The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-05-24
FRANKLIN, La, SATURDAY MAY "a, 1902

| uoH tnlnk l snail Judge the
American girl by you" said Sir Hugh
Then, after watching her a moment.
Since you are speaking of yourself.
don't you think you are rather a per.
verse little person? Even your dim
! pie is in place where no one else
| has dimples.'
rs it?' said Beatrix. DO tell me
more about that delightful Political
Reform club; l am SO interested in
| it,"
! 1T was amazing how much they
found to talk about one stout old
lady got out and another got in. but
rs no tourists appeared to interrupt
tteir tete-a-tete, and as the night fell
and the train climbed the heights #
the Semmering Pass they were left
alone. The full moon was flooding
the deep blue spaces of the sky anI
liil1ng the valleys with a mystery of
silvery light and deathlike shadow.
Sir Hugh drew the green silk curtain
over the impertincnce of the glimmer-
ing lamp, and lighted only by the soft
radiance they gazei into the shaiowy
lepths that unrolled below them.
At one station they seemed to pause
high UP in air, and from the platform
beneath bouquets of wild flowers were
lifted on poles to the level of the car
riage windows, accompanied by a
shrill announcement of the price. The
biggest and sweetest of these, a great
mass Of white and purple rhododen-
drons, was selected by Sir Hugh, ami
together he and Beatrix detached the
flowers from the spectral pole and
followed the tinkling sound of the
silver coin as it went dropping into
space until it struck the rocks below.
1T seems like dream" said Bea-
trix, with sigh, rousing herself from
the charmed silence in which they had
hung over the beauty of the sleeping
land, "and l shall feel like an opera
singer en- voyage when l arrive in
Vienna with this" And she buried
her face in the great disk of dewy
petals, framed in stiff rim of pierced
and scallopei paper
Vienna? OF course; we shall soon
be there, and your people will be
meeting you and taking you away,
and this journey will be forgotten
episode-you Americans run about so
much" he added, as if to strike less
personal note
But I never run about alone-at
least over here. This is a great ad-
venture, assure you. And-I think
I'm not likely to forget tnat umbrella,
however good you may be about for.
getting 1t. You're sure it doesn't
pain you now?" And she lifted her
brown eyes anxiously to his gray
eyes.
"Oh. well, Of course there is the
bunch Of flowers, too," she rejoined,
dropping her eyes to the rhododen-
drons, which she still held.
He stole a glance at her, and his
voice was steadied little consciously
when he next spoke.
zone never knows exactly how to
take you-you are quicker than we
are and you may be laughing at me-
but want to say I'm more glad than
I can tell that have met you, and
I'm sorry the journey Is over; but
am not going to lose you now, If it is
over. May l come to see you in vi.
enna?"
yes" said Beatrix, softly.
"May l come tomorrow" he urged.
"Certaihly," she said, recovering
the self possession which his earnest.
ness had shaken. Il snail be delight
ed, and so will mamma, am sure"
1t was midnight when they drew
into the big, bustling station; they
looked at each other and found it hari
to leave the memories OF the day
by the poetic charm of the
night.
They will be here IN q moment"
Beatrix thought, "the boys and Uncle
Archie, and I shall be going home,
and yet. in way, 1t seems as II l
belonged here, too"
AS for Sir Hugh, he turned away
when the door opened, and her peo-
pie seized upon her with kisses and
jocose greetings. But there was an
Instant when ne caught her hand and
pressed 1t, whispering, Tomorrow"
ani they botn knew that tomorrow
meant Forever and a day."-Waver-
low Mapazino