The National tribune., 1884-10-30
TBEY MEET AGAIN.
A Story of the Language of Apple
Blossoms.

| Decked in the sheeniest of white robes, Alene
| foated down the wide lawn of Elerby Hall.
| Nesting in her gold brown hair were rose
| tipped apple blossoms, and clustering over her
| dress were the same sweet-scented blooms,
| which she had gathered from the queenly trees
| of the orchard not far away, where each stood
! out perfect dream of beauty against the pale
blue sky. Not more fairy-like were they, not
| more beautifully tinted, than Alene Ellerby
| herself. So at least thought the young man
who had Joined her-Raymond Ogere.
But he sighed as he gazed upon the pretty
| vision before him. who had promised herself to
another only the day before-promised to
marry Robert Willis, a man for whom Ray
mond felt some contempt, as being too super
| fetal and weak to deserve the consideration OF
| girl like Alene Ellerby. Indeed, it had been
| great surprise to him, for in his acquaintance
| with Alene he had studied well her character,
| and, having seen somewhat of the world and
| women, Raymond had felt she inclined kindly
| toward himself and some day he had hoped to
| win her for his wife.
a have come to bid you good-by," he said,
81 for ] am going away. Business requires me
| again in the city"
She had turned away her face when he lifted
his eyes to meet hers. For, in the way people
will, each looked while the other was not look
ing, and he had not seen the expression of her
i
soft twilight was gathering about them, and,
though Raymond could see but little he felt
that her manner had grown reserved and quiet.
"Good-by," he said again, as he held out his
hand.
"Good-by," was the reply, in low, formal
voice. as she laid her slim, cool fingers in his.
He held them as he looked at her, and then
he said in a wistful tone, strange, sad express
ion growing in his eyes the while:
Z" / wish you would give me bunch of those
flowers you wear"
She loosened some and laid them in his
hand.
When he left her he smiled bitter, grim
smile.
Il had quite forgotten the significance of ap-
pie blossoms. Preference! What mockery
that she should give them to me when her
preference is given to anO!her!"
So Alene stayed on for while with her aunt
in Ellerby Hall. Alene's mother was living
but her father had long been dead, and left
them but scant income.
Her aunt, Mrs. Ellerby, was also in moderate
circumstances, for the Hall had now a heavy
mortgage upon it, and it cost the good lady a
struggle to maintain the old place that had
grown SO dear to her.
So Alene was not an heiress, nor even a
young lady with rich relatives.
Her aunt had called Raymond Ogere cul-
tivated gentleman" Again, she had called
Rob Willis q foolish fop."
Two days after Raymond Ogere's departure
Alene astounded her aunt by saying she wished
to go home. This announcement set Aunt
Ellerby to pondering many things, for her
niece usually wished to prolong her visits to
the Hail. Bob Willis had been there only that
afternoon, and she had seen him going down
the graveled walk with a remarkably crest
fallen air for such young braggart as she con-
sidered him.
He is prodigious numbskull, but his IA
ther is worth a mint" Aunt Ellerby had said
to herself.
Whatever conclusions the good lady had ar
rived at concerning the state of affairs she said
to Alene the next morning at breakfast
You see, dear, am thinking of selling the
to live with Bess.'
Bess was her daughter, married, and living
in Paris.
Alene started,
"Why, Aunt Nan, I thought you never meant
to sell the place."
"Well. Bess urges me to come, and the care
/ have here is ageing me, so | think l shall go.
And, child, you may go along if your mother
can pay the expenses of your voyage there.
After that, between us, your mother and L will
manage to keep you there season at least"
So within six weeks Alene and her aunt
were well off on the dark blue sea. 1t was the
month of July, a little past the popular season
tTdVei, yet Giic SIeaHeTS were St1ll crowded,
and almost the first person they encountered
on board ship was Mr. Bob Willis. Whatever
"setdown" Miss Alene had once given him she
was civil to him now, and his esteem for the
young lady seemed in no wise lessened from
the fact that she was Ell route to the Old World.
One day Mr.. Bob found it necessary, from
decrease OF temperature, to put on n thicker
coat than he had been wearing. Leaving his
state room hurriedly, he unconsciously dropped
from one of his mock cts some D1uers
Some one treading the passage shortly after
ward saw this trail of literature, and, STOPPING,
picked them up. This some one chanced to be
Miss Alene Ellerby. One of these papers was
fattened and dust-worn.
Certainly Miss Alene knew better than to
read what did not belong to her, yet here she
was perusng with wde-open eyes the writing
on this soiled paper. First she had been at
tracted because the chirOgraphy seemed to re-
semble her own, next when she saw her own
name appended.
Well since that name is there, we will read,
too.
DEAR BoB-You have surprised me. yet confess
i am not wholly dispeased ut yorr proposal
Please call this evening. Yours evermore,
ALENE ELLERBY.
This was written again and again. all over
the sheet, each copy growing nearer and nearer
to likeness to her own hand.
She dropped the paper and thought. Then
she looked again at the date and drew a great
sigh. 1t was dated May Ii, the day before Ray
mond Ogere bade her good-by.
Well, Alene neither tainted away, nor did
she face Mr. Willis with scathing glance of
scOrn or any tragic phrases. She only left the
other papers where she found them, retreating
into the ante-roOm with the one clenched tight
in her little fist Then she set her lips stamp
ed her slim foot once, and calculated, with her
checks burning bright:
Il will never, never speak to the mean little
wretch again! !"
Dear me, what sad language, Miss Alene
Yet you said that by yourself, and we had no
right to hear"
That night Alene astonished the worthy
relative who accompanied her by asking her if
she knew Mr. Raymond Ogerc's address.
"No, my dear, 10 not" was the reply, and
with the words her last hope of ever again
meeting Ogere vanished.
For here she speeding away over the
Atlantic, every minute bearing her farther and
farther from the man she loved, and with no
means at her command by which to communi-
cate with him.
A year would doubtless elapse before they
would return, and what things may not hap
pen in a year?
f-w days before Alene sailed for the Old
Worli Raymond Ogere sat upon the balcony of
a hotel in Paris
He had been in that city three weeks; for,
after leaving Alene he had unexpectedly found
it necessary to start for France Immediately on
business for the firm.
Glad was he of this means of distraction from
what had cast a gloom over all his prOspects