Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-09-08

naively. 81 am sorry, but lost my roses,
my lovely jacqueminots. See them scat
tered all the way down the cliff"
"Oh, that was it," l replied, bending
too, to look below. Somehow the loss OF
those jac' roses impressed me that moment
as the greatest affiiction that could befall
a human being. The next, despite her
frightened protest of word and look, l was
climbing down the rocks.
1t was not an easy feat. The zones
were slippery, and the tough vines in the
crevices held the roses prisoners, at broad
intervals, the whole length of the cliff.
| But was bent on having them every one,
even to the poor broken-leaved by the
creek. 1t was the proudcst achievement
of my life when ut last | climbed back
with them to her.
! "Thank you, oh, thank you" she muir
| INJURED, with a smile and Il frank look of
admiration which set my heart TO beating
as never girl had made il beat before.
''Will you take few as trophies of your
victory?"
l had sat down opposite her on the pll-
teau; | was looking ut her with sudden,
strange feeling that | had the right.
Surely when man has worked so hard 10
please a pretty girl he has the right TO
look at her; this was my simple thought.
! For [ was new TO love, slow 10 realize my
own stirred soul. | took the flowers, just
thinking | would like to kiss them, If |
dared. | took them silently. But she
only smiled again in her pretty, innocent
way and went on talking.
81 did not like to lose them so soon after
| | got them. We only came in the last
stage, but slipped away from the others
as quickly as l could and came down here.
always so long TO see the glen. Isn't it
the prettiest place in the mountains"
Mywits floated slowly back. eyes, and
1t is lovelier than ever this season." re-
piled. "rhere has been new path opened
through the south pass. If you like II
will guide you back that way"
| | did not deem it an impertinent propo-
sition; i was, i'm fact, very permissible
one in the free life of these mountains
! all the same, dared not look at her. But
almost before the words left my lips she
was tying OH her pretty hat, her eyes
sparkling with delight. From that mo-
ment iC was oLe to me. Through the Won
! derful south pass | wander with her, list
cnng enrapturcd to the sweet girl-voice,
stealing mad looks at the fairest face had
ever gazed upon-all In such Il daze Of
blissful, bewildcring passion that at times
the fancy seized me that | was, after all,
only walking with poor Glen Mary, who
might, any moment, slip away from me.
| But the sweet dream was broken rudely ;
just rs the path verged on the roadway
she turned and looked up ut me.
"Do you know" she said, 81 think
there is something very strange about
these mountains? Here have been talk
ing with you, perfect stranger, as freely
as though had known you all my life
actually telling you our family affairs.
Why, you would never know Rebah
Wayne, should you meet her in the city,
Despite her words she still smiled at
me, but | only stared ut her-thc little
| girl from Chillingworth Suddenly, In
the light of the astonishing revelation,
Jacks words came flashing back. Some
how they flashed pre-emincnt; it seemed
to me, this bewildered moment, that had
been deliberately doing a wicked thing,
acting base, mean part to Jack. With
only Jacl; In my mind answered her:
eyes, freedom between strangers has
been the fashion here always, but that
docs not make it proper. Would It not be
as well for you and | TO vary the custom,
and be simply strangers after this?"
Tho words spoken, realized my idocy (;
quickly my lips reOpened to retrieve them
as best could. But in vain; she did not
hear me, she would not listen; deep
flush of anger, of Indignation, quickly
followed her first astonished look, and
then
"As we are" she spoke quietly, and
passed on before me. did not presume
even to follow slowly. Quite beside my
self, I turned and strobe back again
through the glen to the outlet back Of the
hotel. / was never romantic man, but
| went supperless that night. All the
evening | kept my room, despite Jacks
wondering protestations. Once 1 stole
out on the broad stairway, moved by All
irresistible impulse
! To see my fair Glen Mary, albeit she
frowned at me. To see-Jack, with rap
ture in his face, bending down to the little
girl from Chillingworth, while she up
turned the same sweet, tricksy face had
that day come to worship!
Never again would it look so at me
The thought might have frcIzied any
man, so suddenly, so madly in love as /.
But, instead, | grew more rational; the
sweet face loomed up to calm me as went
back to my room. She would surely par
don me when she understood; written
explanation would make matters right
between us, and then-I had as good a
chance as Jack. Because he was In love
with her it did not at all follow that she
was in love with him. All jubilant,
wrote to Rebah Wayne, airing Jack with
an impunity only regretted was essential
to the case. For what was Jack TO HE
that moment?-that blissful moment
lived and breathed in her.
Early Oh the morrow sent my letter,
and then-I kept away from her, through