The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-05-26


der his grizZled mustache, adding an in
audible curse at the folly of unloosening
tongue he had held perslstently for quar-
ter of century. But the temptation t.
impart, once suggested, was not to be re
sisted and presently he went ON in rush
ing tide of talk, forgetting that he had I
listener and staring straight ahead at thu
| winding road, with it's checker of ligh
and shade
1T was on a spring day that met hel
first, under the trees where we shall sooI
| be standing. People said she was beauti
full, but 1 never thought about that.
only knew from the moment laid eyes
upon her that she was the one woman In
the world for me- Some friends of min,
whom she was visiting had brought hen
out to see the view-it was celebrated ever
then. Did chance lead me hero in ths
course of an aimless ramble through thu
woods? don't believe it. Ii was fate
fatality as l look back upon il now.
well, limited Ruth as he seemed
about to lose himself in silent reminis-
cences, and sol''
"Well, her home was in the south-in
Virginia She and her sister were orphans
and lived with an uncle who was proud
and passionate and hot blooded, and ruled
them with an iron rod. He had planned
brilliant futures for the two girls, and he
came hurrying north poSthaste when he
heard that one of them was getting en-
tangled with a poor duffer like me. l was
studying for the bar then. My family
was respectable, but plain, and had hard
ly penny to bless myself with. She loved
me. l knew it in thousand ways, and
we were drifting along from day to day in
the ecstasy of happiness that only comes
once in lifetime, each sure of the others
devotion, though not word of lovemak-
ing had been exchanged. How could
speak to her till had at least some pros
poets to offer2 But l knew she under
stood. felt sure she would wait for me,
and every noble ambition, every pure as
piration that can lift q mans life heaven
ward, awoke in me through Der.
cat last there came ar afternoon like
this, and we took the familiar path to-
gether by tacit consent We always felt
that this spot was full of tender associa
tions, although we never talked about it.
There were SO many things, SO many
moods in which each understood the other
instinctively. I don't recall what we
chatted about that day. didn't know
then. Words were nothing. We were to-
gether; that was all. But as we sat under
the great oak tree at the top of the Hill l
picked up an acorn from the ground and
handed it to her. In mock seriousness
gave and she took, but we both had the
deep underlying sense that it was a gage
d amour, and our hearts beat in the still
ness until she said, with her low, sweet
laughter: 4 shall keep this forever in
memoriam of the day and the place and
the hour. / shall wear it till die and
then it shall be planted on my grave.
These are the trifles we remember, little
Ruth, across the years. The great excit-
ing events of life fade and grow dim, and
some one bright moment, some trivial
speech, is left as the most precious legacy
of the past.
Again silence. Ruth feared to break
the spell by any comment or question,
and held her peace till her companion
chose to resume.
"That was the last time l ever saw her
The uncle arrived on the scene that very
night and took her away without giving
her chance to say goodby to me. like
to think she would not have willingly left
me then without word-whatever change
her feelings underwent later. wrote to-
her letter after letter. She did not reply.
In the meantime the war had broken out
and l had enlisted in the ranks. was
desperate for / knew the difference be-
tween north and south was one more bar
4lol $50 -, on++.,,,,st
So e1o no 49, f ahsa,,aa fror, ~ raer;
Do soo $500 T., bo,. ,,roIe,s
nielO anu V 49, 10y tL m"S " r~a.+ Lori,s
esV a go, 49, g. a. hotT.od ena,nst +be
Wv 20 ;,e+o,,so +ho+ ~ ,,a,,r
"''' 80. ~ s,,,o,.o,,o
speoen inee0 0'-'ie' Ao- ---'
"enu,
Inc olu Iilsti tU ilrsV reiusou W reooiEe
me. buO perslseeu' anu nIaily was ao-
mlupeu 10 Une sIes'o rainpiinS ouuii'ly
mouse, every hper VI my pelhg Uilsiins aO
the though' onaC was uhuer one saiile
roof with ner' ana giahclhg : @pouV eaeerly'
hoping TO caocn d gillnpse VI ner eoiiieno",
somewhere NO l was soon snuO inv ". d a
gloomy library WIN une unoio, wilo eooAe ~.
a0 my preoehslons anu piosuln poion III
ASKING ior vne manu- VI siIi % iest ooose 9
me III plrcn anu preeoine' onen ue0ialou
ehao sne was PROMISED 10 some one eise'
Wnlch l wouluil peiieVe' anu "V i"sS III 4, d
frenzy OIL rage ne oruereu lne ou0 Vi Une
mouse.
won go, sala l, uneil get her
own assurance that she Will nave none Oh
me, ana sooou my gfouha WIN manu-
on the pisool III my poche1 unVil one ohe
man. VINO was a cowaru lor an nus oius.er,
agreed TO go up 10 ms niece lne auihl1.eu
she was IN the nouse) ana pring me I'm, ilne
rom her 10 prove ms assurance siis'O oiiere