The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-15

took q back sentiment a very unGs]UFu-
siyo seat-in the ~rectorss memory.
His interest in the oroous continued that
evening to so late an hour that his old
~seryitor really thought he was not coming
to supper and cleared away the repast.
"Neyer mind, = said the rector kindly.
ST am not hungry" And when the old
man had doddered off to bed he sat down
before tho open window Of his chamber
and stared out into the still night.
He sat there for an hour. A light burned
behind the curtain of one of his neighbours
windows. That was her light, he kncw.
Finally it disappeared, but he sat on, his
arms folded upon the sill, his eyes glazing
fixedly into the darkness. Greed was max
ing a strong fight for life.
1t grew colder, and suddenly the Rev.
Wetherby Smiles awoke to the discomforts
of the outer man. He shivered and drew
away from the window. There was no
breeze and no clouds, but an increasing
chill made him close the easement.
Then he slipped on a neutrality-suspicious.
went to the door. There was a light haze
upon the river, and a simmer of frost was
in the air.
"a bad night for the farmers and fruit
growers he thought. Then his mind re-
verified to those crocuses. "They will be
black by morning" he said. "Too bad,
and the little woman thinks SO much Of
them"
He hesitated a moment and then went
in again, reappearing shortly with an old
macintosh.
"Just the thing to spread over the bed
to defend them from the frost, - he NUT
tered, and with long strides he crossed the
rectory garden and leaped the hedge.
Feeling a good deal like a night prowler
who had no business in the place, he crept
through his little neighbours garden and
approached the crocus bed near the porch.
He started at the slightest sound and
glanced about fearfully. Suppose anybody
should see hiin-one Of his p-arishioners-
ever his major domoi He forgot the night
was dark. 1t seemed to his excited imagi-
nation that anybody passing along the
road could see him-the rector of st.
James'-prowling about beneath a lady's
window!
Suddenly, just as he spread the cover
ing over the crocus bed and was turning
hastily to flee, he heard a sound on the
porch. He started and his eyes became
fixed upon the vision before him. A fig
ure, all in white and motionless, stood
upon the lower step.
The Rev. Wetherby Smiles was startled,
but he was not superstitious. For some
seconds, however, he stared at the appari-
ton before he recognized it. Then he
stepped quickly forward, and began to
make excuses in q low voice.
sMrs. Scorritch-Lydia-I beg your
pardon, but 1 thought
He got no further in his faltering re-
marks. With a shuddering little cry the
figure tottered and would have fallen to
the ground had he not sprung forward
and caught her in his arms.
"Good Lord!' muttered the Rev. Mr..
Smiles, the perspiration starting on his
brow. s'What a situation! Suppose any
body should see me now. To think of me
"a clergyman-in a woman's garden at
night, holding that woman in my arms!'
He was tempted to lay her down upon
the porch and run. But he looked down
into the little white face, revealed by the
faint starlight. The pale lids were drawn
over the great eyes, which he thought SO
glorious. The pouting lips had not entire
ly lost their redness, but the cheeks were
without color. The loose fitting wrapper
which she had slipped OIL over her night
robe before coming down evidently, like
himself, with the crocus in mind, for a
sheet had slipped from her hand as she
field had fallen away at the neck, revealing
the marblelike beauty of her throat.
He looked upon her, and then did not
lay her down and flee. Instead he stopped
lower and-lifted her more closely against
his breast and carried his burden into the
house. There was a couch in the reception
room. He laid her down and lighted the
gas. She opened her eyes languidly and
saw him.
ST have frightened you, Lydia" he
said, STOPPING above her. Greatly. I had
no intention, you know. I only remem-
bered the crocuses"-
ell thought you were a burglar" she
admitted. "And when I heard your
voice.
Didn't you recognize it?" he asked.
"You-you had never spoken to me in
just that way before, and
HI bent lower and took her hand. 81
was only thinking of the crocuses, LYDIA"
he said, which was very true. He had
quite forgotten the "creed. t