Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-21
CHAPTER I.
'YA Y1INTER in the south, and the
Wv morning of day.

1870 since Boyd Peyton had been
In Alabama in the month of Deem
Der. The young breeze, carrying with
1.-THE fragrance Of lingering fall as 1t
swept across his face, filled him with
surprise, for the season had been I'M
usually pleasant and mild. The air
was almost balmy despite its touch Of
early morning GOODNESS, untempered
by the new risen sun, yet there was
freshness in it which reminded him of
springtime in New England.
The train on which ne had been
passenger had been delayed yesterday,
and he had reached home aver night
falI-toO late to see anything outside,
at any rate. Then, in the excitement
of seeing his family once, more after
q long period of separation, he had
given no thought to climatic conditions
or TO anything external to them. Stop!
The statement is hardly accurate. for
In not one single moment In all the
boyousness of greeting, in all the ex-
uberant affection given and received
In his welcome home, had he lost men
tai sight Of Mary AMMAN, This morn
ing. as he stared down at the garden
OF roses in winter, his heart was full
pf her. So conscious OF her had he
been, in fact, so possessed Of sense
of her nearness to him at last, that he
had scarcely slept during the night.
In his restless anxiety to see her he
had risen before any of the family,
who slept later this morning than usu-
81, possibly because they had remained
up longer the night before. AS soon
ais he was dressed he came out on the
gallery, where he stood gazing alter
nafeIy upon the roses or staring down
Through the long avenue of live oaks
howard the st. Francis road, which
led into the town where she dwelt.
Presently he turned from the railing
and began to pace the gallery.
The young man was sailor, an OFF,
Ger in the United States navy, passed
snidshipman awaiting his commission
as ensign, just returned from a three
years cruise in European and north
African waters, subsequent to his
graduation after four years of study
In the United States Naval academy at
annapolis, Md. He had been appointed
to the academy from Alabama seven
years before and was now just turned
twenty-five. No one could look more
unlike the typical bluff sailor than he.
He was tall, slender and brown eyed,
and the native darkness Of his COM
plexion, which his seafaring had deep
ened,, with his thick brown hair, worn
rather long, as was the fashion Of the
time. and slightly curling at the ends,
would have betrayed him as a south
was gentle, his aspect dreamy. One
would have pronounced him poet, an
artist. a. musician-anything rather
than man Of action. Without being
gloomy there. was. "a touch of gentle
melancholy In his appearance,
There was a little timidity- which
did not spring from fear--in his adj
dress, deferential modesty, especially
when In the presence of women or
older men, that was charming, lie some
fvhat lacking in decision. Yet he car
rIed himself well His movements
were easy and graceful. He held, his
head high and 'hadsabout him that air
OF Unborn authority peculiar to the
southern slave owner and gentleman,
which his naval rank and position had
served to emphasize.
What he might become in times of
Dktress and danger was. vet to be de-
lstermined; what he was at that moment
pwas quite eyident-a dreamer! Like
most Of the dreams OF youth, the OBJ
Aject of his Imagination was woman,
Just a year since, his ship, returning
from the Mediterranean, had wintered
lat Boston. When he had arrived there
the had rejofced to learn in letters from
home that Mary Amman was attending
school in Cambridge. Miss Amman was
la young Alabama girl whom he had
known from childhood.
He had welcomed with an eagerness
only possible to a southerner and a
young man the opportunity Of renew
Ding his deepening acquaintance with
his childhood friend and fair compa-
triot, and he had striven to make the
IImost of 1t. Every moment he could
take from his ship duties or which she
could steal from her not too engross-
ing studies during the winter the two
had spent together in the quaint old
Massachusetts town.
The school was described in the cata-
logue as q finishing school," very
popular sort of institution in those
days and not unknown to history even
now. So far as Mary AMMAN was con-
cerned, it's efforts were fruitless. She
did indeed graduate from it in June
with all the honors Of the school, but
she was very far from being finished
and he would be q very hardy prophet
who could predict what the bright
beautiful and charming southern girl
would be in the end. There was latent
force in her-plenty of character, ener-
gy, self win and greater possibilities
but only the larger school Of life could
develop her.
A great bosom of war and privatior
and anguish was then preparing fol
this country. A period of conflict was
Ito ensue in which the finishing touches
that only suffering could add should
be put upon the characters Of men and
women all over the land. For the day