The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-13
ROBERT JARDINE'S
WOOINC y - -
An Annandale Romance.

hear IL. The bell Of the outer doc
jingled. and, gathering the coins int
the bag, she set IL on a shelf and wen
out. 1t was old Mr.. Meldrum, fre
quenter Of the inn; he was an elder oI
the kirk, and he gave her his opinion
at length on ''playactin' an a sic de
| vices o. Sawtan." As he was leaving
| her she heard hasty footsteps run dowI
| the passage TO the kitchen, and at the
door she met Robert Jardine He was
| hurried and breathless.
I'm late for the show, Esther; you
won't conner Well. / brought you q
posy TO keep you from feelin' lone
some"
He patted her shoulder and rushed
out The kitchen was filed with frag-
rance from n bunch Of violets on the
table. She buried her face in their
cool, purple beauty.
Hes n faithful soul, Robert Jar
dine" she said to herself. "a body
might do worse than take him at his
word-some day"
She turned TO take the bag and lock
IL up in the safe. It was gone! Two
Of the sovereigns lay on the floor. \
nasty hand had snatched the bag and
dropped them out. She saw it all In a
dreadful vision. and the hand she saw
was Robert Jardine's! 1t all flashed
IN grim detail on her limited brain
His hints Of losses, his hurried air
There was mortgage on The willows;
perhaps the interest was not ready.
He knew she could never charge her
fathers friend and her own with theft.
And so she thought bitterly he had
robbed lonely woman. She paced
the room wringing her hands. The
pine logs were dying into ashes, and
the air was chill. She closed the win.
dow, picking up her overturned work.
table. Robert Jardine thief! And
this was the end of 1t all. She never
knew till then how strongly she had
cherished the thought Of loye-lit
home and little children round her
knee. No. she could never marry Il
thief. But, surely, IL had been a sud
den impulse; he would come back and
explain. She would lend him all he
needed. She heard the servants voices
az the rear. The show was over. The
farmers springcarts flew past, the
east wind sighed through the pines.
She listened for the rapid hoof-bcats
of Roberts chestnut Yes, there he
comes-slower; he is going 10 stop.
No; he passes on. She burics her face
in her hands, and, like n dirgc Of lost
love, comes the murmur OF the river
flowing down from Ericstane Brae.
Then she started up, ana selling the
violets-his sweet gift-she flung them
into the fire, plling fresh logs upon
them, ana watching them writhe and
squrm like living things.
But when the maids came in she was
calm, and none Of them guessed that
their mistress had touched the boidcr-
land of tragedy that night
A week passed. In which she did not
see Robert Jardine. She said nothing
Of her loss IL would he her secret
and his. She heard among the gossips
in the porch that he had gone 10 GlaS.
Cow, ana that he was making some
improvements on the farm.
Hell bc takin' hame his wife some
o thae days, Miss Esther" said old
Mrs Burrows. the matchmaker of the
town. AN shell no can say him nay.
It's lang he has waited. an it's guild
farm, The Willows; an he's n gcy
decent lad, Robert Jardne."
Esther smiled nj her.
He came on market day, but there
was a crowd in the porch. and the
benches Were filed with smokers. She
did not see him till afternoon He
took his usual stand on the hearth. and
looked around
Your violets will be witherod by
now" he said. "Ill bring you fresh
ones. They're fine the now down the
bank where mother planted them, an
the daffy down dillles. rs Molly calls
them, are comm out, in the long
meadow. You're fond o. flowers, Es-
ther? They're real heartsome."
Yes she answered coldly. I'm
for takin' in more ground at the rear
an plantln' a flower garden.
He stared blankly at her.
You're what? An what for would
you lay out money for other folk that
way, Esther? The Willows will be
ready for you. an" what's to hinder
the weddin'? I'm wearyin' for ye."
She looked straight in his eyes. How
could he meet her glance and know
he had robbed her?
"Therell be no weddin' for me, Rob.
ert Jardine," she said. You'll have to
seek your wife elsewhere"
He started forward TO grasp her
hand, but she pushed him back.
mo word more shall cross my lips:
but well you know l can never marry
you-now."
Never marry me2 An what for.
do you think, have been toiln' n
these years if IL wasna to make a
home for you? An now you say you
can never marry me-"
He stood before her, his face working
with emotion.
I'm no great things, maybe. but I'm
your faithful lover. Esther an you're
not goin' to throw me over in the face
O. a the neighbors. It's not as II we
were strangers; you ken me lang
enough"
"Ay fine ken you. Robert" she
said drily. Il woul maybe be hap