The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-17
a ROMANCE,tsPOILED


somewhere-in some fashion--we should
meet again and be glad of tho meeting"
Nevertheless, you married" she said.
eyes" no murnured gently, RETROSPECT
lively, "but not until had heard that
you had. 1t was quite right that you
should do so, Of course, butt
"Tell me about her." she whispered.
"She must have been so good, 30 noble.
| It was better, after all, that our separation
came and you met her. Was 1t notp She
was beautiful You see I am interested
In these things, although am an old
woman"
"And am an old man." he replied,
with sad smile. But he did not tell her
about the wife, except that she had died
years ago, and she somehow found 1t diff
cult to speak Of the husband whom she
had married in pique, to repent In sorrow
that was the deeper because Of her men,
ory of him who had carried away flower
when they parted In anger. She only said
that he had died.
"Such changes come" she said. "For
| I am widow and grandmother. won
der If you can look back over those 30
years and believe 1t could be who left
| you at the gate"
"When stop to think that my grand
| daughter is girl Of A. do really find 1t
difficult" he answered.
They talked of their grandchildren, and
| If you could have heard them you would
| have known that the old story, interrupted
80 years before, was resuming at the chap
ter which had ended with young man
| walking angrily away from gate, glar-
| ing at o rose, but not daring to throw 1t
| away.
"Would it not be pleasant for us to
| bring the little people out to the park to-
morrow" he suggested, II should like
to see your grandson. Indeed should. y
"And should SO love to see the little
| girl 1t would DO nice, wouldn't itp''
"And we could show them the bears
and other beasts and let them play upon
| the grass, and we ourselves might talk of
| those other days" There was meaning in
| his eyes as he looked into the sweet old
face. She knew 1t, and with faint f1ut-
| tering of the heart like that Of the girl
who had given him the flower before quar-
rcling with him, she aoquiesced In the ar
| rangemont. She would bring lunch for
| the children, and they could watch them
| at their play.
He saw her while she was yet distance
| away and walking across the flower
marked lawn toward the fountain where
| they had arranged to meet. Somehow the
| vision of other days came to him, and he
remembered that she had once looked like
this when she had moved down the path
and under the apple blossoms to meet him
| at the gate-only then there was no blue
| capped and white wasted grandchild run
| ming at her side. He remembered also
| that no little golden haired girl in white
frock had held his hand while he had
| waited at the gate or had looked up at him
| and asked him childish questions in the
name of grandpapa.
| The children were shy, and hung back
when they were earnestly prompted to
shake hands and kiss each other, and the
little boy finally refused fatty, and was
child therefor. Then they all went to o
| green hillside, and under the shade of a
tree they gayly spread tho little lunch.
EDO they not" he asked, indicating the
! children "make you think that we are
| beginning life all over again instead of
| coming rapidly into its ending-and to a
| lonesome ending, at thatF Do they not
| hold on, my little man, you muslin smear
| Jelly on your sweetheart's frockl" The
admonitIon was called out by a fiercely
hostile action on the part of her grand
| child Before they could check the young
ster he had repeated his sweet and sticky
| assault, and the little girl burst into
spasms Of tears. They comforted her, and
the silver haired grandmother warned
Bobby that such disgraceful conduct If
| repeated, would meet with swift and ter
rible justice.
II have always kept that rose you gave
me before our quarrel" he said suddenly
turning to her. II did not think it dis
loyalty to my wife to treasure it, and it
| was q great comfort to me. p
He was interrupted by scream from
| her.
"Your lttlo girl is scratching his facet
Oh, the poor little man!''
| He had his hand In his coats inner pocs-
ct, and it was clasping small box in
which he know there rested witheled rose
leaves, but no drew it out again and inter
fcred between the two children.
"Stop, Mabelr he said sharply. "There,
there; don't mind. You mustn't ory about
your dress. Grandpapa will get you a
| fine new ono tomorrow, and dolly"
| "And candyf" snuffed the weeping girl.
"And candy" he promised.
Somehow this episode seemed to have
severely wrCnched events. She comIorted
the scratched Bobby with promises Of edi-
bic merchandise, occasionally speaking of
the dreadful nature Of his wounds. 1t was
ten minutes before they had worked
around to normal condition, and then
he said, II have kept that rose for all
these so years, and you had forgotten me, "
"Forgottcn you? No, no. You must
not say that. l pledged my faith to my
husband and kept iC--but--somotimes-
sometimes--see, here is the little ring you
carved out of a peach stone for me, and"-
"Wah -h-h-h" Came from rearward. She
tunrcd the sweet old face just in time to
see the little girl leap to her feet and butt
the boy fercely and vengefully In the
stomach. Bobby rolled down the hill and
brought up against sapling.
ooh, what do you mcanF You wicked
little vixen!' she screamed. "Attacking
n poor child like that, That is your grand
mothers spirit in you, I'll warrant"
ale put II choad down my back p
screamed little Mabel. "a nasty hop
chond!"
| n bOuul Iut titl mum GHlltu
"You outrageous little villain. Just wait
till peel a switch off this tree, and'-
A silver haired statue lowered before
him. With her right hand she thrust the
sniycling Bobby behind her. "What will
you do, Robert Haldcnf" she asked, with
flashing eyes. assault my grandchild
for being nearly killed by this scratching,
fighting little spitllreP Never. Over my
dead body alone shall such an outrage BIO
committed" And she looked at him like
u heroine.
every well, madam" he snapped,
"Pcrhaps your daughter knows how to
raise children-perhaps you do yourself
hut there's no evidence Of 1t. A toad!
Down her bnck The vicious little whclpl"
Good morning, Robert Hardenl'
Good morning Rebceca EhisP'
They separated, each leading a Shrek
ing grandchild and each burning with in
ward hatred for tho other.
A tramp who sat beneath that tree an
hour later found small box of rose leaves
lying Oh the turf Chicago Record.
Removed His Eye
| DR.. Joseph R. Smith yesterday removed
the left eye Of William Hudson Of Black
A n In