The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-02
ROBERT JARDINE'S
WOOING - - -
An Annandale Romance
An Annandale Romance.

at the circus The side windows OF the
best Kitchen We're wide open, and the
spring breeze waited the muslin cur
tains inward. Esther sat at table
with the contents of Il leather bag
spread before her-a heap of sovereigns
slittered in the light from the pine
logs. She lifted the gold in her fingers.
counting it with Il pleased expression.
She had Il selt-satistied conviction that
success like hers must be the reward
Of good church -goer and an upright
woman. She had no fear to be alone
in the house with so much money.
for thieves We're rare in Annanda1e.
There was a rustling sound among the
shrubs at the window. but she did not
hear it. The bell of the outer door
jingled. and. gathering the coins into
the bag. she set it on 4 Shelf and went
out 1t was old Mr.. Me1drum, Il fire.
Quenter of the inn: he was an elder Of
the !SirE. 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 down
the passage to the Kitchen. and ut the
| door she met Robert Jardine. He was
tiuyTed and breathless.
I'm late for the show. Esther: you
Won't come? Well. l brought you Il
posy to keep you from feelin' lone
some
He pattcd her shoulder and rushed
out. The kitchen was filed With frag-
rance from bunch of violets on the
! table She buried her face in their
cool. purple beauty.
Hes 4 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
it up in the safe. 1t was gone! Two
of the sovereigns lay on the floor. A
hasty hand had snarched the bag and
dropped them out. She saw it all in a
dreadful vision, and the hand she saw
was Robert Jardne's! 1t all flashed
| III grim detail on her limited brain.
| His hints of losses. his flurried air.
| There was Il mortgage on The Willows
| perhaps the interest was not ready
He knew she could never charge hel
! fathers friend and her own with theft
And so she thought bitterly he had
robbed a lonely woman. She paceC
the room wringing her hands. Tbs
pine logs We're dying into ashes. anC
the air was chill. She closed the win
dow, picking up her overturned work
! table. Robert Jardine thief. AND
this was the end of il all. She neveI
knew till then how strongly she hat
cherished the thought of lowell
home and little children round he
knee. No. she could never marry
thief. ButS surely. il had been Il sud
den impulse: he would come back ant
explain. She would lend him all h
needed. She heard the servants voice.
at the rear. The show was over. Th
farmers sprin@carts flew past tn,
: east wind sighed through the pines
She listened for the rapid hoof-beat
Of Roberts chestnut. Yes. there h
| comes-slower: he is going to stop
| No: he passes or. She burieS her face
in her hands. and. like a dirge of los
love. comes the murmur of the rive
flowing down from Ericstane Brae
Then she started up, and seizing tn,
violets-his sweet gft-She flung then
into the fire. piting fresh logs upol
them, and watching them writhe ant
squirm like living things.
But. when the maids came in she wa
calm, and none of them guessed tha
their mistress had touched the border
land Of tragedy that night.
y Week passed. in which she did no
see Robert jardine. She said nothin;
of her loss: il would be her secret
and his. She heard among the gossip
i'll the porch that he had gone to Glas
gov. and that he was making som,
; improvements on the farm.
; Hell be takin' hame his wife SOM
; o thae days. Miss Esther" said ol,
Mrs. Burrows, the matchmaker of tn
, town, An she'll no can say him nay
It's lang he has waited, an it's a gui,
. fairm, The Willows: an he's sc,
decent lad, Robert Iardine.'
| Esther smiled at her.
He came on market day, but ther
was II crowd in the porch. and TIL
/ benches were filled with smokers. Sh
; did not see him till afternoon H
, took his usual stand on the hearth. an,
> looked around.
= Your violets will be withered b,
now:" he said. III bring you fresi
oues. They're fine the now down tt
bank where mother planted them. m
| tie datfy down dillies, as Molly call
them, are comm out, in the lon
] meadow. You're fond O. flowers, Es
ther? They're real heartsome"
: Yes" she answered coldly "I'n
/ for takin' in more ground at the rea
an plantin' flower garden.
/. He stared blankly at her.
5 You're what? An what for woul
Z you lay out money for other folk tina
$ MaY ESthhrI The NiIlaWs will h