
But 1t vas only Reuben himself, fol-
lowed by his wife.
After this Della might have been free
TO go back to her old home AMI Paul !:
unIy he did not need her any longer.
de had found another sweetheart, she
kept repeating to herself, hugeing her
gr1efs closer day by day, till It seemed
to her as if, all at once, she had become
something superhuous on the face of
the earth. In the meantime, hints of
the wedding preparations reached High
gate caily. One could almost catch
the odor of brides cake and the rustic
of wedding garments.
g It's we'll for him." Aunt Hitty was
fond of assuring her-''it's well for him
that he give over waiting for an old
love IN dead mems shoes, seeing that
Reubing has come to fill them hisself.
However, could you hev afforded veil,
Della, and all the fxings %
1t was June, and the world was ct itg
bravest, with blossomiDg and bird song.
Della, with the heart of twenty still
huttertng and aching under her old
WOmanish gray bodice, allowed her
self to remember the red roses that
nodded in at the windows of the Sleep
lng-room at Carruthers Farm, and made
the June air as sweet as love itself al
lowed herself to recall youth and sll its
lost possibilities, to yearn wildly for
the sight of her one lover, before ne
should belong to another-just for one
glimpse of the comely, sunburned face
that had been her lode-star.
Chance threw fuifilment In her way.
Amt Hitfu EsaH board r,f ha 10.
tor over at Hampton. whose touch was
healing. Somebody must fetch him.
Della volunteered, and took the after
noon stage, that set her down at the
crossroads leading into the village. No
body remarked the dusty little body, in
her old poke bonnet, pausing TO look
with misty eyes over the low stone wall
at the smart new church and the moss
grown graveyard at 81 the children Just
let loose from school" playing sc catch"
on the green, although the clouds were
gathering for a shower, and careful
housewives were closing their scuttle
windows and hurrying the weeks wash
on the lines. Delia's thoughts were not
in the clouds; she did not even observe
that the sun had gone behind them.
She walked on toward the Carruthers
Farm, thinking to reach it by dusk,
to linger near till the lamps were
lighted and to steal the one thing
she ccveted-the sight of her low
er's face. AS she walked. the wind be-
gan to freshen, the darkness to deepen;
the rain fell fast and blinded her. She
stepped beneath an elm-tree for shelter,
just under the outermost bough of a
widespreading tree, like a tower of
leaves, with birds twittering among its
branches. She stood there, looking
out at the storm in all its angry msgni6-
cence, when suddenly the thunder
seemed to shake the planet assunder,
only Della did not see the blue bolt
that split the elm tree in all it's green
strength and left it blackened ruin.
Somebody, looking out of the window
of the farmhouse near, saw it and shud
dered.
"Sorry luck, Tom," said he. "The
lightning has blasted my elm tree r
THE duce |" cried Tom, going to the
door to look out. 1t might have
struck nearer with more harm. There's !
plenty of elms in the world.
/" But no elm like that one, Tom.
That trees been like friend to me. I |
stuck it into the ground when 1t WIS
nothing but feeble twig, when I was
angry with Della for going to Aunt Hit |
ty; and when it began to grow felt as |
If a miracle had been performed, Tom |
-as if it meant to tell me, in every !
green leaf and shoot. that Della loved |
me, in spite of all. I'd sooner the |
had hit anywhere instead"
If you'd been bred a sailor" said |
Tom, smiling at his brothers sentiment, |
E" You'd have forgotten Della in q dozen |
sweethearts before this. Halloa !" as |
another flash corruscated across the |
- al L, Ill
under your elm, Paul, as I'm sinner. |
There's a heap on the ground yonder |
that looks nightly like q woman |
Come, I'm bound on a voyage of dis !
covery :" and he rushed toward the 4
spot, followed by the doubling Paul.
To be sure, they found Della pros |
trate and brought her in called up the |
serving woman and the nearest neigh |
bors, and fetched the doctor that Aunt |
Hitty had sent for. And when Della |
opened her eyes, after long persuasion,
having been only stunned, she saw the
old familiar room, the chintz-covered |
lounge, with its wilderness of palms |
and peacocks, and, dearer yet, the fond
anxious eyes of Paul watching beside
her.
" You know that Aunt Hitty needs
me-" she murmured, taking up tue
thread of fifteen years ago. "And the
twins are getting old enough-to help |
your mother ;-and-oh but You |
are going to be married, Paul?" coming |
back from the past, in confusion of
tongues.
''Yes, Della, we can't afford to wait
much longer, you and L >" He assured
her, later. "We1l have n double we'd |
ding, if you don't mind; for maybe
you've heard that Tom came home to
marry Squire Thorne's daughter, and
the cake is all baked and the wedding
garments ready. But as for me, Della,
ye1 see the folks have so set their
hearts ON my being an old bachelor,
hereabouts, that, if it hadn't been for
the elm tree and the lightning, sweet
heart, doubt if I'd had the face to
disappoint them"