The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1904-08-17
"A Foreordained
Partnership
BY Curran Richard Greenley
Copyright, 1904. by 7. &C. Mcclure

1t was all over, and General Marvin
lay under. the live oaks, while Miss
Rebecca sat alone in the darkened par
lor. Now the burden lay with her
alone, and she followed YEARLY the
trail of the years that had brought
only trouble and loss.
Jessica stood still in the doorway at
sight of the bowed head She could
find no words to say, but she drew
Miss Rebecca's. head down and held
her close to her strong. young arms.
Miss Rebecca lifted hopeless face.
''Child, I do not mourn for him. 1t is
for you. Jessica, this old house and
pitiful ten acres is all that Is left, and
even that cannot be sold during my
lifetime. There Is nothing nothing!
Don't talk to me now. l cannot bear
it l must try to think" And Miss
Rebecca crept away to her room
Left to herself. the girl stood looking
out toward the clump OF live oaks that
lowered above the generals grave She
remembered that there had always
been little economics practiced by Miss
Rebecca. and the days when the gen
eral would shut himself in with q
mass of papers-always after the visits
of those men from town. Now the end
had come. But the old home was still
theirs, even though shorn of its broad
acres. and an idea came to her. That
night she wrote the letter that went
in the northern mail. signed with the
boyish scrawl of ~. L. Marvin
Business was unusually dull in the
Office Of Repplier Bros, florists, and
the morning mail received instant at
tentiOn.' James Repplier tossed letter
across to his brother John. "Read
that. John"
Gentlemen-Is there any market for cut
flowers direct from the south-cape Jas
mine, English yiolets, roses and all va
rieties of the lily? Can make arrange
Ments for packing and shipping to arrive
in good condition. should be glad to re-
''. r. J. L. MARVIN
John Repplier laid the letter down
q good idea. What do you thinkY'
"Well! We will be pretty apt to need
large supply in the next forty eight
hours, as that CARING funeral will call
for more than we can furnish from our
own plant.
Ten minutes later the message went
off that electrified the household at
Bots dare: .s
Send all available blooms Letter to
REPPLIER BROS
Miss Rebecca was bewildered at the
very idea of money to be gained from
the profusion that rioted in hedge and
arbor and over the waste Of unkempt
gardens, but Jessica rallied the idle ne
groes and worked all night until the
to Aldana with a wagon load of bas-
kets flied tn 1.-THE brim with fragrant
merchandising al # M
Evening brought the letter that made
possibility certainty. and busy days
followed for Jessica. More land was
leased and little office constructed
in the old weighing room of the gin
that now served as packing room.
Miss Rebecca willingly let go the reins
Of Bots dare into Jessica's hands.
Once more Aunt Ailsa rejoiced in a
well filled pantry. and bit by bit the
old border was restored, excepting al
ways the tall. soldierly figure that had
moved out from among them forever.
November had come. and a soft haze
lay over the sunny fields. and tang of
frost lurked in the breeze. Jessica lay
in the hammock under the pines her
loosened hair blown back in q ruddy
halo and the bars of sunlight flecking
the smooth olive of her rounded cheek
with golden light as she swayed back
and forth. picture that held the in
truder silent until the crunching of the
pine needles beneath his feet brought
Jessica to herself That he was very
good to look at was patent at the first
glance. The athletic figure. keen, dark
eyes and smiling mouth made James
Repplier an interesting study to the
mind feminine a@& 81 s&@ -
81 beg pardon. but is this Bots dare.
the Marvin plantntion?''
"Yes: this is Bots dare | am the
manager"
"You? ]. L. MarvinY Repplier
stared blankly. But we had sup
posed .-..- saa-s
THAT l were a man?' she broke in
nervously. then. looking at the card
that he handed her. ''Mr. RepplierY'
and a little later Repplier found him
self in the dim old parlor receiving the
gentle welcome Of Miss Rebecca.
He was carried away with Bots dare
and its vague air Of a better time that
dimly expressed the actual assured po-
s1tien that had been his life motive
Self made from the days of drifting
waifhood. when the two homeless boys
had struggled against the current of
the Chicago streets. it had been an r1p-
hill fight, with little time for the softer
things of life. and here the stately
rooms where the sunlight filtered
through the small PANIED windows to
fall on faces Of dead and gone Mar
Wins. the quaint wainscoted dining
room. with it's time stained treasures:
the white table, with its glitter of sill |
yer and glass: the sweetness Of flowers
and the two gentlewo.nen so different
IrOiD all the women that he had en-
countered in the rush of the. city-he
decided there and then to linger as
long as he decently could, answering
aDstractedly to the running fire of
bright nonsense that Jessicn kept M |
He felt that somehow he had always
known that soft voice and ripping
laugh.
He followed her into the garden,t
where the moonlight cleaned over
snowy. masses of chrysanthemums |
that stood in tall ranks A magic |
dwelt in the winding alleys OF that old |
garden, walled in by the lush fra
GRANGE Of roses. Desperately, helpless
~, he went down before that small |
maiden who talked on Of flowers and
still of flowers and grew very impa-
t1ent of his irrelevant replies. At last
she ventured, You expected to consult