The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-03-06

|'\/'\/'\/H\/'\/'\/S\ /S\/1\/S\It\/X\/ *
empty drawing room when the Admi-
raj returned. Somehow the afternoon
seemed very long, after the two we'll
mounted figures dropped down the
road together and were out of sight.
Sereta among the flowers pricked her
fingers more than common. Sam
uel, / should think the Admiral would
like change" she said fiercely when
she had cut all the pink buds and
walked carefully around the curved
beds to begin on the red
Samuel stared as if he had been
challenged by the burning bush.
The Admiral? Miss Sweeta, the Adj
miral's n py'rennial. Most of the
men that come here is just blown
away seed, half-sown or wind-sown-
come up first in one garden then in
another. The Admiral's rooted like n
red laloc; he don't need transplantin'
now; more likely strange soil would
kill him outright"
1t was disappointing that the con-
versetion at dinner that night should
have taken n strictly technical turn
1T ran, nay, it fairly flew, on naval
equipment, tactics and manmuvres.
till the sleepy hostess withdrew unno-
ticed. Left all to themselves it burned
out with big guns toward morning,
when the stranger opened attack on
the o.S subject of the Admiral's $50
Iation, urging the necessity of renewed
contact with men, the charm of old
scenes-while the Admiral listened as
II to far off music, and finally said,
half-musing, entirely unmoved: "I
am like that dear fellow Stevenson,
Roger, my boy. l, too, have lived
and loved and closed the door,"
But surely the Weltgeist is not
dead III you, Admiral. Gray hairs do
not make moss-grown wits. there's not
man in the service to match you"
Thanks" interrupted the older
man, briefly. "Welt-lust list vorbei.
If / can avoid Welt schmertz here in
the overgrown corner of my pasture
fastness, don't let envy of my peace
poison your happiness. lam too old,
and Sereta--"
"Ah, yes, Sereta--" broke in the
youngster; "she is at the other end of
the path. You and she are like the
two last petals of the daisy rhyme we
used to say our fate 'passionement
pas de toutr You live in your
library and your thoughts; she lives
in your shadow and the companions
ship of that hyercritcal old gardenerl"
Your voice betrays irritation,
Roger, said the Admiral, blan lily.
Samuel did not forget himself, [
hope
"No-that is, 1 tried to talk with
him n bit about slips this morning.
was admlring his yellow lilies-but he
took no interest in my botanical re-
searches. That is neither here nor
there, however. Your ward has eyes
that no rose bugs can appreciate, and
nature that would Written up some
OF the dark places of earth consider
ablyif properly applied She ought
to see less Of herself, and moro Of"
He began to say people OF her own
age, but ended worse by adding, "The
things her mother would have given
her-fun and dancing, and"
stop, cried the Admiral. Good
forbid such u fate as her mothers was
for her. Thus far Der feet have trod
In angel innocence, she is happy MS n
boy, high-miuded as q saint. She has
never tempered with her emotions.
nor felt the wasting reaction from
pleasure. She doesn't know her
heart, except as she knows her lungs
by name. She is youth, graceful
and uuspoijed, classic rs n Greek.
You cannot make n Folly of her; the
marble is already cut ON straighter
lines.
For time things went on in the
old routine; except that the Admiral
smoked more and talked less, no one
would have guessed anything had
happened. No ono saw the battle
fought or took account Of self-in-
diligence slain, or carried drink 10 the
dying convictions or sOftened the
going Of well-lovcd preferences, but
after many days and nights the
campaign ended ne suddenly rs 10 be.
gan, and tho Admiral was every inch
n commander still aa Inc went 90 find
Sercta with surrender on his brow.
10 was bedtime, and he found her on
the terrace bidding tho stnrs good
night; ono Of her many quaint OBJ
servances OF childhood.
There was n touch Of pagan wonder
on her upturned face as she stood
there; he stood beside her and
brcathed q last long breath Of COM
plete content "They look down on
many heart aud country tonight"
he began; "think Of the Alps-thoy
must love such tall peaks best because
they are nearest--and then the sea
that losses their image back TO them