Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-02-21

ping out, and it would De near an hour
before she would return with STRANGE
light in those eyes I knew so well and
many's the time it all ended with
night of tears.
81 know--I listened to the murmur-
ings of the flowers, and flowers are not
safe confidants. though women folks
think they are They rustic and tell
to listen and the secret is out, carried
far and wide by the birds, their lovers.
''It was dreary, bitter night, and
the little one knelt before the fire with
her slender hands, that trembled so they
stirred the lace about the wrists, out
stretched before the blaze. She seemed
to see face in the red ashes.
'' Now, she murmured, If that does
not fade for one whole minute shall
take it as good omen and go. heard
the words and trenbled. Oh, how /
was torn in twol The one pride of my
life had been to tell the truth to every
one, and here was my mistress making
that burden for the first time 1t was
a struggle, and somehow habit Won
The minutes passed, and 1 announced
it in choked old voice, but she did not
seem to know that; only sigh of pleas
ure and tear of regret mingled, and
with pathetic gesture she threw her
hands in the air, as if throwing all care
to the winds and accepting fate. Then
she came and stood before me, as she
had done so often as n tiny one, and
looked up at me.
f" AT half past 10, old friend, don't
fail to tell me. 1 shall be listening with
all my heart. You need not strike very
loudly. 1 shall hear-I shall be sure to
hearP And she had gone slowly up the
stairs. Time felt a weight upon me as
tolled the minutes out. am only the
servant of time Just to speak the words
he tells me, to keep straight, fair rec
ord of how he flies
''Tick took, tick tockl felt as if l
should smother At 10 1 struck the
number out. Never before had known
how loud was my voice. We are all of
us what we are made. Each one in this
world has so much to do, no more, no
less. Tick tocAl The very heaviness of
my trouble was making me dim and
uncertain.
81 heard the master of the house and
his friend and guest-the man 1 liked,
the elder, quiet man-close their doors,
and everything was still except my
voice. Would that could crush it out
"They say that things like myself
can neither feel nor suffer, but the bur
den of my thought was, Could l save
my mistress? The wish was so great
that it overpowered everything. 1t was
near the half hour, when suddenly
everything seemed to come to stand
from me. l could go no longer.
''For the first time in my existence 1
failed to tell the time.
My little mistress was above, wait
ing, waiting, but did not dare to stir
until the appointed hour.
81 don't know how late it was when
1 found her standing in the hall, pale
as the ghosts that are said to haunt the
woods at midnight
I" 'You have failed me-failed met
was all she said. And her slender fin
gers worked at the big bolt that barred
the door 1t was at length forced bnck
to its rest, and the maiden, all mufied
in a heavy cloak, had drawn it and was
gone
''What tell you now heard from
the whispering flowers. The guest was
a. 4Gtl1 utIA lllil WIN JtIOuBnb d BTGab
deal, then gathered the best of these
heaven sent gifts and, setting his hand
to paper, told them to the world. On
that night he had opened the window
of his room and was watching the clouds
as they chased each other in the old
moons light, and somehow the noise of
the hall door closing aroused him. He
looked and saw slender figure hurry
ing across the lawn.
''In q moment he was out. In the
sweet scented garden where the high
wall rises against the banks of the river,
and where little boat rocked upon the
tide, he found the maiden on the grass
with the young lovers head upon her
knee. The young man had waited for
her to come with the key to unlock the
door. which was half hidden by the
vines which covered all the wall. I'm
patiently he had paced to and fro; then
tried to climb in order to hasten to his
lady's window and give signal He
had slipped and fallen and in some way
turned his foot
cat glance the elder man took in
all the scene, and touch of pain tight
ened the firm mouth as he said: You
heard cry of distress and came to find
the cause So did L Let me help you,
my child, for this is no place for you