Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-07-22

him up too, I" thought Rhetta, with great
hot tears springing to her eyes. "Only
/ can never drive after him and bring
him back in q phaeton.
And at that she threw herself upon
the dewy grass and wept unrestrainedly.
She was too young to be capable Of the
terrible, fearless sorrow with which an
older woman may meet bereavement and
heart-break. She only knew that every
thing had changed since morning, that
Ralph had gone away, that she was very,
very wretched. and that no one must
know of it.
The fre-aies flashed in the grass, the
flowers were heavy with dew, the air was
full Of the fragrance of mignonette, hell
otrope and roses, but Rhetta did not
heed them. She only felt that night was
kind to make such darkness and solitude
in the garden that no one could see her
or hear her, poor miserable little Rhetta
Wood, crying for a lost happiness that
had never really been hers And now it
seemed to her that Rose was cruel, from
the midst Of her wealth, her luxury, and
her dozens of lovers, to come swooping
down upon this one chance Of bliss in
lifetime. For Rhctta was sure that in
all the years to come she should never.
never marry. That was all over from
this time forth.
The crickets hummed about her, the
nightmoths brushed by her unheeded; /;
the moon rose, but she did not know it.
She was thinking how she should live all
her life long in the little old house.
After while her aunt Dorcas would die,
and she would be left alone with her
father. Then after a while he too would
die, and she would live on there, an old,
lonely woman
From this reveric she was aroused by
tie stopping of wheels, and cheerful
voices at the gate.
''Rhetta Rhettal'' shouted somebody,
in joyous, manly tones.
She rose to her feet in the moonlight,
-bewildered and uncertain. Was she
dreaming, or was it really Ralph calling
her?
'Rhetta, is that you under the plum
tre3 Come here for moment to the
gate.n
Yes, that was Ralph calling her. With
girlish celerity she smoothed back her
disordered hair, and ran to the gate.
There be stood, his arms filed with
flowers, which he loaded upon her, while
Colonel Porter's coachman, who had
brought him home, was almost stagger-
ing under the weight Of an immense
basket, full of bloom and fragrance,
which he made haste to deposit on the
garden walk.
Everything is here" said Ralph,
gayly-''the geraniums, the day-lilies,
the tea-rose bushes, and the double
violets. Roots, slips, cuttings, all you
wanted, you have them now, and I'll
set them every one out for you"
ooh, how beautiful how beautiful !"
murmured Rhetta, very softly and
gently. She was wholly overcome by
this strange ending Of her passionate
grief.
The coachman departed, leaving the
two lovers alone in the moonlit garden.
Lovers they were, for Ralph drew Rhetta
close to his heart, while he placed upon
her finger the ring that had waited hid
den in his pocket
s'You know what this means, darlingg'
he said, fervently. My way is clear be-
fore me now Colonel Porter has given
me chance in his own business, beyond
anything dared to hope You don't
know how hard it has been for me to
wait till l had right to ask you to be
my own little Rhetta always -alwaysm
Happy Rhettal The moon ought to
have laughed right out to see how her
face had changed, it was SO full now of
smiles and bushes.
Aunt Dorcas, hurrying home an hour
later, eager to expla N how she had gone
to sit awhile with poor old Mrs. Davis,
who had sciatica, was taken all aback BY
hearing merry voices under the plum
tree, and finding Ralph and Rhetta there
at work with trowels setting out roots
and tying up plants.
"Rose Porter sent me all thesep' ex-
claimed Rhetta, triumphantly-' 'all this
great basketful of loveliness and luxury,
and we must set them every one out to-
night, because night is the best time,
and they will get the dew"
ssFor the land sakesl" calculated
Aunt Dorcas. 'Don't ye want the Ian
tern2p
"Oh, the moon is as bright as day, ;"
said Ralph, as he paused to choose a
place for fine blue saliva.
"Welll WE'LL" the old lady exclaimed; I;
and then, as if she dlmly comprehended
that something in the glamour Of youth
and romance might make it thing to be
desired to dig in gardens at unusual
hours, she said no more, hut went
quietly into the house. -Harper's Basar.
Footprints.