The Somerset reporter., 1905-07-20
HE CALLED
ROSELLAN
By JOANNA SINGLE


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 mueh-run all to one
sort of brains, ana 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
10 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"
Il don't want anything but John.
He has himself. his ability" she put in
proudly. I'VE have cared for each 9TH
er always"
"Oh, the ability to write a 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
hrmness in himself seemed rank obstl-
macy in her.
Father" the girl protested, 81 would
listen to you if you had advanced one
valid reason for separating us. He is
not cousifi enough to make one grain
of difference and the fact that he Is
not well is only another reason why l
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 a reason.
We have had Il talk with John and his
mother, and DR.. Simpson. The plain
truth is that he has symptoms of CON
sumption. You know what that may
mean Rosellan clutched his arm.
ct is not true. He would have told
me first of all He Is only tired out.
l will send for him and see, and if it
were true | should take care of him"
You don't know what you are say
Ing. Even if 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 he9 mother. I'VE
love you too well to John knows
his duty. His going to California;
Rosellan sprang up and faced them.
Il shall go, too" she declared
"Deare," her mother spoke, "he left
you this letter. He'-
Left me n letter! Why, where is
he?"
HE went to California this morning.
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, tits 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 l love you.
That is why l am leaving you this way.
l think l could not bear to say goodby it
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 DIR. Simpson seem to
see danger to the very shadow of which
l will not expose you.
So l am Off to my Aunt Eunce 1t
would be brutally unfair to hold your
heart to a pledge l may never be able
honorably to redeem. Therefore. dearest.
l set you free. Try to be happy and for
get. l have promised your father not to
write. 1t seems best, though you know ii
breaks my heart. You know. too that
would let no obstacle but this come be-
tween us. l wish 1t was decent to ask
you to walt TIL l find whether | may not
yet be in shape to make n home for you.
but IL is not.
1t Is hard not to kiss you Roodby. and
never loved you as l 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
soming brillianee lay an undoubted
hardness. She hated 1t all, Gilbert
Crane she ignored so absolutely that
sheer self respect obliged him to with
draw his wooing Even her father saw
there was no hope for his cherished
plan. But this was not the worst.
Three or four months after Johns de.
parture Rosellan began "A marked dir
tation with Steve Golden, n wealthy
dissipated man Of forty He was EVIL
IDENTIFY infatuated with the girl, and she
let him follow her about till her father
tod