The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-09-26
(: : Woman : Dreamed

q &c CeIluID O ~ OulIDOU
She stood under the boughs Of an
apple tree in the orchard-and there
never was. perhaps never could be-
another orchard just like it, with its
green hills and valleys and old apple
trees with their mcss-grown limbs.
To-day they upheld profusion Of
pink and white bloom against the blue
and gray of the sky; and she stood
there while the bees hummed over
the clover at her feet. She was barely
seventeen and beautiful The sun
light discovered gold in the brown
OF her hair and there were golden
lights in the depths of her dark eyes,
and she was fair-too fair, some said
who wished to find fault with her be-
cause she was fair.
She lifted one slender hand toward
the apple boughs, and the sleeve fell
back from an arm white and finely
formed. Then she murmured softly,
Nature, love thee, l love thee, and
| shall devote my life to studying thy
beauty, and nothing shall come be-
tween this love and me-"
The vow was scarcely spoken when
a youth Of about nineteen, accom-
panied by large setter dog, came
over the hills to where she stood.
Ruth" he exclaimed on seeing her,
and she said. Henry" then there
was silence for a moment, and she
said: II did not know you were at
home. When did you Gomez"
Yesterday. Grandfather has been
quite sick. but he is better to-day.
Aunt Martha sent for me-"
Il did not know your grandfather
was sick"
mo, 1t seems you don't care to
know anything about us any more.
Aunt Martha says you rarely come to
the house now. 1t seems pretty hard
when fellows old playmate gives
him and his relatives a stand-off"
well, Henry. we are no longer
children, and mother does not approve
Of our playing together any longer
this with little smile; then serious
ly. "She never did, much, you
know"
"No, but you are making her an ex-
cuse for throwing me off, and you
know Ruth, that you are the only one
in the world l ever shall care for"
"It's silly for you to talk that way;
you have never seen the world. What
do you know of it,"
II know it contains nothing half so
lovely as Ruth Dartmore"
Without commenting on this asser-
tion she continued: Mother says our
stations in life are different. You are
heir to all things desirable, while
must work for all hope to possess" Z"
He had pushed his cap back, and
his fair hair lay in wavy mass on
his forehead; most disconsolate look
had crept into his blue eyes, while
his handsome mouth quivered with a
mingled expression of scorn and
amusement.
Heir to Gehenna!" he exclaimed.
"Heir to a tumble-down old house,
waving his hand toward the old red
brick building beyond the orchard.
"Heir to an invalid grandfather and a
maiden aunt; heir to an orchard
whose every tree is mortgaged! Yes,
our stations in life are different. Your
father owns his little home and earns
his living. l have no father, no moth
er, sister, or brother; but l have a
hope of making my way in the world
and sustaining the honor Of my
name"
Ruth felt q yearning tenderness
toward him when he spoke Of having
no mother or sister; but she always
enjoyed making him angry. She loved
to see the attitude he assumed, the
fine scorn that flashed from his eyes,
the varying expression Of his flexible
mouth. So she stood still and
watched him, and when he lifted his
cap and walked away she still stood
there and said nothing.
After he had gone she gathered
some apple blossoms and walked
home-a little whitewashed boxhouse
at the other end of the orchard-and
the old orchard with all its bloom
and beauty in springtime, all its gold
en- harvest in summer and autumn,
.sspresented : great gull nxed be
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