The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-17

publisher who had Just rejected the
best piece of work he had ever done
!, DO you ever read Stanton's poems %
ne asked, in a tone that held a hint of
twilight in its tenderness,
All of Them" she returned, with
out lifting her eyes.
They are wistful things"
Yes" she interrupted, "but it is the
usefulness of strength, not-What an
absurd subject for a physiologist and
a publisher to be wasting time over!
That misty bit of moonlight must have
gone to our heads"
1T Is exquisiteIy true to nature" he
returned. setting aside her change of
manner
is it? We'll, my holiday is over.
II
4, Don't say good by he, interrupt
ed, quietly. Il am going home With
YOU
1T win not be worth While. If it
With any promise of profit; the house
would have accepted it at once.
We"
II don't want to discuss the book"
he interrupted, inpatiently.
She looked at him, frankly puzzled.
well" she said, "as you like" and
then led the way toward the entrance.
Stanford followed with sturdy de-
termination. Was she at heart gar
den flower or bantam? He was re-
solved to know. And if-if-? His
thought broke there and he fell to
studying the passers by with quiet in
tentness.
The heard Of the concern had not
forgotten his presence, but that serene
moon above the darkened trees came
between her and all practical thoughts.
She attempted to reason upon the
cause of his presence, to remain alert.
But in moment her thoughts slipped
from her control and ran back to those
dim pines massed against the eastern
sky. Could it be possible that it was
only ten years ago? At IS she had
been a poet of limitless ideals; at .2s
she was hard working woman, given
to testing, by the sordid standard of
dollars and cents.
Stanford took her arm to guide her
over a crossing and she smiled invol-
UNFAIRLY.
What is it?" he asked.
Nothing, she returned.
Il did not know you were the wo
man to smile at nothing, and he con-
tnued, as they reached the door. II
don't believe you are" He rang the
bell and faced her on the steps.
What were you smiling at?"
why, only at the thought of my
being guided over a crossing"
Stanford followed her into the library
before he spoke again.
You mean" he said, earnestly, "you
have been a bantam so long that you
have quite forgotten the garden flow
ers love of sunshine and shelter?" He
placed his hand on the back of the
chair and hesitated a moment before
dragging it near her.
do you think that you can persuade
me that you are a bantam quite to the
heart-that all your womanly tender
ness has been lost beneath a determin-
alton to bring the hotise through"
WHY, yes"
You think that y6u can quite CON
vince me of all that-and yourself?"
''Why. yes. l assure you / feel quite
strong and woody" but she did not
meet his eyes. The memory of that
moonlight was troubling her, that, and
other things.
you quite believe that? Then you
will not mind reading this for me-"
and he laid Stanton's Even Song on
her knee.
She took it up at once.
Dear heart, life is not long,
The shadows deepen and the waning
light
Drifts to the music of the even song
And then-Good night.
Dear heart, though love may live
In loftier realms through Gods etern-
al years,
'Tis here we heed the joys that it may
give.
It's tenderness, it's tears.
And yet such barriers rise
To keep the outstretched; sundered
hands apart,
What is fulfillmeht in the far faint
skies
When earth is dumb dear heart
stanford's hands were closed over
hers.
Tell me-" he whispered, lis the gar
den. flower quite dead?"
The hands in his quivered and he
stopped to kiss them passionately.
My queen rose of the rosebud gar
den of girls
Garden flower or bantam, stern heart
ed or tender, love knocks alike at the
heart of all, and to each that opens
unto him he brings a flood of light,
soft tinted and plad