Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-09-25
For the Herald and Tribune. 'r
A Romance OF the NOlachucky.

On the green banks of the beautiful
Nolachucky River stood man and a
woman. The mans face was full of
tenderness and love for the one beside
him but in Dorothy Faun 8 face there
was no answering love, no tenderness,
but proud smile played over her
naughty face. Not until that day had
Donald Adair found courage to put into
words the great love that had so long
lain dormant in his heart. And that
evening, as they stood 80 near together
on the banks of the river. with the sing
ing birds, the cooling doves and the
sound of the waters in their ears. the
blue sky above them and the scent of
the sweet June roses in the air, Donald
felt that 1t was the most fitting time to
put into words the feelings that he felt
sure she must have known so long.
And he poured into Dorothy's unwill.
ing ears the Sweet Old Story" that
has made so many hearts beat faster
and has made so much happiness and
sometimes sorrow in the world. Oh,
Love, how enchanting, how beautiful
and God,like thou art when thou touch
est two hearts and findest the pure har-
mony of heaven between them But
when thou sendest thy darts to one
heart alone, and that heart findeth no
response in another, how much of an
guish there is "Oh, Dorothy, my dar.
ling, give me but one little word of
hope? Seeing that your love does not
respond to mine, / ask not now that you
should promise to be mine, but give
me Just hope 7" AS the impassioned
words were ended Donald looked
searchingly into Dorothy 8 face, hop
ing to see some sign of an answering
love. But his face grew white as he
looked in the beautiful, upturned face
and saw the red lips curl and proud,
scornful smile on her face. Dorothy
declares that the exact words of her
answer will forever ring in her ears
"Mr. Adair, to say / am surprised
would not express my astonishment. /
have never given you word of en-
couragement, and l think this is alto
gether uncalled for. Before we make
a scene let us join our party at once.n
But, unheeding her words, Donald took
the white hands that held the June
roses into his and begged her that she
would not treat him so coldly. In an
ger she snatched her hands from his,
but before she could leave him she
heard the words that in few days she
was to recall so bitterly Dorothy
Faun, l have given into your white
hands the greatest honor a man can
give q woman, and you have trampled
1t under your feet without q pang. You
have not even given me the kindness
that is left for woman to bestow when
she cannot give love. Mine is not
school boy love, but a love that has
grown with the years-a love that is
strong as death. / cannot live without
you, and l would not if l could" And
Dorothy was silenced and alarmed at
the ashen pallor of his face as he
raised mis- hands to heaven and bitterly
said "Since my love is not worth
even kind word, l swear by the cold
stars overhead that before another
evening shall mock my misery the wa
ters of yonder river shall roll over my
body" AS the terrible words died on
the air Dorothy sped away and left him
alone with his bitter thoughts. Don
aid fell on the white sands and knew
not how long he remained there. He
was awakened to consciousness by the
rivers gurgling sound. He could hear
the waves calling caressingly to him
to seek peace on their quiet breasts.
He arose and took from over his heart
a faded rose, and tearing its petals
apart, threw them on the waters, and
murmuring a few words, leaped into
the depths. Once, twice, thrice the
form arose, and then the blue waters
moved calmly on. just ripple, and
all was as before. So in life-some
bright star of intellect is born and lives
and leaves us. There is a ripple, mur-
mer and all moves on as before. When
they found Donald and carried him to
the green churchyard, Dorothys sweet
voice joined in the song that was slow
ly aung over the grave, but her heart
was not in the song. She comforted
the loved ones, but felt that she needed
more sympathy than they. When Dor
othy left Donald that evening she
thought he would tell her his love
again, and then she would ask his for.
giveness and tell him she only did it to
try him, and that she had loved him
long and would be his wife but alas |
Although she had often played with
hearts and threw them away before,
she. found too late that she had loved
and lost. AS she placed on his grave a
great bunch of the very June roses he
loved, her assumed name almost left
her but, with an almost superhuman
effort, she left the churchysrd and
turned her trembling footsteps toward
the river. Years have passed, and Dor
othy is still the sunshine of the old
home. She allows no man to speak of
love to her, and every year, when the
June roses are In bloom, she may be
seen silently vending her way along
the rivers edge, watching for form
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