The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-24

made me penitent directly. Unfortunately
he was white hot with anger and began to
reproach me in way that reused my tenn
per, too, for | was quick enough to take
offense in those days, Ruth, though | have
| learned better since. / can remember as
if it were yesterday the nook in the woods
where we stood, the sunshine glinting
through the trees and lighting up Edwards s
flushed face and angry eyes. de re-
preached me bitterly-more bitterly l
think, than deserved He called me a
heartless coquette, and | called him little
minded anc told him he had made himself
ridiculous by his unreasonable jealousy.
We got hotter and hotter, and finally he
declared that if did not admit that / had
been wrong, and promise to behave differ
emily for the future, all must be over be-
tween us. I did not care a straw for Mr..
Sandys and would fifty times sooner have
had Edward with me, but | would have
died sooner than told him SO then. So /
gave him bitter answer, and we both grew
angrier STILL His last words, uttered with
all the intensity Of passion, ring still in my
ears. I can tell you them word for word
eHetty, if you let me go now, understand
clearly you will never see my face again.
did not quite believe him. Perhaps, if |
had, [ should still have let him 90. AT
any rate, I was far too angry to give way
then.
$50 by all means, if you wishit | said,
and in another moment he was gone. ]
had been tearing to pieces, in my passion,
a little spray of hawthorne he had given
me earlier in the day. | had pulled off
the leaves one by one, and when he left me
the bare stem was left in my hand, with
one leaf only remaining See, here it is,
the last relic of my first and last love.
God grant that in your whole life, my
Ruth, you may never weep such tears as |
have wept over that one faded leaf.
Aunt Hetty took from her desk the
little prayer-book she always carried, a
quaint little red-covered book with a gilt
clasp, and showed just within it tissue
paper pocket attached to the coyer This
She opened and showed me the faded leaf.
aThis little book she said, twas Ed
wards first gift to me; and this old dry leaf
is my only relic of the day when we parted
in anger in the wood never to meet again
in this world. Stay, l have one more
treasure; see
| She drew from her bosom quaint old
locket and put it in my hand. 1t was a
miniature painting representing young
man in an old-fashioned naval costume. 1t
was handsome face, but stern and proud
looking; and could we'll believe that the
original would have behaved as Aunt Hetty
had described.
"But did you really part like that
auntie 2" said. "Did you never see him
again ?"
@Neyer. He did not go back to the
picnic party, but joined an outward-bound
ship the very next day, leaving brief
note for my mother stating, that we had
fortunately found out in time that we were
unsuited to each other, and had, therefore,
by mutual consent, put an end to our en-
gagement.
1But that was very cruel, auntie."
II thought SO then Perhaps it was a
little; but afterward I blamed myself far
more than him. | had given the provoca-
ton; and I knew in my heart of hearts that
one word of regret on my part would have
made all right between us. But l was too
proud to say it. let him go with my
eyes open and l have been justly punished.
"But have you never heard of him since,
auntie ?"
ssOnce or twice in early years; but only
indirectly. He had no relatives in our
part of the country. | know that he gave
up the sea and obtained commission in
some Indian regiment. When last heard
of him he was captain; but that is many
years ago, and / do not know whether he
is alive OF dead So ends my poor little
romance. There is one thing should like
to ask, Ruth, and that is partly why
have told you my story, You have seen
my relics. They have been my greatest
treasures in life, and I should like them
put in my coffin when die. Will you
remember this, dear p
/ could not answer for tears, but kissed
her hand and she was content.
Two months ago, tired of our humdrum
country life, auntie and I resolved for once
to visit foreign parts Accordingly we went
to Boulogne and took up our abode in a
quiet boarding-house in the Rue des Viel-
liards Our domicile was a quaint old
house, said to have been originally nun
nery. and afterward to have been occupied
for short time by the great Napoleon wher
meditating a descent upon England A
broad gateway, fanked on either side by
disused feld-guns, planted upright in the
ground by way of gate posts, led into &
pleasant courtyard, with seats under the
shade of spreading tree and made musical
| by the plash of Il modest fountain. There
were a good many visitors staying in the
house, but they were mostly in families or
parties, and we did not amalgamate much
with them. Our vis-d-0is at table was &
tall, elderly gentleman of soldierly appear
anee who was always spoken of as the
Major He had evidently been very
handsome man-indeed, he was handsome
still. His hair and mustache were perfect
ly white, forming marked contrast with
his complexion, which was extremely dark
as if tanned by long residence under 9
tropical SUM- | think was first attracted
to him by noticing that his French was
even worse than our own. When he ven
tured, as he occasionally did, to address al
order to the white-capped waiting maids ii
their own language the difficulties he got
into were dreadful, and he generally ended
by getting rather angry with himself and
them. Once or twice [ ventured, very
timidly, to help him out of difficulty Of
this kind, and in this manner slight ac
quaintance had sprung up between us. L
had, however, proceeded no further than {
friendly good moralng or a casual remark
across the dinner-table. With other visi
tors the Major fraternized even less. Aftel
breakfast he regularly smoked one cigal
under the tree ins the courtyard; after
which he started off for a solitary ramblt
and did not reappear till dinner-time. Sc
matters stood until the first Sunday eve
ming after our arrival, when we went, as il
duty bound, to the little English church il
an adjoining street. We were ushered int
one of the pews appropriated for strangers
and a minute or two later the Major wa
shown into the same pew, and sat dowI
silently beside U.S. The service proceeded
in the usual course, and the sermon wa.
1 L = L.