Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-10-12
A SPnlG OF ROSEMARY.

BY JULIA SCHAYER.

murdered, and no one would ever
know what became of her. She had
I read Of numbers Of people disappear
ing mysterlouslv that way SO she
let car after car pass until she could
feel quite, quite sure.
When She ha | been standing there
ONE time IN the hot sun handsome
coupe stopped near her, and an old
gentleman stepped out. He was a
fine looking old gentleman indeed.
clean shaven, rosy and somewhat
pompous. His hair was silver white.
and 80 were the heavy brows under
which were eyes as hard and bri ight
as polished steel; his mouth was the
mouth OF man who loved pomp and
pleasure. but it was not altogether a
cruel mouth. As he stepped on to
the curb he noticed the woman stand
ing there with her basket of country
and tanning herself YEARLY with the
black shawl.
tie had a quick sense Of the pic
tlresque, this smooth -shaven old gen
t!eman, and lie was one OF the few
no looked a second time. His eyes
softened little, too. 1t was as If
breath of clover fields and orchards
had been waited to him by that bit of
black shawl III the cotton & loved hand.
Some one III passing had broken off
spray from one of the plants and it
lay willing on the hot cl1rbstone. The
gentleman stopped, picked it mp and
carried it into his Office in the great
stone building on the corner. When
be was seated at his desk it was still
In his hand. He looked at it curious
~. 1t had large, oval, dull green
leaves, delicatelv serrated;a a pungent,
wholesome odor rose from it, prevail
ing over the other odors in the room
odors Of Russia leather of tobacco
and of the street
The gentleman inhaled its fragrance
long and deeply.
''What is it?' he asked himself Il
IT, 1t is rosemary! Yes. That 5
hat It is. Rosemary
The steely eyes softened still more
and fixed themselves like those of one
hypnotized The full, proud mouth
grew tender.
''Thepe was clump of rosemary
in mothers garden" so ran his
thoughts, ''and near it was great
mat Of cloye-pinks. They b1oomed in
June | can smell them now. There
was huge bush OF southernwood
there, too, and some tawny lilies, and
spiderwort, and monk s-hood, and
l 1,a Al.
names come back to me, The lilac
: bushes in the corner were like tree>
t. me IN those days. | used to 81,
: under them and play at matching
blades of grass with sister Mary, and
wonder why her hands were so white
and why mother never let her work
hard. | know now. She faded away
: and died. and there was only me left.
J, | remember those Sundays IN sum
mer when | was not allowed to play OF
:. run about. How long they were ant
how hot, Like today, but with sucl
= a difference. Mother always hat
a spray IF rosemary and {
pink folded in her handkerchief W her
we started FOR the meeting house, anC
; some catauav- seed IN her pocket
VIII II sue gave me now ana tnen uur
ing the service when she saw / wa
: almost asleep. | taste them now, ant
]. smell the rosemary aud the pinks, ano
tne pine odors coming III at the opel
window. and the varnish on the pews
all mingIe | together. And ! hear ths
crcaklu. Of the vomen'> fans, and th,
= horses whinnying under the she'd be
hind tie meeting house, and the nln
! listers droning voice how il all come
: Lack 10 me,
!, and Abbv-Abby Grorer he,
Il folks pew was across f.oa ours. ai'
!, | used to trv Aly best 10 make he
X au.h in meeting. but doa't think
i ever st1ccee lcd She was a nice girl
Abby vas Net pretty, but with some
1 t.lug about hec that was tette
a tlau beauty And her eyes an,
Il hair we're really lovely. lemen be.
Abby generally Wore sprls Q
10 i >e.Aa.N plAAed II her dress when
vent usc. - see AeG sunday nights Il
W >uAtuca iuat va, after We grew ~
i We used Is >lt on the orchard VA
!, anI talk lnt!l the whippoorwllls bega
il c.ying, and Abbv's mother woui
! come t. the door and say tne dew wa
- falling and she guessed we bette
4. come III.
d Il fancy | did most OF the talking
Id though. for Abby WAS one of your 8