Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-29
THE COLONEL AND
THE FIREBUsH.
nv r.. r.. Garnett.

along the walk swinging her nat ny IL"
ribbons. and through the great trees
bits of light filtered to wake the sheen
Of her hair. "A darling old world!
The two watching from the library
window smiled wistfully upon her.
Now, | wonder" said the colonel
softly. eff she knows? II she cares!
What else would make her so hap
py? What else" most graciously' bct
such a compliment from you, you"
But. | beg, madam" flushing, that
in reporting me you put no such en-
phasis."
"No?" with a comic side glance.
"No." grufly. "say / an her lover
and servant; that's ALL"
"But, my dear colonel" half earnest
half amused, women do not love their
servants"
What them"
Their masters"
"No matter she is above other Wo-
men"
"Ah, me-" laughing. go for a walk,
Door blind man, while | tell the tale OF
your servitude. She is coming in"
When he ventured back Jocelyn was
Just passing from the library door, but
instead of meeting him in the pretty
cordial fashion that he loved, she shot
one frightened glance at him and fed.
Never had an enemy's fire SO crippled
him. He was still staring miserably
along the path she had taken when her
mother touched his arm.
Did you ever hear" she began abb
ruptly. "of the Firebush?"
1.-THE BUSH" absently, "of the book
Of Moses?"
81 wish it were" smiling. but 1t is
the book of Jocelyn. Come" notion
ing toward the rear, where a whip
poor-wills call rang in from the gar
den. Come and see it, and hear my
pretty feather-head girls message"
They went down walk brilliant
with chrysanthemum borders. Here
it is" said madam, and then she
paused. Autumn's scarlet was on the
bush's leaves and on it's pendant triune
pods. 1t was a veteran and lowered
well above their heads. Madam broke
slender branch and stood, thoughtful
ly tapping her skirt with it.
"Well,' urged the colonel, 1.-The mes
sage?"
well" she repeated, forgive me in
advance dear colonel, for silly, useless
bit of Renaissance which that absurd
child sends you"
Il listen," said the colonel.
Cup to two years ago. letting her
words hurry from her lips and looking
away from her, the Selbys were our
neighbors every summer. Malcolm Sell
by Is about Jocelyn's age, and they were
much together" Her tone made light
of the matter but she did not see her
ment," artisticaly introducing a new
dismay when they came be-
fore me one day, hand in hand,-but
l am boring you with this nonsense,
colonel"
us there any more?" grimly.
"Oh," struggling, it was, of course,
an impossible affair. The whole Selby
income wouldn't have bought Jocelyn's
frocks she wore last summer"
And the eelbys?"
'"They did something lucky in--soap,
think it was-and have cottage at
Newport, and now live on the same
street with us in town."
Then your chief objection is re-
moved?"
But, my dear colonel" turning on
him with startled eyes, "Jocelyn was
mere baby, and has quite outgrown
her fancy"
Eyes. and the boy?"
why, he is persistent, but quite in
vain since''-with a smiling nod-'since
you came"
But the colonel looked troubled. Tie
was seeing Jocelyn as she ran from
him there in the hall.
"The baby" continued madam, with
a pout, thinks you should know of her
folly, that's all. There was rustic
bench here" she continued, "a favor
jte rendezvous for the silly couple and
there's a motto, she tells ME, cut IN the
Tirebush bark. She drew aside some
branches and revealed Struggling let
tiers on the bush's gray trunk "Jocelyn
has a romantic notion" making a
grimace, that 1t all may somehow at
feet YOU"
1t all did. The colonel could not
have started in more discontinue had
the bush been spectre; but he bent
keen eyes on the motto: "Laetus sorte
mea."
"They cut alternate letters" madam
continued; but she was interrupted.
McFADI
EvVVV'TT VVVvVVV'VVy'tvfVVy'