The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-09-30

fall on faces of dead and gone Mar
wins. the quaint wafnScOtcd dining
room. with its time stained treasures:
the white table. with its glitter of sill
Yer and glass: the sweetness; Of flowers
and the two grntlcwonrn 81 different
from all the women that he had en-
! rountrrrd i'll the rush of the city he
decided there AMI then to ling"r as
long as h" dccrntly could, answering
abStractcdly to the running fire Of
bright nonsense thai Jcssica kept up.
He felt that somehow he had always
known that soft voice ana ripplmg
laugh.
He followed her into the garden.
where the moonlight CLEANED over
snowy MASSES of chrysanthcmIImS
that stood i'll tail ranks. y magic
lwrlt in the winding alleys of that old
garden. walled in 10y the lush fra
GRANGE of roses. Desperately. helpless
~. he went down before that small
maiden who talked on of flowers AMI
still of flowers and grew very impa-
tirnt eff his Irrelevant replies. At last
rhe vrnturr,l. You expected tn consult
with Mr.. Marvin us To the business
for the coming season."
Repplier pulled himself together ana
rame out of the clouds. He had forgot
ten his errand.
Yes; | had Il proposition to make
from our firm. You have been our
chief source of supply for several
months. and we have decided to offer
you an interest if you will agree to
work under our supervision
JrSSica drew hang breath.
RrpDlicr went to his room that night
in state of mind that BATTLES dcScrip-
ton and lay for hours gazing out into
the white night.
NOrnin.-the plantation bell sent its
summons far out into the misty gray
ness. Alas, the fields of BoiS dare
had passed to alien hands. h:!t the old
bell still swung and lifted its voice, as
it had done when IN answer t. its call
the duSky file went forth from the
gates to toll for the master of Rois
dare. Somewhere away OFF Il chorus
of hounds responded. and fields began
IL ill with the cotton p:cEcIs.
.IrSsicu WAS seated behind III" urn az
he sat down t. Aunt Ail:,a:' hot WAf
ticS and fried chicken. AS Er Watcae
the small sunbrownci kan.iS anon"
the coffee cups the visions of thr ni@ht
came back in full force.
Rcpplirr had 10 excuse for rr',pn%
ing his stay but before Jessie. Grov..
/ -
extract an Invitation FIR the holidays
from Miss EeGrcrA. EC,!siirr had
tonchr! her strangely with ii; halt
wiStful remark. "ChriStmas l.; ;il cl.I:.
ty word to me. have never had ::
home
Christmas eve. as .I2:;. ,ira came
across the yard from IL" o..!c". Rep
plrr met her with such honest glad
ness in face and vote" that she forgot
her Scrupl"S and Wtic0:a"l him as
gladly. \ long, happy w|,.!i. for Jc'-
sica. her guard once down. threw her
self into the spirit OF the hpar. Rep.
plipr found his crumpled rose leaf.
however. i'll the person of Charlie Car
ringtol. who WIS JrSSica'S shadow.
Too cOnfountledly cnlSiEly." thoH%ht
Repplier as the swift days flew. He
had never cared for dancing. but it
was dull work to stand in the shadow
while JeSSica CircleI the room i'll Char
lies arms But ut last the round of
dances and merrymakingS drew to Il
close Repplier grsey desperate. There
was only one day left to him. II Miss
Rebecca had earned his gratitude be-
fore she now had his undying affection
in the hour when she pressed Charlie
into service to drive her to the next
plantation.
II WAS one of those dr@ary, midwin-
ter afternoons. and the open fire lick
cred cherrily. .TrSsica commenced Il
furious onslaught with the poker.
"Poking Il fire is a positive stimulant
OF IL day like this"
lis it: Let NE try it," He took the
poker. and they knrlt together on the
broad hearth. \ merry war of words
and thrH silence that neither of them
dared To break. .IrSSica gaZrd deep i'll
tn the heart of the fire. but Repplier'S
eyes We're on the dark clIrlS. He could
not see her face. AS he dropped the
poker she stretched out her hand To
find it caught and hcll-''.IrS;ca." 1t
WAS just IL whisper. hut the rich color
went over her face. and the hand tlut-
tered within the strong grasp that held
it prisoner as lie wrnt On. Il know it is
too soon. but | cannot 20 and leave my
story untold. You know that | have
loved You from the moment that first
saw You. | believe that | have loved
you always. Above and beyond all law
Of caste. all difference of north and
south somewhere. somehow. you have
belonged to me. and | want my own"
Outside the raindrops pattcrrl
against the long windows. then the
neigh of Il horse as Charlie and Miss
RrbrcCa drove through the big gate.
The brown head dropped lower, and
the hand in his no longer struggled 20
escape. Quick 10 grasp his vantage
ground. he drew the slight figure to
him. For just the hrielcSt time his lips
sought hers: then, flushed and shy. 1c$-
| Sicu rCtrcatrd to the other end of the
rug as Miss Rchccca. standing in the
open door. read the end of the chapter.