The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-11-05

Many time sinc2 then has Whit OF
crab blossoms come to me, when out at
night, through the pines, or in the
early mornin' have | come suddenly
upon dogwood tree in bloom; an then
the inside of the church, as it appeared
that night, comes back to me, an, old
man that ! am, have the same sicken-
in feelin' around my heart that | felt
as | watched Blossom walk up the
aisle.
In my heart had always called her
my Apple Blossom, so pink an sweet
an beautiful had she appeared to me.
That night was the first time had ever
seen her pale. She looked like slen-
der lily as she moved up the aisle all
alone. How straight she stood, an
how gentle she walked, with eyes all
the while fastened on the white prayer
book. She passed her maid of honor
and stood at the foot of the altar, but
there was no one to receive her.
turned and looked toward the door of
INC ilttiC iooIb' dt lllC lCll u thC pm
pit, for glimpse of Hal, but he was
nowhere to be seen. Lookin' back t
Blossom, who still stood waitin' with
downcast eyes, ! became aware of
something unusual happening.
Clara, too, was missin', an the brid-
al party an the people in the church
were all gain at the do through
which she should come. But in the
place of the bride came Tony, Miss
Chisholm's house boy, with note in
his han. He hurried up the aisle an
handed it to Quintilian. Without a
word he tore the note open an read
it, then handin' it to DR.. Dwight he
stepped toward Blossom. But he was
too late, for befo' he reached her she
fell forward in dead faint. twas the
middle of the next day befo' she re-
gained consciousness. Then followed
long spell of brain fever, an it was
late in the fall befo' she was wei
enough to be moved. Mrs. Skreene
now took her to New Orleans, an they
remained there until the breakin' out
of the war, two years later.
cat the secon' battle of Manassa!
Quintilan was hot in the head. He
has been like this ever since. AT frs
piece of the skull pressed on the
brain, so after the war we took hin
north and had it trephined, but thu
had no effect beyond benefitin' his gen
oral health. In the winter he sits over
the fire readin' an smokin', an in tn,
summer he sits in the pom.
"About ten years ago Clara mad,
her appearance here again with twt
small children. Her first children hat
all died, an she said that Hal. the yea
befo', had gone on raid with lot o
cattlemen, over the Mexican border
an been killed. I told you, didn't
that the night of the weddin' they raj
away and went to Texas? Well. that
what happened, an nobody ever hearc
from them until Clara came here hunt
in for her people. But they are al
dead or married an moved away year
ago, an reckon she would have gon,
away without anybody KNOWN sh
had been here if she hadn't met Quin
lillian comm up from the pom. OIL
an haggard though she was, he knew
her at once. He made her go hom
with him, an Blossom took her in an
treated her as if they had always beel
the best of friends.
"Clara hadn't as much as dollar
an said, at first, she would take he
children to Augusta an get work in tn
factories; but Blossom an Quintilial
wouldn't hear of it. They fixed up tn
old Bailey house for her, an 'fsuppor
her an her children just as Mrs
Skreene did Mrs. Chisholm. That al
happened, as | told you, some ten year
ago, but to Quintilian it seems but
few weeks or months. He has had tn
house he built for her repaired, an i
| under the hallucination that at n
end of her year of mournin' she vii
hurry him. Very occasionally lie goe
with Blossom to see Clsra-though h
fancies he sees her several times n da.
an she is as anxious as he for The en-
of the year"
When the doctor had finished hi
story we turned into the public roac
AS soon MS the mule touched its har
surface he pricked up his ears an
struck a surprisingly swift trot.
Three years later went south again
and took the same trip with the doc
tor, but this time the work at his kac
lin beds was in full blast, and we drov
a pair of housekeeping bays instead o
one male. When we reached tn
branch the bays were unchecked an
drank, but the doctor did not turn u
stream to the pond beyond the ga
and briar bushes. asked for the rea
son and he shook his head as he re
piled;
HE is no longer there. 1t happene
last summer, One afternoon, when h
was goin' home from the pom, he met
man who had tramped up the roa
from Augusta. He was old and in tai
tiers, but Quintilian knew him, ant
standin' there face to face with hin
the past all came back. That nigh
Blossom sent for me, but l saw at one
that l could do no good. 1t was bu
the beginnin' of the end, which came
thank God, swiftly. He was perfect
rational, with all of his old-time bri
liancy an mental strength, but Def,
the end of the week we laid him by tn
side of his mother.
81 hear" he continued, after a fe,
moments pause, fiicking the leaves G