Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-11
"Hatel On. I don't know. . said Ais

nate any one tndI lnlureu me- pretty
roundly myself. It depends a good deal
on the person, you know"
'Personl Oh, we'll / know / hate
Aunt King far enough. I don't even
pretend not 10. Oh, dear! dear
Another long, sobbing sigh; down
went the golden head again on the blue
muslin. crossed arms. Two teardroDs
fall and lie like pearls on green leaves on
the floor.
why did you not 60 with the Others
they asked your" questioned Allston,
softly.
go with them2 How can YOU fancy
/ would 90 there with them9n For the
first time Tina looked her companion
full in the face, and he thought there was
reproach in that sweet young girl-glance.
at used to be my home, you know,
Mr.. Shelley. l was born at .Cowslip
Lane .
''oh, indeed Y answered Allston, won
dering.
my mother was given a home there
so long as she lived there, her step
fathers wicked will read-but no pro-
vision was made for me; and so my
father died the year l was born, and
there was no one. !"
''Poor child" said Allston, poor
little thing
And Tina made no response.
Have you ever seen Cowslip LaneW
asked the girl, presently. Have you
ever been thereg"
II have heard of it" was Allston's
evasive answer 81 have meant to go
there some day Perhaps you will go
with me, and show it to me, F." he went
on, with happy inspiration.
Tina nodded her head approvingly.
"It's such an odd name-Cowslip Lane,
she added, growing confidential But,
you know, it's an old, old place; when
the town was away back there, the old
farm wife in the district about used to
go to that plantation for their cowslips
for their dinner pots in the spring time
they all came there for greenland
even now the glen is golden with them
in June. There was Cowslip Path and
Cowslip Knoll and one tree was called
the Cowslip Tree
Tina had been rambling on, growing
calmer as she talked, and Allston had
listened to her sweet young memories
it was like the audible unfolding of q
closed-up tree. She had taken his book,
listlessly turning the leaves and glanc-
ing at the pages as she beat them back.
Suddenly she paused, and, lifting the
book with her finger on a line, regarded
him with such woeful eyes he was glad
TO turn away.
He could not bear such tears.
"What is it, dear Tina?" he said, and,
bending his face over the lifted page, he
read
1t was a poem of Robert Browning,
and the lines were familiar enough to
him, bet now it had new meaning for
him
"April showed white blossoms on her as she
RAM
How was il that memory came to
him of some p M he had read-a lament
of one who cried out fiercely:
81 am weeping my wasted years
Let me alone" .
Weeping for moons and stars not looked
at, for tears not shed, for joys neglected
and songs unsung.
1.-THE apple and cherry trees were like
that, sobbed Patience, and then sprang
up to go.
But Allston caught her dress.
'I-I-there's to be dancing in the
parlors tonight, Miss Tina. Won't you
come down for a little while? Don'
Tina looked at the grave friendliness
of his face, and gave queer little smile
''Oh, yes, | am to come down. / am
to furnish the music for the dancers"
She stopped moment. II shall be very
glad if you will come and speak to me,
for we get very lonesome piano and
I-sometimes.
Cowsiips everywhere Great
stars of gold flashing in the dancers
dresses. Tina wondered if they would
not offer her one. seeing-seeing
Oh, how beautiful the old garden in
Cowslip Lane used to be when Tina and
her mother dwelt there; how wide and
cool the hall was! There was tall clock
on the landing with the figures 1850
carved on the oak case
Were they going to dance all night?
How tired her fingers were getting
cramped-stiff. Where was Mr.. Shelley
he promised to come to speak to her.
But, of course, he would forget all about
it. Who cared for little Pat Holford
now 2 Once-ah. once
Tina's thoughts drifted further and
further away She hears her mothers
voice, Pat, little PATTI further, further
on. What ails her hands to move so
slowly
Suddenly the dancers all come to
halt, standing in the centre of the room.
There is no more music for them to dance