Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-03
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BY. hAuHeE rHonRsoND W
tcoHYRsHrEp. .sY.hhEaoaN. .PRsss. AssocATIoN .iasI.


nau-a WORD changed Tor anything. de
imagined he could trace Rosalie's inno-
cent frankness and freshness between
the lines. He sat and gazed into a big
blazing fire for hours after he had learn
ed the letter by heart. Her elastic, grace
full figure and warm bright face came up
before him; he saw her gray brown
eyes and straw gold hair; he heard her
low, sweet voice. Did she love him2 He
read the letter again, pulled his mus
tache, frowned, smiled, read again,
gazed into the fire almost fercely, looked
at his watch, went and packed his trav-
cling bag and took the next train for the
south.
When he got to Savannah he went to
the Pulaski House. He did not care to
rush in unaware upon the household at
Roosevelt Place, especially since the
Cheniers had come there He sent his
card to the house. An hour or two later
Mrs. Roosevelt called for him in car
riage. She was glad to see him. Rosalie
had gone to Jacksonville with Mr.
Roosevelt, but would be back tomorrow.
He was introduced to Colonel Chenier
and Adelaide, and despite his predeter-
mination to the contrary, was again in
stalled as one of the household. You
cannot live in hotel in the south if your
southern friend has house.
Colonel Chenier and Edgar Julian
were on good terms at once. A mutual
friendliness, soldierly comradeship, a
shaking of hands on common ground.
took place between them.
Adelaide, while not avoiding him, was
dignifed and shy, seeming to view him
askance, as if doubling whether she ought
to trust him, or as if trying to overcome
an impulse toward hating him. Julian,
on the contrary, felt warm interest in
this dark, sad faced girl at once, and be
was not slow to show it. Against his
kindly assaults reserve was poor shield.
Without seeming to be adroit or artful
he reached her womanly nature at every
unguarded point He assumed the place
of a big, amiable, interesting brother,
who meant to draw his sister out of her
gloom.
Mr.. Roosevelt and his niece were de-
layed a week in Jacksonville-a very
long week of dreamy, drowsy weather,
the flowers bursting out and the mocking
birds singing in every orange grove and
dusky fig orchard.
Julian prevailed on Adelaide to walk
with him in Forsyth park, and to drive
with him to the several charming sub.
urban resorts. He found her wiser in
the ways of the world than Rosalie-
quicker to catch hidden meanings in
things-a strong. self poised woman, in
fact. If she was not strictly beautiful
she was attractive, and gave him to see
that she possessed a reserve of culture a
little faltering on account of long disuse
One morning they sat together on one
of the pine benches near the fountain in
Forsyth park, and by soma, chance Julian
got upon the subject OF his war expert.
ences, and ;Gter the fashion of ex-sol-
| diers told q I many OF his adventures.
He had fas, i;ating way of presenting
these personal "reminiscences in the form
of sparkling sketches, Adelaide recoiE.d
little now and then, but lis coloring
was SO liberal to the south that she could
not be affronted. She began to grow
strangely used to him, if one may so ex-
press it; his face, mis- movements, his
personal effect, seemed to antedate, in
some way, her acquaintance with him
AS he went over again his boyish freaks
In the army she saw him more as boy
soldier than as man, and he had a
curiously familiar look.
A few northern tourists were abroad
| in the park, sauntering up and down the
shaded walks and dallying around the
flower decked fountain. Some mockine
birds we're singing ecstatically in the
treetops overhead
Suddenly. without any definite fore
warning, by one of those inexplicable
cerebral tricks, Adelaide recognized Jul
ian as that daring, devilish soldier lac
who stabbed her with a bayonet and
burned her fathers mansion.
! The knowledge came upon ner as the
apparition of death or some numbiug
calamity. The blood went out of hel
face, and she grew weak, trembled
drew her breath heavily, and clutchet
the back of the bench for support.
| Julian instantly became aware of this
change. He was startled.
"You are ill, ]" he exclaimed; what il
itp will call a carriage"
"No, no." she said family; sin mo
ment it will be over. 1t is mere faint
ness, Do not be alarmed.
She struggled bravely and conquered
more than he dreamed of. Presently she
smiled and added:
ut has passed already; it was quite
sudden Let us return, if you please"
"But you are not strong enough tt
walk, " he insisted.
"Oh, yes, she said, rising and stand
ing firmly Csfore him; 81 can walk al
well as ever am quite over it, assure
you"
They returned to Roosevelt Place
Julian lightly talking, and she answer
ing in monosyllables.
! CHAPTER XXI.