The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-06-20
geleft Sturp.
STLvIA'S wOOING-
"'Who is Sylvia? Who is she,
That all the swains adore her 2,

| W no Is sylvia W no - SlN'
That all the swans adore her
SWANS :? | echo, scornfully; but it is
pleasant enough to look down into Dick
Somerby handsome face as he makes the
idle quotation stretched on the grass at
my feet, while |, Opheha like, sit weav
Ing the flowers in my lap into fantastic
garland 'Swans, | continue. Now,
Dick, seriously. if you can be serious r.
he smiles caressingly at me- where are
they Was ever girl 80 dismally placed
Here am |, nineteen, and not As vet have
/ been permitted any sayer testivity than
your society affords, sir aud if We are en-
gagged, we eau tell anybody at present
and-well, what 10 come Of it
For answer, Dick lifted himself on one
elbow and says, gravey
Sylvia, my child, what should come
Of it When the proper time arrives,
surely your guardian will see that he is
bound tn consider your welfare and hap
pines only He cannot refuse TO allow
you--
interrupted him with scarlet checks.
do YOU mean. Dick | exclaimed
hotly. ,hat in breaking faith with Colo
mel Feroll | would aecep, money from
him
Dick blue eyes darkened.
How easily you misunderstood me-
What | do mean i, that he will help me
perhaps 10 a better rung oi the ladder than
the one | AN at present ornamenting mere
Is ~oclally. Aud. be~ide> how hand
soue Dick look, when b, ve1ed wha,
do sou ,,all breaking faith Did yoa
pledge yourself As | see IL, here ls your
r.l>itipn Your father left you dependent
IN your aunt, exccps for 'hA, paltry Eve
Thousand dollAr~ yuu always refer TO A.
ttoush il were a iortaur. aud, if you ~
fuse on your birthday, Ia marty Colonel
FeyroIl you lre even thati Good Fieay-
ems NY child-,hink Of yoa. With thai,
iacs # yourS. gsddiag about earning your
daily bread lie paa~cs, contemplate
the fair October ,ky an instant, and rc.-
on Hos 90 earth Vas this most sacTl
leioa. barter q your youag life made
Had yoar auu, been of the party | could
understand i,
a. Dick speaks there rises to my mind
picture often present, forever ine4aocA-
bile Whch my father and |, altar our
happy. wanderiag hic together. came back
20 VIA, be bad caIlel home in Milford
he kuowtng the eni was Gear. had seut
fog Colonel FeyruH, hls old freaj, 10
whose eaFc be wished 10 caahde ne The
picture which Dick words have called ap
j. Of my father on what he and more
than no,t father ani daughters ever uerv
70 one anogher-knrv 10 IT, his deaihbed
and he Is telling me q. the 'ho'roT Colo
nrl Ferroll who has t-en here gsrnty
fauT hour. has done me
Il ion pre,eni t. Ano~ why, my
darioz. he -ays b.. feeble hand sla.yin;
riinr Bas be sg,hs-- ,u make ynu b.,
viie VI little giH can l,- in pcac, II
yuu uili prulisi>c mr ,.ur ihing lie ask-
uo llr>i..c from yua until ,uur twentieth
birthday bat will consider himself boanI
10 yea. Prysnl>e me uatil thA, date you
al least wall marry NJ une el-.- without
consulting bin.
At int osald noi realre it nv faith
er bargaining. n il weTv. fur the fairrsl
gift woman can b,-sIow But 10 ,he an
gui,h oi that moment would have sworu
INV life away to give him comfort and >,
II c0uneS about that nearly two years atsl
, am i member If my aunt Rowena'
household AZ The Oaks. near I.enox.
regarded with cOmplacvncy bv the Gmily
a. the 6ancee 81 the Inu>i eligible party il
the country-I meanwhile. holding clos.
to nay heart the fact of u,y virtual freedom
having NO cause to eoaplain Of any en-
crcachmenis on his vague rights during
the colonel rare visits but as each da,
passes feeling more keenly that | must tel
him soon OF what perhaps he will call N,
treachery His life seems too busy anc
important TO be linked with careless on,
ike mine-may there not be just chance,
a ghost Of a hope that be will weleom,
his release Dick has more than once
suggested this. OF love the colonel ha,
rarely spoken. In our few tete-a-tetes he
has talked to me much as be would TO
child whose idle fancies. likes and disikes
he was trying to draw out and humor
Only once has he referred to that cruelty
decisive date in my calendar 1, was last
week He came over from his place, five
miles away, which has been closed fol
years, TO discuss the house party with
which and many festive doinss, it is to be
reopened on tomorrow.
s'You think sometimes, | suppose, Syl-
via, of your birthday =? he observed, ia
his quiet tones
Il do
spoke bitterly, yet conscience stricken.
And so do |, he rejoined. The
thought is constantly with me, Remem-
Der, you need decide nothing until that
day
Ten weeks of freedom took my cal
endar aud counted them out, Dick blue
eyes and fair face coming in tormentingly
between me and the small red lettering
which meant so much But surely does
not honor demand that before their time
is spent | tell him what has come into my
life to drift it away from his?
But meanwhile, in these hours of re-