The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-09-18


change OF manner from lIghtheaued. !
ness 10 utter detection, with other
evidence OF beer secret sorrow. told as
own story. Miss Walker wondered
what exactly had occurred. ana en-
gagged IN dozen anxious c0nlecturcs
She paced the garden until the adj
y0nclng evening brought that breath
of chilllness which Miss Walker OF her
age did not like. Then, with q last
look at Roses room. and a deprecatory
shake Of her handkerchief at the re-
treat Of that presumably pining young
lady. Miss Walker turned her face to-
wards the house. Just as she stepped
In the sitting room her nephew was
shown In by the other door.
well, well" said Miss Walker cheer
ily-for she saw reconciliation In the
yislt-"why have you deserted us for
whole day, you negligent young
MANI
Very sorry, aunt but it wasn't quite
my fault" he returned. speaking rather
gloomily. Then he added. with some
show of embarrassment but my visit
viii be very short now. The fact II,
have decided TO so back to town by this
evenings train"
Dear dear" exclaimed Miss Walker
in open dlsmay. She had not imagined
that things were quite so bad, and at
the moment she was 1urried and did
not know what to say. Then, after re-
garding him with a far-away look Of
dismal abstraction for a few seconds,
she said, somewhat agitatediy: But
you really must not so away like that!
1t would not be kind toto me. No.
no; you must not go off so discourteous-
". There is something wrong. / see
tin fact / know it, / want to think
awhile-and so, l am sure, do you
There, like a good boy go and walk in
the garden for half an hour or So"
And she demonstrated the imperative
nature of' her advice by gently but
firmly showing him towards the win
dow, through which he passed out into
the garden in silent obedience
Thequaint old garden soothed him;
yet it aroused many tender recollec-
tons which made him all the more sor-
rowful now to harbor. He had come
with a grim determination to merely
say au revOir to his aunt, as duty and
inclination prompted. but not TO see
Rose, or, if he could not help seeing
her, then to bid her formal farewell.
Rose and he had differed bitterly, and,
he decided, finally. When he mentally
re-enacted the scene, as he had done Il
score Of times since that angry parting,
he said each time to himself that he
had been right in every word he ut
tered, and fully justified lie said this
to himself with suspicious emphasis,
for he knew in his heart that he had
been a great deal other than right
His thoughts gradually became more
gentle as he walked through the old
garden, and sweet memories came to
him to chase away anger and bitter
ness. 1t was perhaps not quite inyol-
untary that he turned towards the
side of the house from which Roses
lattice looked. He raised his eyes to
it somewhat wistfully He felt con
vinced somehow that she was there,
behind that lattice; but she showed no
sign, and he dared not make other adj
vances.
He sighed and turned away. Just
then he saw something white on the
grass border STOPPING, he picked II
up. 1t was a neatly folded piece OF
stiff paper, and on opening it out, he
saw by the twilight it contained writ
ing-verse Of some sort, as far as he
could judge.
Stepping aside, he got into the shell
ter. of a bush, and, Ey the light of q
couple of vestas, he with some diff
Guilty read the lines. They were nd
dressed ITO john" and signed "R
W." In the bad light the individuality
of the handwriting escaped him, an(
his heart throbbed with mingled happy
emotions as the meaning dawned q
him. Sublimely Indifferent to the tech
meal merits of the verses, he though
them perfect in every respect, and thei
sentiments fired his heart. Dear, swee
Rose! That was doubtless her lovini
! overture for peace, he said to himsel
/ with rapture.
He retraced his steps to the pat
> beneath her window and gently Gale
her by name. She did not come quit
t at once, but when he had called to he
/ three times she appeared at the LATHE
with a timid response. A few minute
{ later, after a tender reconciliation
t John Walker left the garden to have
e further and immediate interview in til
, drawing rom with his lndY-love.