Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-29
A FATAL MISUNDERSTANDING.

AFATAL MISUNDERSTANDING.
A cool breeze blew up from the river.
II played among the reeds and tall grasses
ON the hank and ran lightly up the slope
toward the white mansion on the hillside,
duttering the vines that fringed the wide
piazza where group Of young girls sat
chatting, resting, or busying themselves
with dainty needlework.
"What a delicious breeze" exclaimed
Florence Freeman, rs she spoke. The
slender, thoughtful looking young man
reclining unseen in the depths OF large
easy chair Just within one Of the long win
dows glanced up from the pages Of book
In which he had been absorbed, and his
dark eyes followed her graceful figure ad-
miringly.
ut sets me wild to be doing something,
she continued, pacing up and down the
long porch. do you know, girls" pausins
abruptly, we're a set Of slayes,"
70, Florry~ exclaimed q laughing voice,
| now don't give US lecture on wOman's .
dghts!"
~Never fear: that isn't what was
thinking Of We are hindered by circum-
stances from being and doing what we
feel Is within us to be and do
Listen, girls interrupted another
voice. -Flory is on her high horse. Now
We shall see some prancing."
Laugh away returned Florence. "Fm
In earnest. Why must we because We
happen to have drifted into certain
channel. or because particular course Is
marked out for ms by friends, drift on
down the stream or keep on in the same
course to the bitter end, even though we
must smother the best there is in our nat
ure in doing so."
Intense feeling emphasized her wordA
and her unseen listener found himself
wondering what personal experience had
prompted them. Amy Gray lifted hei
eyes.
DUTY is often unpleasant" she said.
but it is best, after all, t. have q settled
plan and purpose and cling to them
through everything. Thank what q chaos
would result if we all followed our own
nclinations, and, worse than that, what
ever might for the moment be our ruling
passion
Florence did not answer for . moment;
her eyes were rowing across the wide
sweep Of the river, where . white sail
glimmered in the afternoon sunshine.
20, yes; there must be plans, OF course,
and they must be carried out, or nothing
would be accomplished But take special
cases There is cousin Dora, for instance.
Why must she give up her painting to
marry Fred Long, merely because she
promised to when mere child, and didn't
know what she wanted, OF course,
don't say anything against Fred. He Is
GOOD as gold but he cant appreciate her
talents" why ne mas oeeuh 70 ih'erere
Win ner plans s'reaay. says sne Morks
TOO steaui!; ana wants ner 10 give up
some "orH she mas ai,eaus uiiaes,aAeh =, III
oruef 10 oe mar1ied sooner, ohe only
laughed over II; VI course sne ~ouidn''
say anything, ou' We c1h al see sne
aoesn love MN. now can sne, ~nen ne
mas no sympathy Win her oh .ns' supJec.,
NOW, why can sne say So anu os nee
Sne teeis her resPohslplh'y, ssid
Amy soit voice. Sne KNOWS no" oe-
voted Mr.; Long is 10 her
Sn-h! mere sne comes "h'speHo EoitI
Stanley. as pright-laced glri nutterto
up from the garueh' hke dainty wn,te
butterfly, ana perched nerseil on the
steps. dead silence ieil on the group
Tor moment ana 'neh nora turned ner
laughing race toward her cousin: 20 on
florry. lou were giving lecture,
weren't you. couid near you Grating,
out couioht c@ch "oru VI he ois-
course
IT'S ended now saad fiorencs' coouy'
mentaHy resolving never 10 oe 70 careless
again IN mentioning spee'ai cases, ana
unless some one mas taken notes you can
never nope 70 Nho" any .nins .pout H. ior
It was quite imPromptu. ANA taxing her
cousins arm she marched hef up ana
down the PIAZZA numming gay ar.
Neanwhhe' within tne WIDOWS the
young man SAT moaoniess, ms hngers Still
between tne pages that only rev mo-
menus ago heid MIN speilocuhd, aitnougn
MS world haa iaiien IN rum around MIN
since Florence oegAn ner lecture. Gut
noe the breeze ran among the treetops
ana rumed the sninine posom OF the rlSef
The August sunshine lay mellow on the
grass, but ne heard nothing, saw nothing
Inc Tea Deil rang suddehly ana startled
him out OF his neditations. The girls dis
appeared Win much chattef ana gay
Aughter, ana ne rose mecnanicaly ana
walked IKE one III orean oown through
ne garden ana on INTO httle grove De-
pond, his one thought to be alone where
no human eye coaid add 70 ms torment
with its questioning glance There, under
the trees, where ne ana Dora mad played
IN chlldnood, ne walked 10 ana Iro, one
sentence ringing In MS ears nke sen
tence OF doom: we can ali see she doesn
love nim was hard TO come down
the pinnacle where ne had imagined him
cell crowned kingol one heart.
when Dora only l'then, had given him
her hand 30 connding as they walked to-
gether IN TINS very grove-only 1t was
morning then, ana springtime, and the
1ir WAS nlied with the scent OF wild crab
apple blooms, ana she wore them at her
throat; now plainly ne could see her now,
III IN wni,e: ana .he PINK OF her cheek 80