Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-10-20

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
Il beg pardon, but is this Bois Are
the Marvin plantation?"
yes; this is Bois dare. l am the
manager"
"You? j. L. Maryin?' Repplier
stared blankly. but we had sup
posed"
THAT l were a MANI she broke in
neryously then, looking at the card
that ne handed her. Mr. RepplicrF"
and a little later Repplier found HIM
self in the dim old parlor receiving the
gentle welcome of Miss Rcbecca.
He was carried away with Bois dare
and its vague air of a better time that
dimly expressed the actual assured po-
sitiun 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 up
hill fight, with little time for the softer
things of life, and here the stately
rooms where the sunlight filtered
through the small pancd windows to
fall on faces Of dead and gone Mar
wins, the quaint wainscotcd 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 gentlewomen So different
from all the women that he had en-
countered In the rush of the city-he
decided there and then to lingcr as
long as he decently could, answering
abstractedly to the running fire of
bright nonsense that Jcssica kept up.
He felt that somehow he had always
known that soft voice and rippIing
laugh.
He followed her into the garden.
where the moonlight CLEANED over
snowy masses of chrysanthcmumS
that stood in tall ranks. \ magic
dwelt in the winding alleys of that ola
garden, walled in by the lush fra
GRANGE of roses. Desperately. helpless
ly, he went down before that small
maiden who talked on of flowers and
still of flowers and grew very impa-
tient of his irrelevant replies. At last
she yentured, You expected to consult
with Mr.. Marvin as to the business
for the coming season.
Repplier pulled himself together and
came out of the clouds. He had forgot
ten his crrand.
"Ges; | had a 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"
JesSica drew a long breath.
Repplier went to his room that night
tlon and lay for hours gazing out into
the white night.
Morning-the plantation bell sent its
summons far out into the misty gray
ness. Alas, the fields of BOis dare
had passed to alien hands, but the old 1
bell still swung and lifted its voice, as
it had done when In answer to its call
the duSky file went forth from the
gates to toll for the master of Bois
d Are. Somewhere away off a chorus
Of hounds responded, and fields began /
to fill with the cotton pickers
JesSiCa was seated behind the urn as /
he sat down to Aunt Ailsa's hot waf- /
fles and fried chicken. As he watched |
the small sunbrowned hands among |
the coffee cups the visions of the night |
came back in full force.
Repplicr had no excuse for prolong- |
ng his stay, but before Jessica drove |
him down to Aldana he managed to |.
extract an invitation for the holidays |
rom Miss Rebecca. Repplier had |
touched her strangely with his half .
Tistful remark, christmas is an emp /
y word to me. / have never had |
lome."
Christmas eve, as Jessica came
across the yard from the office, Rep
olier met her with such honest glad
less in face and voice that she forgot |
Ter scruples and welcomed him rs
gladly. \ long, happy week, for Jes-
ica, her guard once down, threw her
,elf into the spirit of the hour Rep
,licr found his crumpled rose leaf.
However, in the person OF Charlie Car
ington, who was JeSsica's shadOW