The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-04-27
quired, Mademoiselle will, of course,
wear what monsieur has sent?" de-
murely, as with an afterthought.
Mademoiselle bowed her head.

|
The same evening year later.
81 never could make it OUT" OBJ
the fort, to a select circle of listeners.
in that quarter l thought old Mark
had dropped into a good thing, and
knew it. BY Jove, though Edith Car
rington is no beauty, she is very nice
girl; and old Mark is not eyerybody's
bargain himself, by Jove. We all
thought it was done thing.
MARK went for her like blazes. He
was never away from the Hatch. The
widow seemed agreeable, and the girl
l hear, has broken her heart since it
all came to nothing. What stopped it
no one knows. Poof! In the twink
ling of an eye it bust up. Mark was
off; the Carringtons held their tongues,
and not soul could find out the rights
of the story"
"I'll find out, however" decided one
of the group, as the prattler ceased;
and presently the person who thus
meditated slipped away from the rest,
and he and Mark Brett were seen to
stroll off across the fields away from
the fort.
Afternoon was giving place to eve
ming; it was almost the same witching
hour as that in which we first beheld
Edith Carrington's lover.
Hold hard!" exclaimed Captain
Brett's companion. Look out, there!
How dark it grows! You almost ran
me into that arbutus tree"
"Arbutus tree? That's not an ar
butus tree" said Mark gruff1y. Don't
you know an arbutus tree when you
see it?"
"Rather. And when I don't see it. In
darkness or in light, this is an ar
butus"
"Rot! 1t is nothing of the kind.
It-now don't bother, for tell you it
is not" continued Brett, sharpness OF
accent increasing as memory woke
more and more, "and 1 ought to know.
Confound you, then, if you will have
it, 1 will tell you all my happiness in
the world once turned upon an ar
butus tree. Yes, it did; you may stare
if you please; know what am talk
ing about; I-it-but for it-never
mind it-I'm fool, if you like, only
don't tell me that don't know arbutus
berries again when / see them"
"Arbutus berries? Oh, well, we al
know the berries. There are none, as
it happens, on this tree" said the
younger man, peering about. "How.
ever, if you only knew an arbutus by
its berries" laughing with his nose in
air.
"Perhaps 1 might not know the tree
for certain without them," conceded
Mark reluctantly. "Neither would
you. One shrub is very like another.
"But there are the blossoms"
"Blossoms?"
Now that noodle of Mark had
never observed that the arbutus has
such a thing as a blossom. He was
not a gardener, and the only time he
had ever noted the shrub in question
at all had been in the waning Decem.
Der dusk, when the wealth of crimson
fruit had caught his eye. The hang.
ing blossoms, which as every one
knows, or ought to know, come out al
the same time as the berries ripen,
had been entirely overlooked by him.
In few moments the veil had fallen
from his eyes; he saw it all; the mis-
take into which ignorance had led
him; the pitfall into which diffidence
had entrapped him.
OF course, Edith-his Edith, thai
should have been-had worn a spray
of green, with white bells pendent
therefrom, on the fateful evening
when he had fancied her lost to hin
forever.
One glance had doomed him in hi:
own eyes. He had not seen his ar
butus berries wreathed in the darl
locks for which he had designed them
and he had sat thereafter with duml
lips and dead weight on his heart
aud then, then had followed the maid
emily modesty which he had mistaker
for resentment, the reticence which
had prevented explanation, his owl
proud resolve to make neither com
plant nor comment, and finally hi
retirement in full marching order from
the scene. He had told himself tina
he was a man who knew when he wa
beaten.
As he had ridden away that night ht
had mentally hidden farewell to all thu
bright prospects which had danced be
fore his eyes during the past months
had told himself he had been deludeC
and mistaken; and quietly set about t.
retrace his steps.
So well had he trusted them that b,
had baffied even his comrades in arms
and it was only now, only when
kindly lad having had the luck t.
stumble upon the keynote of the affai
at the outset, pressed home query up
on query that he was prevailed upon t.
disclose the events of the past,
81 never did understand it," mur
INJURED the joyful Edith in her lover
ear few hours later, "and never min
what l supposed. wore the arbutu
exactly as received it; it came fror
you; only Marie would put in only tn
: half, and there were no berries-c
that am absolutely sure"
: $50 am l." said Brett.
: "For 1 recollect hearing her mute
: to herself something about great ugly
red fruits, which made me suspec
| she did not admire your taste, and wa
devoutly thankful you had contine
yourself to the arbutus blossom"
81 tell you what" cried Mark, star
| ing to his feet 81 see it all now. OF
l heavens! that I should have been sue
1 an idiot! That fiend of woman ha
3 picked off the berries and thrown thel
g away"
s Which was exactly what Marie ha
a done.
Now, did ever man run a create
: risk of shipwreck from little want {
o common sense, and complete igno
a ance of horticulture? -ErchanJe.
n a Great Fish Story.