Amador ledger., 1904-11-25
A Foreordained
Partnership
By Curran Richard Greenley
By Curri
Copyright, 1904, by T. 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 wearily the
trail of the years that had brought
only trouble and loss
Jessica stood still in the doorway al
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 a hopeless face
Child, I do not mourn for him. 1t is
for you. Jessica, this old house and a
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. 1 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 a
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 it's 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 81. L. Marvin"
Business was unusually dull in the
office of Repplier Bros, florists, and
the morning mail received instant at.
tention. James Repplier tossed a letter
across to his brother John. "Read
that, John"
Repplier Bros
Gentlemen--Is there any market for cut
flowers direct from the south-cape las
mine, English violets, roses and all va
rieties of the lily? Can make arrange
ments for packing and shipping to arrive
In good condition. 1 should be glad to re-
ceive orders. Respectfully.
j. L. MARVIN.
Aldana, Miss.
John Repplier laid the letter down
and looked up inquiringly. Might be
a good idea. What do you think?'
"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
Bois dare:
Send all available blooms. Letter to
follow. Terms guaranteed.
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
dawn, when Uncle Reuben drove down
to Aldana with a wagon load of bas-
kets filled to the brim with fragrant
merchandise.
Evening brought the letter that made
possibility certainty, and busy days
followed for Jessica. More land was
leased and Il little office constructed
in the old weighing room of the gin
that now served as a packing room.
Miss Rebecca willingly let go the reins
Of Bois dare into Jessica's hands.
Once more Aunt Ailsa rejoiced in a
we'll 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 a tang Of
frost lurked in the breeze. Jessica lay
In the hammock under the pines, her
loosened hair blown back in 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.
"1 beg pardon, but is this Bois dare,
the Marvin plantation?"
Eyes; this is Bois dare. l am the
manager"
you? ]. L. Marvin?" Repplier
stared blankly. But we had sup
posed
THAT 1 were MANI" she broke In
nervously, then, looking at the card
that he handed her, "Mr. Repplier ?"
and little later Repplier found him
self in the dim old parlor receiving the
gentle welcome of Miss Rebecca.
He was carried away with Bois dare
and its vague air of better time that
dimly expressed the actual assured po-
sition that had been his life motive.
Self made from the days Of drifting
waifhood, when the two homeless bows
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 paned windows to
fall on faces of dead and gone Mar
wins, the quaint wainscoted 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 thnn To Iinnnr l.,