The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-11-02

seats, cunnlngly placed IN SecluQeQ cor
ners, invited repose to the dancers. There
in the quivering moonlight stood Rose
mary Maitland. Her companion looked
at the sweet face half turned away from
him. Presently he spoke.
at may be u long, long time" he said
softly. And the music died away into a
distant echo-it seemed of pain. Twill
you spare a thought for me sometimes?"
81 shall. often think of you," she an
swercd simply.
Twill yOu give me a f1ower? he said
and turned to the flower border, filled
with quaint, old fashioned plants-laven-
der, "boy's love-" "balm" and a host of
others.
"What would you like?" she asked.
And then with sudden impulse she
picked off a piece Of an old fashioned
plant and offered it to him.
There's rosemary for remembrance"
she said little unsteadily.
And as Jim Duncan took the little
pungent smelling sprig he kept the hand
in his. Surely the hour was come.
Rosemary" he said, Rosemary, will
you remember me? 1 love you. Darling,
won't you speak to mel"
What do you want me to say?" she
whispered, and the light in her sweet
blue eyes was quite enough for Jim Dun
can, for he took her in his strong arms
and murmured all those sweet things
which come with all the force of first
love.
sit may be only a year." he said, cor
it may be longer. Can you wait so long.
Rosemary"
Her answer. spoken softly enough. was
distinctly, Yes"
II shall keep this" he said, putting the
little green sprig carefully away in his
pocket. land when I am far away, dar-
ling. that will tell me of Rosemary, for
remembrance.
Rosemary. Rosemary! Where are you.
child?"
A tall, dark eyed woman stood beside
them, her sheeny satin train sweeping
over the grass. Diamonds glittered in
her hair.
I'VE are going now, dear" she said,
looking keenly at Rosemary.
"Ah, is that you. Mr.. Duncan? So you
are really going abroad?"
Eyes, for a year. l hope not more. 1
shall hope to come and see you before we
sail, Mrs. Maitland"
1--WE should have been delighted to see
you," she said, "but l am afraid we
leave town tomorrow for the country.
Come. Rosemary"
She swept away, followed by her
daughter. And as they stood in the bril-
liantly lighted hall Jim found time to
whisper a last goodby in Rosemary's ear.
"Goodby, darling" he whispered rs he
put her soft, furry cloak over her Shout
ders. 81 shall write to the colonel and
you too. Tell me you love me. dearest"
'You know do. JIM"
Mrs. Maitland glanced curiously at her
daughter as she sat still and silent in the
corner of the brougham.
"SiIly childr she reflected. THANK
heaven l was in time to nip the thing in
the bud"
She said nothing, however, to Rose
mary on the subject, and they parted in
silence.
It was a week later.
Rosemary still watched feverishly for
the postman. happily unconscious Of the
fact that Mrs. Maitland had had also
deep interest in the post box and its con-
tents, for one morning she had on care
fully examining the post box, selected
two letters, one addressed to Colonel
Maitland and the other to Rosemary.
These she put in her pocket for further
examination. after which they found a
last resting place in the fire.
HIN! Troops sailed yesterday for the
Cape" observed the colonel one morning
at breakfast. Hello! Young Duncan
went out, | see. Did you know he was
going, GraceW
Mrs. Maitland opened The Morning
Post indifferently.
young Duncan? Yes, knew he was
ing the cream into the sugar BASIN"
Rosemary murmured something vague
ly about the heat and escaped into the
garden, while Mrs. Maitland proceeded
to enlighten her worthy husband on the
subject, wisely emitting, however, the
episode Of the burned letters.
"Well, my dear, Jim Duncan is very
nice young fellow" he ventured to say,
land if the child likes him
Really, George, you are quite absurd!
Why, the boy has scarcely enough to keep
| himself. Besides, you know Sir Jasper
| Carew is only waiting for little encour-
agement to come to the point"
Time passed-time which waits for no
man-and as each day slipped by and not
a word came from across the sea Rose
| mary grew more and more hopeless. She
was forgotten, and the sprig of rosemary
was doubtless lying unheeded in the fire
| or had floated away on the rolling waves.
The June sun beat down fercely on the
| green meadows of Padstow Court as
| Rosemary walked slowly down the ave
| nue. to meet the old postman. He gave
| her one letter-a thin, foreign letter, with
| a blurred looking postmark. Had it come
| at last? With trembling fingers she tore
| it open. There lay, dry and discolored.
| q sprig of rosemary, mute reproach.
Dear Miss Maitland-My dear old chum, Jim
| Duncan, asks me to write these few lines, which
/ he cannot write himself. His hours numbered,
and stricken with fever, he has not long to live.
| He begs me to inclose the sprig Of rosemary and
| to remind you-though without reproach-that it
/ was given for remembrance. He has never forgot
ten you. l am, yours sincerely,
RUPERT MOORE.
| A little gasping sob escaped her lips.
| He was ill-dying-dead!
| What did he mean by reminding her OF
| the rosemary for remembrance?
| He had not remembered-and now?
With vacant. aching eyes she looked
/ again Mt the little withered sprig and
took her way homeward.
| In the hall Mrs. Maitland met her,
snd, in horror at the sight of the white,
| agonized face, she exclaimed:
Rosemary! What is it?''
The girl held out the letter with shak-
ing fingers.
| Don't speak to mel" she said hoarsely.
81 can't bear it yet. Mother"-with a
wild cry-'mother, my heart is broken"
1t was a year later.
Time, the great healer, had laid gen
tie hand on Rosemary's wild sorrow,
hushing it to rest, soothing the dull ago
ny. Still, there lay in little drawer Of
her bureau that envelope, with its sprig
Of faded rosemary, and the faint odor
never failed to bring back the old, sad
memories.
Sir Jasper Carew was very tender in
his honest devotion. One day he told her
of his love. Very gently, very tenderly,
all the devotion, silent and strong, Of
years. growth he laid at her feet.
Il have always loved you, dear" he
said. SIS there no hope for me at ALP"
Rosemary looked away into the sun
shiny garden regretfully.
"Iistcn to me first before / answer
your question:" she said softly. 81 know
can trust you, and 1 should like to tell
you ALL There was-some one else-and
he went away. 1 never heard any
thing of him till last year, when one day
heard from a friend of his that he was
dying-dcad. I thought he had forgotten
me, but he had not. l loved him, and
can never love in the same way again.
But
1 She nauaeA and Jasper took her hands