Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-03-02

opportunity offered when she mi sht
have made it up with Larry; but pride
Or sort Of fac reserve had lock cd her
ips-I.arry ought to know that she was
above silly flirtation5. Olco when they
net at Lucy Amory's wedding, when
they all went out into the orchard
While the bride plantel youag tree
and the guests looked for four-leav.d
clovers, she had found whether
BY accident or design she could not tell
on the grass beside Larry; their
fingers met on the same lucky clover,
their eyes met above it, and for al
instant she had it on her tongues end
to confess all about the drive and its
result, to put pride il her pocket; but
Gust then Nell Amory callel TO Larry
ooh, horrid spiler--on my arm,
Larryl Kill him quick--dol Oh!--oh--
phl--I shall die i shall faintp
And that was the end OF it.
The oil orchard with its fragrant
Iquince lushes. its gnarlcd apple trees,
Ets four-leaved elovcrs, was a thing of
the past; cotton mill reared and thu1-
Idered there all day long, where the
lbirds built and the trees blo.somed
Ithirty-odd years ago. 1t no longer
Iblossomed except in Miss Becky's men,
lory. She had turned her thoughts TO
Iraisiny plants when she was left to her
lown resources, but one cruel winter
L light killed all her slips, anl the capi-
tai was lacking by which she might re-
pew her stock. Since then she had
gone out FOR daily sewing, hal Watched
80. -. =. = sick had ~ in demand for a
a,kesp, u @ ..s;Ssoes 3, ~ saaa tlisssssaas tisssas
4 e<odnce I; She was<dot so alert in the
4 k room as of yore, she moved more
Slowly and her housekeeping talent was
no longer in request; aided to this the
/ bank where her little earnings had been
growing, one day failel and left her
high and dry. Some of her friends had
Travelled to pastures new, somo ha
married away, some had ignored or for
gotten her As for Larry Rogers, he
had been away from Plymouth this
many year. Somebody had sent him
abroad the year after Lucy Amory' 5
marriage, to develop his musical genius.
lie had grown into famous violinist,
playing all over the country to crowded
houses, before the first people in the
land. 1t was beautiful romance to
Miss Becky to read in the local paper
about our gifted towusman;" she did
not blame him because she sat in the
shadow, because her life had been cool
ness. She sang again the old tunes he
had taught her, and made little sun
shine in her heart All of happiness
she had ever known he had brought her.
Why should she complaint Aud now
she was going to the Old Ladie,' home.
1T isn't exactly what l expected in
my youth" she said to the old doctor:
widow.
No; but you'll have nice room and
bright fire, and the neighbors vii
drop in to see you and make it home
like, Now, there's old Mrs. Gum.
Nothing can persuade her to go to til.
home. She say, it's only a gentcel aims
house after all; aad so she rub5 alon2
with what she can earn and what th,
nei9hbors have a mind to send il, anC
they have to do it very gingerly, too, jus
as though tLey were asking favor 0
her. Lor, she doesn' earn her salt.
Il dare say" returned Miss Becky
''Now, if it hadn't been fer the rhcu
matism could earn my living for year
yet, and maybe get something ahcaC
again; but it seems as if the rheuma
tism laid in wait for the poor ant
friendless."
"You ought to have married whcl
you were young, Becky said the doc
tors widow who had forgotten al
about Becky's love aft air, and laboreC
uader the impression that she never ha'
chance, an impression which matron
are apt to entertain concerning thci
single friends. Miss Becky had bee
spending some weeks with Mrs. DR.
Dwight who had moved away iron
Plymouth after her husbands death
She was there chiefly to put som
stitches iuto the widows wardrobe
: which nobody else would do treason
: ably" that lady's grief hgving incapaci
tated her from holding a needl9 or Civ
ing her mind to material details Of ''seau
1 and gusset and band.' But during tn
visit Miss Becky had been seized wit
, her sharpest attacks of. rheumatism
which had kept her in bed for weeks
till her wages were exhausted by drug
aud doctors fees. 1t was at this tim
that she made up her mind to go int
the home on her return to Plymouth.
Mrs. Dwight saw her off at the sta
j ton. 81 hope you'll fnd the HON
cosy" she said, outside the car window
"It's lucky Parson Amory left 20
that 500 after all. He might hay
{ doubled it.
a nvas .,nnoso co ~ M;ss pscl,