Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-08-27
A Foreordained
Partnership
By Curran Richard Creenley
Copyright, 1904, by L. c. Mcclure

lay under the live oaks, while Miss
Rcbccca sat alone in the darkcncd 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.
Jcssica stood still in the doorway at
sight of the bowed head She could
find no words to say, but she drew
Miss Rebcccas head down and held
her close to her strong. young arms.
Miss Rebecca lifted hopeless face.
"Child, | 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. must try to think" And Miss
Rcbecca 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 Il
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, I,n rtI ci,r
boyish scrawl of u. 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
that, John"
Repplier Bros
Gentlemcn-Is there any market for cut
flowers direct from the south-cape Jas
mine, English violets. roses and all va
ments for packing and shipping to arrive
in good condition. l should be glad to re-
ceive orders. Respectfully,
J. L. MARVIN
Aldann. Miss.
John Repplier laid the letter down
and looked up inquiringIy. Might be
n good idea. What do you Think
"Well! We will be pretty apt to need
a large supply in the next forty-cight
hours, as that Garling 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 bewildcrcd 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
grocs and worked all night until the
dawn, when Uncle Reuben drove down
to Aldana with 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 a little office constructed
in the old weighing room of the gin
that now served as packing room.
Miss Rebccca willingly let go the reins
of Bois dare into JesSicaS hands.
Once more Aunt Ailsa rcjoiced 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 Il soft haze
lay over the sunny fields. and tang Of
frost lurkcd 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 tlecking
the smooth olive Of her rounded check
with golden light as she swayed back
and forth. a picture that held the in
trudcr silent until the crunching Of the
pine needles beneath his feet brought
Jessica to herself. That he was very
good to look Mt was patent Mt 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 Arc
the Marvin plantation"
"Yes; this Is Bois dare. l am the
manager"
"You? J. l.. Marvin?" Rcpplier
stared blankly. "But we had sup
posed
"That were man." she broke in
nervOusly. then. looking at the card
that he handed her, "Mr. Rcpplier?"
and n little later Repplier found him
self in the dim old parlOr receiving the
gentle welcome Of Miss Rebecca.
He was carried away with BOis d Arc
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 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 paned 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 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