The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-07-04

Week after week the yacht Mermaid re-
NAMED in the oiiing. Day by day the young
people iloated on the smooth summer tide, or
strolled in the garden, or sang at the old
piano songs ringing and full of sweetness.
Perhaps no happier hearts existed under
the sun. Then Godfrey Somers sent for his
yacht, and Gordon must needs obey and
speed North.
"Oh, Gordon you will forget mel' she
cried.
Forget my little oriole3 Neverl Child,
you do not know how love you. Wear this
ring for me, Adelaide"
1t was deep and yellow, and bore in deeply
engraved characters the word always"
And so they parted for a few weeks, be-
tothed lovers.
The summer waned, but Adelaide was so
happy she did not mind when the rose petals
fell and the fruit was gathered.
Aunt Resolve, who watched her con-
stantly nowadays, saw that she was wrapped
in dream of bliss. Her nature of great
sweetness was alive, and her lover and her
love life was all to her. And now, for
Somers's sake--that was plain-she began to
take an interest in the tasks and plans at the
jumpers.
Where does the money come from that
pays the plantation hands for their work,
Aunt Resolvep'
sweet potato patches. | pay them small
wages out of the fruit CROP
"What does that consist OFF,
Strawberries, pears melons, and grapes"
"Where are they sold 7"
81 send them North by the boats"
"What buys our food and dresses ~
"The oyster beds. They are great deal
| of care, | assure yOu."
"For you. You have the care of every
| thing. Let me learn to help you, dear
anntie let me learn to be useful to YOU
And Adelaide grew busy, painstaking, and
| thrifty. She was busting an old cabinet one
day when panel, which always seemed Sc
cure, slipped from its groove into her hand,
| showing a cavity filed with compartments
| behind. In one was n bit of folded yellow
paper. II was not worth disturbing, at first
Adelaide thought. AT last, with reluctant
cnrosity, she drew it forth, hnfolded and
scanned its faded characters, and as she
read, her dark eyes dilated, her cheeks
paled, she caught her breath.
| Aunt Resolve was counting out money on
the library table. Suddenly Adelaide, all
white and trembling, entered the room, the
| paper in her hand, "What have you
| there 2"
Aunt Resolve had grown suddenly CHASTITY
at sight OF the faded scrap. She snatched at
| the girls wrist, and drew the paper toward
her without touching it. She saw only too
| clearly the minute. quaint characters, clear
as print, though the ink was faded. Then
she pushed Adelaide away, and turned aside
her face.
The bewildered girl sat down upon the
footstool at her feet.
"Oh, Aunt, what is tY''
" 1t is nothing" portioning OF the silver
with trembling hand. "The salt marsh
l L.. ant a,
busy"
But the girl chung about her knees.
ooh this is my grandfather's name
| signed to this she cried, "and am home
| less.o
"Tut, tut"
"Am not the last of my race His father
gained it dishonesty" he says, "and when
his descendants shall have dwindled to a
single one, let him or her not dare to marry,
but restore the estate to the rightfnl family,
bestowing it upon the poorest member there
Of" quoted the girl, the words of the paper
stamped on her memory,
Aunt Resolve groaned, and her hands
fell from their task.
Child, child ~ she cried, show In the
world came you to find it ?"
Z" was busting the cabinet. II was be-
hind panel that fell down. did not care
to touch it at first. Now have read it all,
and know what il means-what have ia
do, auntie2" And now the girl stood up.
"Your father gave it to me for safe keep
ing. / never meant You to see it, AIDE
laide."
"That would havs been very wrong,
auntie.''
"No, no, dearie; you must marry and be
happy"
The girl did not speak. She stood look
ing around the familiar room, and her eyes
grew dark with agony. Evidently her re-
solve was taken.
"The dear old place--it seemed apart OF
my very self. II never before was beautiful
and dear as now, when it was to be my home
and his. 1t has seemed lonely and irksome-
it never would any more And must give
it up.'
This was fixed as an ppalterable lazy il
her mind. The conditions being fulfilled
, which decreed 1t to another. the JUMPERS
. must forthwith pass into other hands.
There could be no doubt that Adelaid,
was heart broken. She looked as if som,
terrible illness had settled upon her. Aun
Resolve was utterly shattered by the girl,
state; Int now Adelaide was the stronger o
the two in maintaining settled purpose.
The latter had a guardian whom she saw
annually. She wrote to him acguaintin,
him with the message from the deceased IAN,
briefly relinquishing the property, as sh,
, wished him to take steps to discover the for
nler owners of the Junpers-a process which
Aunt Resolve supposed would not be diff
q cult, though she did not know them.
81 would not have done it, DEAR" sl
said, sick in bed. ~ would have you liv'
, and die upon the old place. ] fear-ah,
fear you will miss everything now-for Capt
Somers has no home, and he will roye fro,,
: and forget you IT is human nature, Thes
long deferred marriages never turn ont well
You know your marriage to him must be DE-
. ierred, don't yon ~
"Yes."
4 The girl uttered the one sad monosyla
u BILE, and said no more.
y And now the time was dying. Capt
u Somers she expected daily, for he said Ii
y would return to her in less than a month
y She finally brought herself TO write to hin
and told him what had happened. He mad
!. no reply.
,, This added pang. Shesaw plainly villa
u it wonld he. He could not provide for ht
g adequately. Such support as he coul
. afford her-and which she would hay
10 gladly accepted, sweet, if shared with him
he would not offer. She must find n hon
~ in Florida, with some of her mothers NJ
~ known relations, and they wonld drift apa
=, finally forever. Aunt Resolve was right.
!, A storm set in. Day by day the rain bel
N about the house, and the signing of the win
70 filed the girls heart with dread,
o. At last there came letter from her qua
J." dian. II ran as follows:
M MY DEAR ADELAiDEi have been unusually fO
tunale Ia finding ile righiin owner OF the juniper
lie WIN make his appearance there Thursday, aft
s. which viii see you ~ an early day
LUTHER MESSENGER,
Ie Not word of sympathy or regret.
er seemed to Adelaide as if all the world la
40 suddenly turned her enemy.
in And still another day the storm held. III
I'd jumpers tossed in the rainy wind, and Il
ht wild air had voices of cruel significance.
" was Adelaide's mind giving way und
ui trouble She had so anticipated such ia
lit reaching result that she already seem'
II. deep in years of suffering.
Alone, on mournful evening, she W
nd suddenly electrified by coarse voice d
handing: