The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-08

=
white dial Twice John rose and
pushed the hands back; but even at
that, time went on.
The faithful old lamp burned it's
steadfastest, but at last the cruise
was dry, and the flame, after few
spasms, collapsed, and a tower of
funeral smoke rose from the Chin
ney.
And still John had not said his say.
They drew the curtain, and sat in the
dim candlelight of the stars. Silence
engulfed them as night, and though
they were in mutual embrace, their
souls seemed to be cropping for eacn
other in a cave of gloom. The
thought of parting, and the daily risk
there was in each moment of absence,
added fear to the awe of the loneli-
ness that was awaiting them.
In the depths of this sadness, John
felt able to speak. He felt that moth
ing he could say could make either
feel more sorrowful. As he caressed
Lucy's hair, he said, with kisses as
| commas, semi-colons, and periods, in
plentiful punctuation:
Lucy Darr, l want you to promise
not to misunderstood me intention
ally in what I'm going to tell you.
| want you to promise not to think
even for a moment that it springs
from anything but the greatness of
my love for you. You know that the
! highest ambition of my soul is to
make you my wife. If | win you,
and can keep you close with me to
| the end of my days, / shall have been
successful, even if l never get be-
yond living in a log cabin. And if [
| get back from that cursed war safe
and sound and all complete, I'm GO
ing to make you marry me, whether
you've changed your mind by that
time or not. But there are certain
things called bullets and shells flying
round battlefelds like birds of prey,
and they occasionally hit people, and
they usually leave man lacking in
some particular. Now. / don't carry
any charm, because l don't know any
that will work. So it is not a bit
unlikely that l shall come home with
an arm, or leg, or a couple of eyes,
or three or four ears missing. I've
already shown that I can be hit by
a good marlsman. There's dimple
in my cheek that will always say:
This way went the bullet and
there's large spot on my side that
looks as if it were puckered up with
a draw-string, that says: A piece of
shell ran into me- Suppose l come
home looking like an example in sub
traction or long division, you'd want
to marry me just the same, and take
care of the remnants, if you had to
keep them in a work-basket. But l
don't propose to tie you up to any
such unconditional surrender. So,
when l go away, Lucy, I leave You
as free as I found you; not so heart
free, hope, but absolutely free from
any obligation or betrothal.
1t was long speech, and Lucy
took it all in silence. There was the
first temptation to complain that i'll
offering her her freedom he protest
ed too much, and really sought his
own. Lucy let it pass. At the end
of Johns peroration, she sat in deep
musing silence for a few minutes.
1t was an eloquent silence, and
thought and devotion and studious
unselfshness throbbed through il
like pulse. After a long while, she
put her lips to her lovers, and MUIR
INJURED:
81 understand you perfectly, dear
John, and it shall be as you wish
Affianced or free, it can make no diff
ference in my love for you, my
prayers for your safety, and for your
great splendid success and my long.
ing, longing, longing to have you
back home again"
Still they sat together under the
starry shower. And when midnight
doomed from the old clock-an un-
speakably late hour in the country
old Mrs. Darr appeared in the hall
above with a lamp, and called as
gently as she could-for she hears
the sobbing of the girl, and the deep
consoling voice of the man.
"Lucy, my child, it's terrible late;
better come upstairs"
1t was to Lucy as proclamation. q
rude intrusion on sacrament. But
!, John. knowing that lovers last good
bvs are none the easier for repeti
ton, hushed the protest Lucy was
about to give voice to, and called out:
I'm leaving in just a minute, Mrs
, Darr. I'll bid you goodnight ant
good-by."
The old woman wished him luck If
his warfaring, and departed, taking
, with her the inquisitive lamp-light
t and giving them back to the stars
| that have watched so many partings
: and have learned to be merely stoit
lookers-on. without comment or emo
> ton. If the stars had not learned
indifference, they would long ag>
, have wept themselves away.
; At last John managed to say thu
{ last farewell, and to cease the kiss
ing of the tear-embittered sweets o,
= Lucy's cheek. He found his horse il
= the stable, mounted him, and pauseC
at the edge of the piazza to give an
! other farewell kiss, and to repeat tn,
alternate farewell. He begged Luc,