Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-05-04
In Apple Blossom Season.

In Apple Blossom Season.
just quaint old house, brown and
weather-stained, with tall chimneys,
around which the swallows darted and
flew, and under the wide-spreading
caves built their nests, free from mo-
lestation. A creeping rose, with
glimpses of morning-glories inter
twined, climbed over the roof of the
veranda and up, up, over the windows,
whose lodges rested almost upon the
steep roof. There was wide lawn in
front and at the sides of the house,
where great trees swayed their yield
ing branches, whose glistening leaves
rustled together in the cool morning
breeze of early summer. Of yonder,
where the tall mountains toward sky
ward, a river ran at their feet, sheen
of gold in the sunlight, and ribbon
of silver in the moonlight; and to the
right, with no dividing fence between,
lay the fragrant old orchard.
Early summer, vet here the apple
blossoms had just begun to shower
pink and white petals upon the dewy
grasses, seeming like tinted snow
fakes, save for their perfume, which
floated out gratefully, to be caught by
the breeze and carried away, away,
until they greeted the nostrils and al
most intoxicated the senses of one who
sat in a little white boat at the rivers
brink, safely concealed from sight by
friendly trees.
1t was unusually quiet at the old
house this morning, save for the twit-
tering of the birds, for the voice of its
own song bird was hushed. The sweet
singer, Catherine Graeme, the only
child of old Doctor John and his WIFE
was going away from father and
mother and all that the old home held
dear. Here she was born, here she
had been reared, and her life had been
one long holiday until recently, when
the beautiful dark haired, dark eyed
girl had taken it upon herself to fall
in love with the son of her fathers
former rival and lifelong enemy
Rexford Bayliss, like Catherine
Graeme, was an only child He was
a tall, stalwart fellow, with tawny hnir
and moustache, and possessed a pair
of laughing blue eyes and a fun-loying /
disposition. Catherine was inclined
to be grave
1T is not bad enough for aim to he
the son of my enemy" said Doctor /
Graeme, when he learned of the init
macy existing within the young peo-
pie, "but the fellow is lazy actually |
lazy!"
"Why don't you speak-say some
thing, Margle? You know that you
do not approve of the rascal any more
than l dol" exclaimed the doctor
''He is hardly a rascal, father, his
wife answered gently.
The fact of it was, she really liked |
the light-hearted, laughing-eyed young /
fellow, although she honestly disliked |
his father, and she could not help sym
pathizing with her only daughter. She
remembered her youth, and was sur
prised that her husband seemed to .
have forgotten his. And ah, he was a /
wild young fellow, and theirs was a
runaway match, which fortunately /
ended happily, not according to the
rule. And since the two were such |
enemies solely on her account, she
could hardly feel very bitter against
the man who once sought her hand, al
though she did not like him. But his
son-well, that was different; and his
mother, now dead, had been a lovely |
little woman. 1t was from her that
Rex inherited his laughing eyes and |
snny disposition.
Judge Bayliss was possessed of an
independent fortune, so it had not been
necessary for "the boy" as he called |
him, to toll; but the boy was now
twenty-eight years old Cathie was
twenty three. Certainly they were
old enough to know their own minds, |
and so they we're about to assert them.
Cathie Graeme stood for long time
looking around the room that she was |
was about to leave forever. There |
were so many things wrought by her |
mothers loving hands, and so many |
things purchased by her father for her
especial use and happiness Her birds,
her flowers, her music; dainty gar
ments, easy chairs. The hot tears
came into her eyes as she thought of
what she was leaving in her loving,
tender mother. And her father was
kind in everything else but this. Thea
she dried her tears quickly, for wA
not Rex dearer and better than all