Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-07-22
HE CALLED
ROSELLAN
By JOANNA SINGLE


her little and tried 10 soften the sit
uation. but she agreed with her hus-
band that their one fair and cherished
daughter should not become the wife
Of John Barry. The girl herself flush
ed and lovely. declared that she would
marry him. that she loved him and
that her life would be ruined without
him.
but. my dear daughter" said her IA
Their. John is just out of college. and
he has studied too much-run all to one
sort of brains. and he's not fit TO battle
with the real world. And. besides. he
is your cousin"
-Four times removed" remarked the
girl quietly.
But still your cousin" continued
the vigorous old gentleman. who hated
the thought of giving up his daughter
TO any man. but had decided that she
must some time marry. and that the
man must be Gilbert Crane. And we
all know that John has nothing In par
ticular and that you have always had
everything you want"
81 don't want anything but John.
He has himself. his ability" she put in
er always"
'Oh. the ability to write n decent ar
ticle or even "A popular novel. What
does scribbling amount to! He has
nothing till that old great-aunt Of his
dies The father looked fondly at
the daughter. SO like him In feature
and spirit. though what he counted
macy in her.
Father" the girl protested. Il would
listen TO you II you had advanced one
valid reason for separating us. He Is
not cousin enough to make one grain
OF difference. and the fact that he Is
not well is only another reason why
should go to California with him till
he is rested and can begin work on his
book" The old man drew the girl to
his knee. and the mother wiped her
eyes.
Look here. child, we have reason.
We have had II talk with John and his
mother. and DIR. Simpson. The plain
truth Is that he has symptoms Of con-
sumption. You know what that may
mean Rosellan clutched his arm
1T is not true! He would have told
me first of all! He Is only tired out.
/ will send for him and see. and II II
were true l should take care of him."
You don't know what you are say
ing. Even IL we had so little sense. do
you suppose John himself would ex-
pose you to even a possible danger like
that? He said last night
II had a right to be there! And he
never let me know
"Wait. dear" said her mother. wv"
love you too well to- John knows
his duty. His going to California;
Rosellan sprang up and faced them.
81 shall go. toov she declared
"Dearie." her mother spoke. he left
you this letter. He
Left me a letter. Why. where IL
hep
1t was for the best
without telling me or saying good
by! You must have made him do this!
But no. you couldn't do that. 1t is his
own fault 1t means that he-doesn't
care as he said he did" She stood
looking at them.
''Rosellan." pleaded her mother, ''he
did the right thing" But the girl took
Johns letter from her fathers hand
and left the room.
Well" old Roger Howard said to his
wife. Its hard on her at first, and
John certainly did the square thing,
but she's young and the separation
may turn her heart toward Gilbert, as
we have always planned"
And Rosellan. in her own room. was
reading her lovers letter:
Rosellan. dearest. you know love you.
That is why / am leaving you this way.
] think could not bear to say goodby: II
would be cruel to us both. Privately
myself cannot think that l am anything
worse than run down from mental over
work and neglect of physical exercise. but
all our relatives and Dr. Simpson seem TO
see Il danger to the very shadow of which
VIII not expose you.
So / am of to my Aunt Eunice. II
| would be brutality unfair TO hold your
heart TO pledge l may never be able
honorably to redeem. Therefore. dearest.
/ set you free Try to be happy and for
get / have promised your father not i,
write. Ii seems best. though you know IL
breaks my heart. You know. too that /
would let no obstacle but this come be-
tween us. l wish Il was decent to ask
you to wait till find whether l may not
yet be In shape to make a home for you
but IL Is not.
II Is hard not to kiss you goodby and
never loved you as / do now In giving
you up. Yours always
JOHN BARRY.
But all Rosellan said to herself was:
He does not love me or he could not
leave me-"
That one wakeful night that follow
ed seemed to change Rosellan utterly
She forbade her parents to mention
Johns name and seemed suddenly to
have grown from girl to woman. She
accepted Invitations everywhere and
was welcomed as an acquisition at So
cial functions. but beneath the bios
La, 4