The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-18
Grandmother's Romance

4
We all came to the old chateau for
| graadmether's funeral. children. grand
| children and at-grandchildren. sac
was buried in the corner Of the eemste-
~ which she had chosen long ago. ard
after the sad ceremony we returned 70
| the old house. Here were memories Of All
| Of US For three generations she had
held children in her arms. sOothed the
sorrows. listened 70 hte.r joys. ard now
they were all met 70 mourn her alb
sence from the cid place SO dear from It's
associations with her
l mounted the great staircase. and en-
tered the room from which they ha5 jus,
taken her. Here were my earliest rec
objections of her. l recalled how. as it
tie girl, would come in in the morning
as soon as was dressed, saying, Coed
morning, grandmother" I always found
her dressed, for she was an early rise-.
She would leave her chair BY the win
dow and go to the big old-fashioned ward
robe, which looked so immense 20 me, and
take from it the expected dainty
Nltn that awe and respect had this
wardrobe filed my childish heart. II
seemed 10 me a perfect tEeasure-house for
ali That child holds dear On my birth
days my presents came from this store
house, and I imagined IL always fun OF
Il
mother as almost a fairy
With these remembrances In nv mind
l opened 1t now. II was fun Of fragrant
linen scented with lavender. except for a
little shelf at one side, where lay several
papers tied with a pink ribbon. and car
ried II 10 the light. Had / any right I,
read the pages? They were dfscolored by
age, but l knew the writing. Cauld
grandmother have any secrets which she
would wish TO keep after death?
1t was in the month Of June, 1872. en- a
beautiful evening, when even the flow
ers exhale more strongly their subtle per-
fumes and the human heart has a desire
to open. Here In the twilight OF the old
garden grandmother heard the first words
Of love.
Beneath the deeper shadow Of the trees
wrapped in the sweet odor OF the flowers.
TWO figures, young girl and a young
man. walked side by side with slow
st2ps.
Yes, Clarisse. I am going" said the
young man. And what difference dos
it make? Suppose l never return from
the war. Who would care? I am alone
in the world"
You have friends. Horace"
None
And l, said she. very low.
'You!" cried he, you would care least
of any"
There was a long silence. The grave.
sounded beneath their slow tread. The
night fell little by little. Horace heard
a stified sound and turned.
You are crying. CIarisse!"
You hurt me So
Do you love meg"
She faltered and his arms caught her
and held her against his beating hear
Unresisting, she raised her face TO his
and their lips met In a long kiss-the
first.
Horace left the next morning.
Years passed and the war ended Ma
ny who had been improsined returned
but still he delayed. She pictured htm
buried beneath the snow Wa numberIess
others. who had dropped exhausted along
the line of the terrible march.
Her parents urged upon her the duty
or selecting a husband. She gave her
hand to Count d'Estrarville.
1t was ten years since the kiss given
beneath the trees. She was sitting on
a bench in the garden, when a stranger
approached her along the path. As he
neared her she recognized him. It wa
Horace.
He came toward her with outstretched
arms, then stopped, as though surprised
at the GOODNESS of her greeting.
1T is too late" she said. Il am already
married"
He explained the reason OF his long alb
sence. Captivity, Siberia, the mines. all
the frightful sufferings by his belief Il
her love and her loyalty to the unsuo-
ken vow made in the twilight OF h
garden. Never had he lost the hope that
he would some day return to find Re
waiting for mi; that their lives. so .oag
divided, would be atlast united forever
You lied 10 me that night when u
said you loved me-" be cried. the bitter
ness Of his disappointment making him
cruel
No" she said. 'T loved you. and
shall always love you. II is jus for that
reason that you must continue dead TO
me. i canot ntrust myself with you"
And he left her.
This was the story Of grandmother lie
as l read II from the old diary ! remeu-
bered an old man who lived in the neigh
borhood and whom we chl1dreu callei
the chevalier.' I identified him win
Horace. When grandmother became a
widow. and when she was an old lady 10
us. he came 10 live near her. and they
spent many long hours together IN The
sweetest and purest companiouship.
l put the little old diary safely back q
the old wardrobe. and left the dear cd
room.-From the French