Middletown transcript., 1903-03-14

1t father and mother could e,
Withmeitwould besimpleenough
Rosamond would say, signing
e but that's not to be thought of
; Mother would be unhappy away
t from home, even for two years
! and father can't go travelling
ilbout because of his throat. No,
I don't suppose 1 can ever go.
! O dear!
You can if you will! David
Ray told her, emphatically. I'm
sure your father and mother
would never stand in the way of
your best good.
i No, indeed they wouldn t, Ros-
! amond said. But it was not any
easier to make up her mind on
that account Nor did Mr.. Rays
opinions help her very much. If
his convictions had weight on
one side, Miss Alice's had justas
much weight on the other side.
Miss Alice and David Ray
were good, quarrelsome friends.
The old organist had been in the
habit of taking tea with Miss
Alice on Sunday evenings for
nearly thirty years, but just as
people began to smile and drop
hints and make mild jokes, some
thing would come up like this
question of Rosamonn's going
away, and there would be discus
sion, polite, indeed, but warm;
and as a result, Mr.. Ray would
spend his Sunday evenings at
home for the next six months.
As for Miss Alice, shewould toss
her head, and go out and take
tea with people who were more
apt to agree with her.
One cool Sunday evening in
April Miss Alice came to Mrs. |
Gorham's, sure of finding SYM
pathy here in her views about
Rosamond. They were sitting
by the fireside, waiting tea un-
til the Judge and Rosamond came |
in from their walk, sWhen Rosa
mond's mother said, in her soft. |
brave voice, Rosamond will be
leaving US very soon, Miss Alice.
Her father is going to tell her
this afternoon that she can go.
Very likely she knows it by this
time, she ended, looking up at
the clock.
Miss Alice was SO startled that
she hardly knew what she said.
But-O, Mrs. Gorham, what will
you do without her.
Mrs. Gorham smiled and shook
her head. Why, my dear, it
would be very selfish in us to
keep her. And her father and I
will get along. 1t will be anoth-
er honeymoon for US, all by our
selves, she said, smiling. She
looked toward the window as she
spoke, for it was growing dusk,
and the judge and Rosamond
ought to have been home by that
time. She was smiling, and as
cheerful as possible, but her
hands trembled. You and Mr..
Ray will have to make up now,
she said, because it's all settled.
Indeed, I won't make up! said
Miss Alice, hotly. Not but what
l think David Ray means to do |
right; only he doesn' t understand
that a girls character is more i'm
portant than her voice! And then
Miss Alice cried a little to her.
self in the dusk by the freside. b
When the Judge and Rosamond {
came up the path, Miss Alice
thought it was time for her to {
go. 1t was not a moment for AMI
But she glanced at !
Rosamond as she passed her; '
the girl was radiant, her eyes a
blazing, and her face full of de- Q
icate color, and her voice was al '
most a song, it was so triumph b
int and SO joyous. f
Her father and mother gave q
heir consent; but after the first s
'urst of happiness Rosamond did t
lot nnd 1T so easy to get her own j
consent. It was in April that t
hey said she might go, but she y
vas not to start until Septemb Der F
md in those six months, when b
was all settled, the child real. s.
suffered more than when she G
lad thought her parents would
ot allow~it. She changed her n
lind a dozen times; but by and "
y she came back to the old state Il
,ent, that she had a right to her n
wn life-to make it as full and al
lch and beautiful as she possibly IL
ould. And useful, too, Miss r.
lice, she said. B
You think you will be useful, In
0 you, by being great singer? in
Iiss Alice said.
Well, said Rosamond. with q on