The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-02-02

Somehow, somewhere and at some
time the wrongs of life will all be
righted. !"
CHAPTER TX.
Morning came and touched every
thing with splendor. The weather beaten
hut grew soft with purple shadowing.
The leaves Of the vine that clambered
up the steep roof tumbled in the morn
ing air. A great rhododendron tree,
which Wilmot had not noticed before,
had still few blossoms upon it. They
must have named her for the tree-rho-
dodendron, laurel. How much prettier
the shorter name was!
The door Of the picturesque cid; hut
opened and Laurel came slowly out.
Sorrow had cut her as frost cuts flow
er. She did not see Wilmot, but with
uplifted eyes she said in a tender, bro
ken voice, as one would do habitual
thing though the heart were not in the
doing Of it: "Good mornin, pretty
clouds. Good mornin, ole Mount Hood.
sweet mornin t. yo'." And she kissed
her hands. Then covering her eyes, she
stood for little with bowed head-nos
as one awaiting blessing, bat as one
whose strength had become weakness.
Out over the desert the snow peak
rose in high relief against the sky, like
some glistening shrine belonging to an
other and afairer world. Wilmot began
to understand how, in this joyless, iso-
lated life, her fine nature had given a
spirit to these fairer objects and had en-
tered into kinship with them.
She turned and saw him, but she did
not start or tremble as he had feared.
She only looked at him calmly with q
slow lifting Of the eyes and protracted
but not searching gaze. He did not ap-
proach or vex her with a greeting, but
she came slowly toward him.
why didn' yo' come back Std o.
tn other un?'' she asked
He uncovered his head and looked at
her. What could he answer?
why didn' yo' come?' she repeated
in the same slow monotone.
His heart grew heavy with tenderness
and with something which had been
growing there for many weeks.
''I have come now" +" he answered. 81
am sorry that did not come before. ]
staid away because was not wise and
did not know what it was best to do.
But I am here now, and if you will let
me will bring my sister, dear, brave
girl, to see you, and she and will take
you away, and you shall be with US al
ways-if you will. ;"
Sne clasped her hands tightly to-
gether.
ST have come to say that to you," he
said. Forgive me for not having come
before. .
1T hurts t. stay here she said.
Everything hurts. She turned away.
He waited patiently. Presently she lift
ed her eyes again to his face. Some
thing in his lock melted her. She threw
herself down upon the moss covered log
at his feet and sobbed passionately.
eth clouds n tn mountains, - she
sobbed. ''They kin never be tn same.
II want t. go. -
Then Wi11not went toward the door
Of the hut, and meeting the ''gran'-
TIERS told the whole story in simplest
language and begged from them their
dearest treasure.
sWe can't git long nohow 'thout
Laurel, % protested the grandfather.
But the heart of the grandmother un-
derstood and was touched. "She doan'
b'long t. us, - she said, "'n we hain't
got no right t. set up ag'in it eff Laurel
wants t. 60
Then followed few necessary words
of planning, after which Wilmot went
back and lifted the slender form in his
arms
'Laurel, little flower, 1 am coming
after you in few moro days And you
will go with me them"
She leaned against him as one who
had found shelter from pitiless storm
"Yo' didn' come before she an
swered. 81 thought yo' would come,
but yo' didn'. N he come. N then l
got s. bad hurt here. and she laid her
hand upon her heart, 'thet can't git
my breath. But 30 hey come. n I'll
go with yo' anywhere. I'll stay with
yo'. I'll wait fur yo' when yo ben
gone jes' I ben doin these thar days.
Fore yo' come that fust time I ben
dead. It ben empty livin-'fore yo'
come. -