Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-01-15
The LANDSTREETs.
A STORY OF THE PEACH COUNTRY,
OSCAR DALE.
Copyrighted BY The Every Evening Publishing 90
CHAPTER Xxx.

Copyrighted By The Every Evening Publishing o.
CHAPTER Xxx.
PEACH BLOSSOMS AND WEDDING BELLS.
Lutte Curtis got home nearly two weeks
before the day fixed for Kstie's wedding
and became frequent visitor at Land.
streets where she lent vigorous assist.
ance on the final preparations for the
event. She expressed her delight At the
wonderful improvements Margaret had
made In the house and was received with
the most sincere pleasure by all the
members Of the family. Ryen Margaret
soon fell in with the general sentiment,
for Lutte having no longer any feeling OF
the kind that had formerly caused her to
hold aloof began 10 love the gentle woman
and her affection was quickly reoipro-
GATED. 81 don't believe" declared
Margaret, ''that abe WAS ever engaged TO
Col. Butler." "Neithsr do l." responded
Katie greatly delighted that her sister
and her dearest friend had at last come
to know and appreciate each other. The
question was not long In doubt. One
DAY Katie took Lutte down to inspect her
own new house and the two girls
naturally grew quite sentimental, Lutte
sympathizipg fully with Kstie's OK.
pressed hope that che might be as happy
In her new home as In her old and thef
the hawless joy Of her engagement with
Charlie might be extended over their
married life. SIT seems to me that one
ought TO be even happier married than
engaged, ," she said.
"Why Of courss 10 exclaimed Lutte,
"but then am poor authority" she
added, "ss l never was engaged aud
never expect to be married"
SIS that honest I" asked the other,
"were you really never engaged ~
"Why certainly not, /" answered Lutte,
"if had been do you suppose you would
mot have known III Who did You think
l was engaged to f'
Katie was considerably embarrassed
but she answered, "I thought you were
engaged to Col. Butler"
"KAtie LAndstreet," asked Lutte with
. show Of indignation, "What sort OF q
girl do you take me for Do you think
that II / had loved Colonel Butler well
enough to promise to be his wife would
have remained In New York after his
death or now be getting ready to be your
bridesmaid Z"
"ForRive me-" cried Katie, "I could
mot understand II all, and never could
quite bring myself to believe II, but Frank
Broughton told Maggie that you had
refused him aud that you were going to
marry Col. Butler, and what could we
think Z"
"Dld Frank think that the only reason
refused him was my intention to marry
some other man 7" demanded Lutie
"0h no." replied Katie. Don't be
hard on Frank, Lutte. He declares he
behaved like brute to you and will not
listen TO one word Of blame against you."
"No," said Lutte, 81 won't be hard on
him. I see now very clearly that did
mot treat him fairly, and he had q right
70 suppose intended to marry Colonel
Butler. Oh Lutte the dear cid colonel
himself had some right to think 90, and
At one time really thought I could
not do It, and after told him 80 he
treated me with delioaoy and generosity
never experienced at the hands Of any
other man, and he beosme the dearest
and kindest Of friends to me without one
word Of reproaoh or complaint. some
times think must be very poor sort Of
creature or else l could have loved go
noble q man." Lutie's confidence stopped
here, however. She was not the kind Of
woman to own to another, that the reason
she could not love the colonel was that
she did love another man whom she had
rejected. Margaret and Katie became |
convinced then that Lutte had rejected |
Frank simply because she could not feel |
anything stronger than . oousinly regard |
for him and they concluded to say moth |
ing to reArouse his hopes, and did not |
even tell him that Lutte had never been |
engaged TO Col Butler. Margaret So
cepted hts invitation to drive over to |
Curtis' with him, seeing that he really |
dresded to 60 alone to make his first call |
there after his rejection. The call was |
mot al all embarrassing % Lutie received |
Frank With her old oousinly kindness
Of manner and talked TO him as though |
nothing had happened to interrupt the |
pleasant Intercourse Of years. Yet de- |
spite Margaret's and KAtie's sags oonolu.
sion Lutie's feelings toward Frank were
precisely the same now as they were |
when, the truth having at last come
home 10 her, Col. Butler found her weep
Ing where her cousin had left her. She |
would have been the hsppiest Of women
had Frank but asked agAin the question |
he had onoe asked In vain, but tn very |
consciousness that he had but to ask In |
order to receive made Il impossible for |
her TO take the smallest first step now. |
She even felt that she ought to do so, but |
she could mot. She would not even take |
the initiative so far as To correct his |
impression that she had been engaged 10 |
Col. Butler. She would have been glad |
70 have some one el0e TO do so, but, IS for |
herself, she simply could not do IL. There |
are suoh women, and once won, they are |
often amongst the most loving Of their |
ser, but every inoh OF the distance between |
them and the men Of their ohoioe must |
be trodden by the feet OF men and not |
the faintest hutter Of q nag Of truce pre-
cedes tleir anal surrender which ia CON-
plets and for Gll time.
And now the lonRed for day had come
at last aDd Grantley was arrlyed for the |
bridal. And not GrAntley alone, for II |
seemed 90 though the whole country
around, so far as the eye could reach,
WAS robsd and adorned In honor OF Katis's |
wedding. The sun shons brightly but
the air was still keen, though percIptibly
softened by the breath Of the coming
spring. the oaks were i'll bare aud
brown and the naples but family showed
the purple tiDge Of the forming leaf buds,
The pioes alone would have relieved
natures dullnesa by their sombre green,
had not the annual miracle Of the peach
blossoms come to deck the land with
beauty. On the bare branches Of the
trees there was not yet the sign OF leaf
10 be seeu, but In night their buds had
burst into bloom. The miracle OF Asron's
rod is repeated in every branch and twig.
'Not YET" sings poet:
-hsye blander breexes
The buds Of the oak unsealed
Not yet pours out the pine
Bis airy resinous wine
But over the southern slope
In the heat and hurry of hope
The wands Of the peach tree first
Into rosy beauty burst.
The whole laud seemed clothed In
delicate pink, and not only Grantley and
Rensselaer,, but the towns themselves
seemed TO put out like brown islands en-.
quilted in q waving sea Of blossoms as
msAsureless as the ocean itself. Travel
~ one would, Afoot, in carriage or by
rail and still the wonder continued. For
miles and miles the land WAS covered
with these ghrlAnds OF perfect pink.
Quoting Bayard Taylor sgAin:
Afar through the mellow hazes
Where the dreams of June are stayed,
The hills in their vanishing mazes
Garry the flush and fade
Southwark they fall and reach
Te the bay and ocean beach,
Where the soft, half. Syrian air,
Blows from the Ohesapeake's
Inlets and coveB and creeks
n.A antI a. .ND Dal.