Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-01-19
Walters Wooing.

1t is such pretty scene. Dottine
all the country as the lilies dot the
field, the white cottages of Elmshore
rise from among the grand old elms
which. standing boldly out from their
Background Of stately hills, seem to
watch like sentinels over the little town
Beyond the cottages wave greer
meadows. their downward slope in.
creasing until their grasses lose them
selves beneath the ripples of the beauti.
full blue sea.
A pretty scene, indeedI And SO the
sun thinks; for, though its time for
setting has long since passed, still its
golden rays are lingering, perhaps to
warm the lands calm beauty into
grandeur. more passionate life-perhaps
only to press last long kiss upon the
head of fair young girl who stands at
the gate of one of the cottages, drinking
in the loveliness about her.
ut is all so beautiful-so very
beautiful !! (" she murmurs, clasping her
hands and resting her cheek upon them.
Iwonder if every one loves it as I do ?
! / wonder i-if he does2"
- Deeper and deeper sinks the sun.
lowly the daylight fades, but not
until the cleaning casts its shadows
-Lly around her does the wistful
questioning die out Of the girls eyes /;
then, with sudden movement, she
turns to the dog at her side, and buries
her golden head in his shaggy fur.
81 ought to be ashamed of myself,
oughtn't I. old Maior?-just as ashamed
as I can bel The idea of the prim.
proper Instructor of the youthful
cherubs of Elmshore wasting her
thoughts upon stranger, because he
has handsome eyes and impudence
enough to use them Well have run.
won't we, old fellow, and drop the
nonsense out of my foolish head on the
way. Ready, nowl One-two-threeI /"
And off they go, scarcely touching
the ground as they fee over it.
II say, schoolma'am you're smart
onei You would beat half our fellows
hollow, you would"
And Madge, brought to q sudden
standstill, sees looking down at her
from the top of a high bicycle her
fayorits though most troublesome pupil,
Yzsse bonnie brown eyes shine with
respect and admiration for her unex-
pected accomplishment.
"Oh, Johnnie, is that your II did
not mean to be such tomboy but
Major would run, and with gay little
laugh--"when major leads, what can
fellow do but followY
you're a gay one, ain you ?" asks
Johnnie, sententiously. "Never saw a
schoolma'am like you, neverI and I
shouldn't mind" he continued, slowly
III shouldn't much mind it if
the whole lot was made after your
pattern"
"Oh, Johnnie, Johnnie, you funny
boy" laughs Madge, pushing her hair
out Of her eyes then, as sudden
thought strikes her: ssLet's try race
and. Major against you and your
bicycle !" and before Johnnie had time
to express his contempt for his would
be rivals, they have started, and he is in
hot pursuit.
On they sped through the long cool
pathway that leads to 'sElmhurst," the
grand old homestead of the Elmslies.
whose ancestors, centuries before, had
planted in honor of their name the
trees whose size and number, growing
J did SO near the sea, had given
4.ame to the village.
Fleeing slong, her hat in her hand
and her hair floating in the wind.
Madge comes to a stop as the great
gates OF the Elnhurst lodge-house loom
up before her. At the same moment
Johnnie takes sharp turning to the
right, OF which Madge is not aware.
where the path continues upward until,
after sweep Of almost quarter Of q
mile, the great house is reached. Major
rushed after him with more haste than
grace, falis, rolls over in the dust, and
comes with all the strength of his great
clumsy body against the bicycle. a
sharp. short bark, crash, weary
moan. then all is still, and little Johnnie
lies PROSTATE in the dust, his brown
hair all stained and dabbled by the fast
flowing crimson tide.
"Johnniel JohnnieI speak to mo
Oh, my God he is dead Help helpl
helpp and Madge losing all self-contro
in her awful horror, screams until ths
silence seems to melt into an echoin,
cry for succor.
ssChild, child. hushI''
A gentleman hurries out Of the lodge
grounds and approaches her.
sat is the naatter2 Ah2'