The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-07-19
HE CALLED
ROSELLAN
By JOANNA SINGLE
Copyright, 1905. by 7. c, Mcclure

| honorcd fashion, her mother soothed
her little and tried to soften the sit
uatlon, 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
ther 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"
II don't want anything but John.
He has himself. his ability" she put IN
proudly. I'VE have cared for each 9th
I or always"
'Oh. the ability TO write decent ar
| tlele or even Il popular novel! What
does scrlbbling amount TOT lie 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
firmueSs In himself seemed rank obsti-
macy In her.
Father" the girl protested. 81 would
listen TO you IL 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 we'll 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 reason.
! We have had 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.
at is not true! lie would have told
me first of alli He Is only tired out.
| viii send for him and see, and II II
We're true I should take care of him"
you don't know what you are say
ing. Even II we Ind SO little sense. do
you suppose John himself would ex-
! pose you TO even II possible danger like
that? He said last night"
II had right TO be there. And he
never let me know
"Wait, dear" said her mother I'VE
love you too well TO John knows
his duty. His going to California;
Rosellan sprang up and faced them.
Il shall 90, tool" she declared
"Dearle," her mother spoke, "he left
you this letter He
Left me letter, Why, where is
hep
tIIe went 10 California this morning.
1t was for the best
without telling me or saying good
| byY 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 ut 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 RoselIan. IN her own room. was
reading her lovers letter:
Roselan. dearest, you know love you.
That Is why l am leaving you this way.
think | could not bear to say eoodby; It
would be cruel to us both. Privately /
myself cannot think that | 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 II danger to the very shadow OF which
l Will not expose you
SO | am Off To my Aunt Eunice. 1t
would be brutally unfair To hold your
heart to "a pledge | may never be able
| honorably to redeem. Therefore. dearest.
| set you free. Try TO be happy and for
get. 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. / wish it was decent to ask
you to wait TIL find whether / may not
EhanR d FIN
| but II IS not.
| 1t IL hard not to Kiss you Eoodby. 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 rs an acquisition at 80
cial functions, but beneath the bios
soming brilliance lay an undoubted
hardness. She hated It 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 Roselan began marked fir
tatlon with Steve Golden, a wealthy
dissipated man of forty He was eyi
IDENTIFY infatuated with the girl, and she
let him follow her about till her father
demonstrated.
Father, you put your hand on my
affairs once. | warn you not TO do II
again" And somehow he dared not.