The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-08-02

SatnatfiiSsAt oF something. Oan1 Sne S66
what ioukey he isl All out of drawing,
too Nine heads high, and you could put
his mouth into his eye; whereas you ought
always to be.able to putan eye into mouthn
THESE smiles were drawn, you understand,
from precepts in art. I'd like to see him
try that sort of thing on Minerva" Minerva
was the young lady of culture to whom he
was engaged. "She'd settle him."
By this time the fellow had been there
two weeks. l was pledged for months
visit, and ii did not seem civil to go home,
but all hope was over. felt sure Winnie
did not care for me, and intended to get my
father to send me out to China TO conduct
his business there as soon as got home In
that land intended to die and appear to
her in ghostly form to her confusion. After
which would haunt Rufus Sparks during
the remainder of his life.
made no confessions to Jack Brush but
as he remarked about that time: Z" Larkins,
old fellow, you'd make a splendid Romeo
I'd like to sketch you in the garden scene
He jests at scars who never felt wound,
you know. Tn painting it for the next ex.
hibition." I presume / looked love-lorn
enough.
contented myself by abusing Rufus, and
declaring that, q didn'tkn what Ishould
10 to pass the tune in that COMPOUNDED hole"
which was not grateful to DIR. Lake, who
had offered to provide me with geological
hammer or fishing line that very morning.
But one must be happy to enjoy chipping
off little bits of rock, and calm TO be able to
sit on damp bank, waiting too see little
float bob up, and draw in a miserable little
fish.
Larkins let's go shoot something said
Jack
"All right" said l, thinking that should
like it to be Rufus Sparks.
We took the usual precautions to avoid
alarming Mrs. Lake, and then, with our
regular plea of a little walk" left the
house. For some time we banged away
fruitlessly at the squirrels and little birds
Then We spied what we supposed to be
hare. was intent on the animal, and
shall never know just how he did it, but il
was at that moment that Brush shot me.
had expected it all along, for he would han
die his gun as though it were mahl-stiek,
and when fell with yell into the bramble
bushes, remember groaning g told you
So"
The next thing knew they had carried
me home, and l was in bed There was an
awful commotion in the house, and the rival
doctors of the place had been summoned.
They took the bullet ont of my shoulder be-
tween them and left me to recover in a little
room that was not my own, in little white
bed I had never slept in before for had
been too heavy to carry up stairs, coming as
do of family that seldom stop growing
under 200 pounds.
AS soon as l was able to think, / saw that
it was woman's room, full of pincushiuns,
hair receivers, lamp mats, slk-cased cologne
bottles and work baskets
My next discovery was that it was Win
wardrobe door, were two green things that
seemed to grow in the air without roots
And then Aunt Hulda's garden and her talk
about the liveforeyer returned to me. This
was liveforever impaled ON pins. These
we're the two stalks she had put into Win
MES bouquet. Had she ''named them 7"
lay there staring ut the light green,
aeshy leaves, at the dark shadows behind
them on the door-frame, and thinking One
of the stalks had grown very long, and was
hourishing like green bay tree. The other
was short, and spindling, and unsuccessful.
felt that would give the world to know if
either had been named after me. And, be-
ing feverish, could not rest. The doctor
had told me my life might depend on being
quiet, but / crept out of bed and made my
way to the door. Yes, was right in a sus-
picion had had. There on a frame be-
meath each sprig were written certain initials
L. L. beneath one, II. S. beneath the
other What could they mean but Lawrence
Larkins and Rufus Sparks? And, thank
heaven the long, green, flourishing bit of
liveforever grew over my initials, while that
over his was evidently at its last prayers.
/ got back to bed, and went quietly and
happily to sleep, as though had applied
sovereign band to my wound Indeed had
found one for my heart, which was hurt the
most.
Three weeks afterward, when first went
down stairs, Rufus Sparks was no longer in
the house, and had Winnie alone upon the
balcony.
She looked at me softly and kindly, and
sat near me again, and played and sang for
me alone once more. And it was toward
the end OF that evening i said to her Alb,
well, do you suppose shall tell You, or that
/ allowed her to know that / had noticed the
sprigs of liyeforever, or remembered what
Aunt Hulda had told us, until after we were
safely married Mary Kyle Dallas