Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-05-27
THE SECRET.

it burns, like money in my pocket
It's an unnatural thing, anyway One
wants sympathy; if it's gloomy secret,
somebody to be gloomy with; and if it's
glad one, somebody to be glad with;
somebody to talk it over with, to make
much or little of it with, to conjecture
concerning it. its beginning and its end
to dwell upon it and gloat over it; how
in the world is one going to enjoy any
thing all by ones self If I'm eating
peach, want somebody to have part of
it, to know how luscious il is; and ]
wouldn't give sixpence for coach and
four unless there were somebody by to
see me riding. So say to myself, what's
the use of knowing it if you're net to
speak or look, OF wink, if you're to be
no wiser tlian other people, and let no.
body see that you are? And as for me,
/ am Always blush.ng. and my tonguei is
tripping. and I'm sure to be on the
point of betraying the whole thing by
something | say ,and clapping my hand
on my mouth like silly child.
Still, although it's nervous and anx-
ious work, | can keep a secret if / try,
or else when he-I mean she-at least |
mean shouldn't have been trusted with
it if couldn't. Some people are SO i'm
portant with a secret, and go about as
if they knew enough to hang the rest of
theworld. But never am only long
to tell it; and | do SO want to tell you
this one. But there-I promised /
wouldn't breathe it, and a promise is a
promise, you know.
/ suppose / wouldn't care half so
much to tell if it were only common
place affair, if there were no romance
about it all. But there is. Some people
are so fond of romance-our Romano
is; and | don't believe that ANYTHING
could have pleased her half SO much
that happened in the regular, expected
way. Our Romaine always was so full
OF tancies and ideals, and when there's
anything romantic going, it always falls
to her lot Don't you think she's a
beautyp l do; so tail, so beautifully
made, so gracious, such hair-such soft
fragrant hair-such eyes like Jewels.
and her skin so like q tea-rosei I don't
believe any of those famous beauties
that you read about can hold a candle to
her-that ! don't! l always wondered
why she didn't take some one OF her
lovers, although l knew, too, or thought
/ did; for she was just as lovely ten
years ago, when she came home from
school at seventeen-the very day those
dreadful soldiers came, you recoIlect-
as she is to-day. She had been gone SO
long-four years-that everything about
the place was just as sweet and strange
to her as if it were kingdom she had
just come into; and she was going
round, looking at this and exclaiming
at that, caressing the creatures which
knew her, every one of them, even to
the parrots-just rejoicing in every-
thing; aud /, little six-year-o wor-
shipper, was following her in adora-
tion, with the peacock following me;
when all at once the lawn was crowded
with soldiers, and the yard was full of
foragers, and the horses, Romaine's
own Gulnare, and mammals, were
bling led away, and all the cows
were lowing, and the pigs were soueal-
ing, and the fowl were cacklinr. as
those wretches took possession: and
some were building fires in the ward.
and the rest We're swarming into the
house And they were in the china
closet, ravaging the store-room. were
in the bedrooms, in the wardrobes. ard
a parcel of them had poor mamma in a
corner, and had torn away her shawl,
and one was hourishing her cap on the
point of his bayonet, and Romaine Lad
sprung into the midst of them, threaten
ing them with wild Jury, when sud-
denly a voice rang over the uproar, a
terrible commanding voice, somebody
strode through the throng, and seizing
by the shoulder first one and then an
other of the men who had cornered
mamma and Romaine, flung them on
this side and on that, and in one mo-
ment silence fell, and man by man thev
skunk away, and presently they were
tumbling down the stairs, and march,
ing out OF the hall by files; and the off
Ger who had wrought the change tall,
slender young fellow of whom one could
see little but the eyes blazing like wild
= fire, for the torn and dropping visor OF
his cap, and for the brown beard cover
ing his brown face, and the smears oi
smoke and powder-put mammals shaw
about her shoulders, bowed low to
Romaine, and took me in his arms mo-
ment and looked at me, and set me down
again. and was passing out, when Ro.
maine ran forward and caught his hand
ana began to pour out torrent o1
thanks. He turned and smiled. de.
serve no thanks. ne said. And
then. half hesitating single in
stant, he raised Romaine's hand, thai
still fefgednlIy held his, and pressed 81
70 bis lips, md w>s gone. And el1ri
s l. FIJI M <;} g., X