Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-03


face. "Will you?" he said. "Will
you, Rose?"
He had never once called her by
her new namc-he could not-and
the old name came so tioughtlessly.
81 beg your pardon" he said grave
ly. Without reply she rose and laid
her hand on his arm.
That waltz-could he ever forget
it?-with that golden-crowned head
almost resting on his shoulder-with
that beautiful face so close to his
own. For this brief space she was
his. At last it came to him suddenly
and sharply that not one particle Of
the old love had died out, in spite Of
all his struggles, and the mantle OF
cynicism in which he had striven to
envelope his better self; that Roger
Colchester's wife as was she was
dearer to him than any other woman
ever was or ever could be.
"You are tired" he said, sharply,
seeing the sudden pallor of her face,
as she looked up, wondering at his
long silence.
"Why did you not tell me?"
"It is so beautiful" she said, al
most in a whisper" and so sd. Is
it not heart-breaking!" There were
tears in her great dark eyes as she
turned her head away; but Philip,
looking down at her, answered not a
word.
GLOW white you are, Rose!" ex-
claimed Emmie, as they came back
TO her. You should not have danced
so long" "Why did you let hcr?"
a little sharply, looking up at Philip.
But Rose answered quietly that it
was nothing, she was only q little
tired, and had not waltzed for so long
so very long. She glanced at
Philip; and he, meeting her eyes,
thought of their last waltz together
in the old days.
"The music is over for tonight"
said Emmie, gathering her light cloak
about her. Early hours seem to be
the rule at the Kearsarge, for the
piazza is deserted. 1t is lovely out
there in the moonlight. Come!"
And slipping her hand through
Roger Colchester's she led the way.
"We are going to walk down to the
Pagoda," she proclaimed after few
minutes, looking back over her
shoulder. Gone wouldn't think it a
prosaic depot by moonlight. You
don't mind our leaving you for
short time, Rose, as you are too tired
to go, do you? Well be back direct
ly. The next moment Rose and
Philip were left alone together fol
the first time.
There was moment of embarrasS-
ing silence as the two disappeared
down the wide plank walk; aud then
Philip began to talk rapidly concern
ing the scenery, and especially old
kearsarge as appearing by moon
light, the cloud effects of the pre-
vious day, etc, until he saw the SHIN
merlng CLEAN of Emmie's dress in
the distance and knew that she was
returning. Then he turned to the
woman beside him, with q sudden
and entire change of manner.
GAS you and ! 90 our different
ways tomorrow" he said, l will bid
you good-by tonight; but before go
must say one thing which, perhaps,
| ought not to say now, but which l
! ought to have said long ago. If, in
the old days I was domineerlng and
exacting-as l was-l most sincerely
beg your pardon. We did not part
fiiends-lct us now-and I wish you
every happiness, Mrs. Colchester.
She was standing beside him, a
fleecy shawl yelling her head and
shoulders, her face turned away from
him, her dark eyes looking up at the
far away crown of Kcarsarge; but as
he spoke the last word she turned
quickly, a vivid flush sweeping across
her face, and looking up at him with
a great wonderment In her wide eyes
81 was in fault, too" she said, after
q little pause, her voice trembling
strangely. "I have regretted it bit
terly sinee--more than you can know
and I,-Philip!-how could you
think it? | am not Mrs. Colchester.
l thought you knew-it Is Emmle.
Very soon after Emmie, returning
with her husband, found Rose with
her head pillowed on Philip Van
Dorne's broad shoulder, Philips
strong arm around her, her beautiful
face, no longer pale but suspiciously
rosy, looking up to him, which tod
of happiness and peace at last.
"It is all very well to go seeking
ones fortune i'll foreign lands, Rose"
said Philip to his wife few months
afterward; "bul | don't believe in it.
I found my fortune (after a long
search, though, | must confess) near
er home"
Wherc?" asked Rose, looking up
at him, with n mischlevous light i'll
her great dark eyes.
"Under the shadow of Kearsargc,
lovc-at North Conway--and at the
moment when | believed that | was
bidding an eternal good-by to an
other mans wife, / found my own.