Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-10


know it the better"
"You are disappointed, you know il
now" she quickly said, looking up inta
his face; ''you must not try to deceive
yourself"
''That would be impossible. 1t is yon
who persist in binding yourself Sup
pose we quarrel, he went on, lightly
chatting; 1T would break up this ice be-
tween us Goodness is not natural in
this climate, is ity'
he wondered at his own artifciality as
much az at her merciless directness.
There is no ice" she gravely an
swered 'You imagine it, as you imag
inca good many other things"
"Do {" he exclaimed "Ah, you know
too well am not here mistaking myself
You know
'tCome, ! shall not listen Let us talk
as we used to-of what you have seen, of
what you have read. In your letter you
said there was something about Chateau
Chenier you had forgotten to tell me-
And so she drew him away from him
self
When their talk was over and she had
left him he sat for long while in state
of doubt 1t was hard Tor him to believe
that she would thus turn. him adrift, and
yet he could discover no good reason why
she should love him. He somehow felt
as if he had allowed the golden time to
go by, and that now she had slipped
away beyond his reach
Again and again he rose, shook him
self and resolved to go to Rosalie with
his love and his eloquence and win By
the sheer torrent of his passion; but his
resolution lapsed feebly and he returned
to his moody silence.
''After all, cannot endure this rich
intoxicating climate, he one day said to
Adelaide: II am too coarse and crude for
its refinemenGs of heat and bloom and
fragrance. must go back in time to
see the yellow blossoms on the prairies.
81 am homesick too," she replied; "a
breath of mountain air would be sweeter
than all the sea breezes the Atlantic can
afford. The dogwood. trees are in bloom
all over the foothills now, and | recall
the odor of the sassafras buds"
''Were you in the mountains during
the warP" he idly inquired.
"Not exactly in the mountains. Our
home stood in the Oothcaloga valley, but
within full view of the Pine Log and
Johns mountain ranges.
''Ah, reeollect that valley-a lovely
stretch of undulating, rich red lands with
strong brook or rivulet meandering
through it. We had some desperate
skirmishing in that region" He did moi
note her sudden pallor 81 shall never
forget one place, he went on; "a great
rambling mansion whose walls were GOV
cred with trumpet vines and Virginia
creeper; a picturesque old home, set high
on knoll among broad armed oaks and
gum trees. We had to burn it. It was
the only house | ever burned with my
own hand. Some rebels had taken refuge
in it, and they fought like fiends Even
the women Of the family were armed |
A girl actually blazed away at me with
pistol as smashed in the door. She
slightly wounded me on the head, and
was preparing to shoot me again when
pushed her off with my bayonet | tell
you she was vixenP'
IF you should see that. girl do you
think you could recognize herr" said
Adelaide, her voice peculiarly even and
steady He was not looking at her, and |
30 did not observe the change that had
come over her dark face His careless
ness OF tone and manner had struck her
like insolence, even brutality
''Oh no, he replied, 'she was of
about your size and appearance, turn
ing toward her, but can't recollect |
much about her, save that she seemed
bent on killing me.
And you burned the houseT
oh, guess we did Under cover Of
the smoke we planted battery on hill
hard by, and gave the rebels in the valley
an awful pounding as they slowly with
drew"
"And you would be unable to recog-
nize the girl%
IL shouldn't care to meet her if she's
yet alive She might know me- If she
hasn't greatly changed she'd kill me on
sight
''You Ought To be killed. she exclaim-
ed. standing up before him and gazing
conte'nptuously down upon him; lyon
miserable coward!'
She slipped up the sleeve of her dress
and, pointing to the Jagged scar, smiled
almost furiously az she added:
"How dare you come into my pres
encer
It was as If he sprang out of sleep to
see the incarnation of his dream before
him. He actually rubbed his eyes There
she stood, just as she had on the day OF
that memorable adventure He could
not find word He rose to his feet ard
confronted her almost belligerently, star
ing and pale. For some moments his
mind was dazed and inoperative; then
as he gathered himself together, he said.
miss Chenier, can it be possible--are
you
"Yes, sir, ann
Forgive me, was q foolish, hot
headed boy-I would not do it now"
He stood like statue. The situation
was disclosing itself to him In all it's
hopelessness. He forgot that Adelaide
stood before him. He reached out his
heavy arms with his hands clinched to-
gether, and cried
''Oh, Rosalie, Rosaliet"
There was something infinitely ap.
pealing in his voice that thrilled Ade-
laide and touched her heart Her con.
science rebuked her fercely. A space
of silence followed, and then she put
her hand on his arm and said:
II was too bitter--l was wicked Just
now-forgive mel" But her voice had not
lost all its pinched harshness Her face
still wore that look of lofty contempt.
1t was as IL the sound Of her sisters