The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-09
Our Daily Short Stories
A ROMANCE OF NAMES.
BY F. H. SWEET.
Copyright. 1901, by Authors syndicate.>

She had been trimming the unruly
arms of a climbing rose, when pretty
Susie Wrenn came tripping by on her
way for the mail.
oh Miss Dunnin'.' the girl had
called. stacking her pace a little as
she neared the gate, ma wants to
know if she can borrow your cake tins
this mornin'. We're expectin' COM
pany. an we've only got one"
why, certainly, Susie; you can
have them and welcome. Stop on
your way back from the mail"
Thank you moving on a little,
and then lingering as though wishing
to say more. but hardly knew how to
proceed, "thems awful nice roses
you've got
Yes, they are nice" assented Miss
Dunning. clipping off a handful and
offering them across the fence. You
bed of teas, and at my hedge Of
Jacks" Then she smiled encourag-
ingly into the blushing, upturned face.
Now what is it. SUSIE" she asked.
You have something else to tell me-
'sOh. it's nothin' much" protested
the girl bashfully but with eyes and
cheeks which belied her words. You
see. I've only told ma so far. an now
it seems l must tell you next.
of course" with affected indigna-
ton. Did 1 not know you as a baby
in long clothes, and have I not been
your Sunday-school teacher more than
ten years? Certainly YOU must tell
me-.
But still the girl hesitated. looking
at her feet and down the street and
across the fence to the pretty cottage
whose verandas We're empowered with
clambering roses and honeysuckles. At
length she broke into a frank, merry
laugh.
What a fool 1 am, Miss Dunnin',"
she cried, its only that I'm goin to
be married. I'll stop for the tins COM
in back" and she ran lightly down
the sidewalk, only pausing for a mo-
ment TO glance back over her Shout
der.
It's Mr.. Alfred Gray" she called,
with something. that was almost exult-
ant in her voice, an he's real nice,
even if I do say it,"
Miss Cummings face had been full
of the kindlest interest, and its ex-
preston did not change now as she
watched the girl speed buoyantly down
the street. But her long, taper fingers
trembled slightly as they left the pal
ing and returned to the rose clipping.
Long years ago-she did not care to
remember how many-she had tripped
down the sidewalk like that. and had
been pretty and vivacious and hopeful.
And with her in those days it had also
been Mr.. Alfred Gray, and she, too, had
thought him real nice.
Snip, snip, snip, went the pruning
shears, and from a branch of the
great elm overhead came down the
mellow love song of an oriole TO his
mate in a swaying nest nearby. But
terfiies chased each other in bewilder-
ing circles above the flower beds. and
a gray squirrel whisked down the
trunk of the elm and up the gray gar
den skirt to the shoulder of Miss Dun
ming She stopped her clipping mo-
ment to stroke the soft fur and look
into the bright eyes that were asking
so obviously for recognition. They,
too, were friends of long standing.
Had she chosen for the best? She
thought so unflinchingly, even while
her heartstrings were crying for re-
dress. He had succeeded, wonderfully,
as he could not possibly have done had
there been a weight to clog his flight.
Yes. there had been no other way
She stroked the squirrel TREMENDOUSLY,
and he Weakened enough to play with
her finger for a moment, and then was
again lost in sleep. The house dog came
down from the veranda and took a po-
sition beside her, not to sleep, but to
wag his tail and gaze up into her face
with a satisfied love in his big brown
eyes. Other birds beside the oriole were
singing about her, the doors of many
flowers came from various points OF
the garden and the deep, vine covered
verandas looked very inviting and
home-like. Yes, she had chosen for the
best.
She was glad to remember that she
had impetuously told him to go. with
unhinching eyes and lips. and she was
glad to remember. also, that he had
looked at her with eXpostulation and
entreaty. and that he had-1atly refused
to consider so cold blooded a thing and
then had famed out and declared she
did not love him as he did her. and that
he would follow her command and
make ambition the rule of his life. She
had not faltered even when he left her
in anger and did not communicate with
her through long years of struggle and
success. His work was perhaps even
dearer 10 her than to him and ii was
her determination that had rendered 1t
possible Had she hesitated in the least
he would not have gone. and with her
his success could only have been the
moderate success of other men. Now
he was coming home again. She had
seen a. note of ii in one of the papers.
And--and Susie had told her the rest
AS she walked resolutely toward the
house, forgetting alike the squirrel and
dog and pruning shears, there was for
the first time a hard, bitter pain at her
heart. She could spare him TO greater
usefulness, to a noble ambition; but
this-ah, this was different.
And yet when she came from her
room later there was no sign of dis
quiet in her brown eyes. or trace of
agitation on the delicate flush of her
cheeks. The rest of the unruly
branches were cut away or trained to-
ward usefulness, and she was standing
with her head tipped slightly to one
side in contemplation of her work,
when again came the familiar tap, tap,
tap, down the sidewalk, ending with
the sharp click of her gate latch.
Here ! am again, Miss Dunnin'.' a
blithe voice sailed, begin for roses
this time. The COWS have eaten our off
clean, an we must have a good spread
for our company. I don't know what
the place would do without your rose
garden an lilies an strawberry bed
or we girls. for that matter-without
you" catching a hand and raising it
KEoCEEn nnNVN AVN KILLED