Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-07-04
awhile In the little old fashioned garden

where gilly flowers and sweet williams
and verbenas and southernwood and spice
pinks made fragrant the night, hopes
blossomed out with the stars, and sense
of peace came down with the dew and as
sweetly, as silently.
The journey was quite as exciting as
old man Kennedy had anticipated. There
were the hundred last things to be at
tended to before the farm might be left in
care of Sam Plunkett. There was the
drive in the blue morning to the railroad
station. There was the thrilling time of
waiting for the train and the breathless
moment when the great black shape came
cannonading down the line. There was
the actual instant when they were tor
tured by fear lest the quiveling monster
should bound away and leave them be-
hind. There was the grinding of the
wheels, the shrill whistle, the cloud Of
sparks blown by the window, the fading
away of the depot, the whirlwind speed
through space. And at the end of the day
they had reached their destination.
The Fourth broke fair and beautiful.
The sky was blue as the heart of a New
foundland iceberg, and the buffeting
breeze was soft as rose petals. 1t was
early when old man Kennedy led his wife
through the turnstile under the high
white arch, early still when walking
up the broad, winding ways between
stretches of verdure and masses of bloom
they came into veritable land of en-
chantment-such a fairyland as the poor
old people had never in their widest mo-
ments of imagining even dimly OWNED.
"Can you seey" he painted. "Oh,
Nance, asthore"-he was apt to drop into
the love language of his youth when NOV
ed-"can you see much of it--all of it
can you?
They were at the summit Of a gentle
ascent. Overhead sprang the Gothic
arches of lofty colonnade. Below were
masses of glowing flowers, broad walks,
lake which gave back the intense blue
of the sky, and encircling these white
palaces which rose in majesty.
Il can see the water an the build
ms. How blue the water is, Tom-like
the SUR. Do you mind the bit of the
SUR that went windin through Temple
more, Tom? An the night we came home
from Garryvenus an stopped on the
bridge, an you said The little, thin,
brown face in the black bonnet was turn
ed toward him. A little, skinny brown
hand groped its way along the ledge.
81 mind,' he said softly. His fingers
closed an instant over hers. "'Twas
soon after we come out here. Then there
was the four boys-all gone, God be
praised! An then-her. We'd better be
walkin a bit, Nance, woman. Sure if
her mistress is here yet we might be
comm foreninst her at any mint. But
/ won't let on if we do-not before quail
ty. I'll just squeeze your arm quick as
we go by. Let's co.
And go they did. walking, standing
seldom resting, through all that warm,
bright day.
The seething crowds, the gay music,
the mellowed roar of innumerable voices,
the Kaleidoscope convolutions of the
throng, even the stampedes, the stop
pages and the voeiferous entreaties of the
fakirs, possessed for them absorbing nov
city, interest. charm.
So the two-he in his best Sunday
black" that was bought for young Toms
wedding. and young Tom dead and
buried a good ten years, she in new
silk gown, the wearing of which perplex-
ed and harassed her economical con-
science, her thrifty soul-stood close to-
gether while he explained all the fine
doings of the extraordinary people who
went prancing or lutging by.
'Now, there's passin beautiful ladies'
dressed-oh, never so, Nance! They're
in little wagons that's drawn by boys.
They're throwin flowers, an here's the
boys with lariats. They don't look much
different from our own out on Harrows-
| by's farm when he has a round up. An
here's the rest of the circus. There's a
chariot. A woman's drivin. It's just as
well you can't see her, Nance. Let's so
| away. She amt got nothin much on
but kind of red sash, an she's that bold
lookin-oh. my God.'
The cry was wrenchcd from him. He
fell back banched, shaking. He dragged
the little lean old woman with him. He
| plunged through the crowd, pulling her
behind him.
whats the matter?" she cried. They
| had got to an open space. whats the
matterY
81 got turn" His hand was pressed
against his side, and he was breathing
| hard.
Il thought-somethin foolish. l got a
| turn"
But he was singularly silent the re-
mainder of the day. and although he look
| ed after the material comfort of his COM
panion he rarely addressed her.
Tho OFF of Milo CeciIa was over THE