Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-06-22


tend before the ship sailed, and he
must be the first on board, but he
faltered little as he approached
Alice, and tried to speak coldly, as if
he had no remembrance of all the
dreamy happiness of that short sum-
mer. 1t smote him to the heart to see
how her face fell-to catch the sudden
gleam OF tears in her eyess but he
hardened himself and said a few in
different words about a happy meet
ing three years hence, when his ship
would have returned, and as he ended
he held out his hand with a smile.
"Good-by," he said
"Good-by," she answered simply, and
| she placed her hand in his.
For moment it lay there, then
| slipped out. She turned away, as he
! did, when he looked she was waltzing
with Charlie Brand
after all, doubt if she loves me,'
he said, to lessen his self-contempt.
he did not note her white face or
forced mirth-did not see her after
ward, in her own room, she crouched
down on the floor, hiding her face in
| ucI udluS, OuI IudC SUE WAS
| very. tired and wanted to die.
| The ship Albatross sailed next day.
One person watched it till the white
sails bore it out of sight, one who
wrung her hands, when it was gone,
with low, heartbroken cry, and after
ward rose and went away with
shadow resting thenceforth On her
young life.
Through stormy seas the great ship
sailed safely to her distant port, and
one on board bore ever with him the
memory of fair face framed in by
dark brown hair, and lighted by ten
der, fathomless brown eyes.
At Smyrna he fell grievously ill
struck down by a malignant fever.
In the weary night watches thoughts
long banished would come crowding
on him. Alone IN a foreign land, with
no one to care whether he lived or
died, no ministering but such as
chance stranger hands might render,
he. was haunted day and night by a
memory. Often he fancied he heard a
light tread beside him and felt a cool,
gentle hand laid on his burning brow,
or heard a soft voice singing old songs
she had sung to him once. How long
ago it seemed!
And when he grew better and could
walk again, on sweet Syrian nights,
beside the sounding sea, and under
the everlasting stars, his old hopes
and desires fell from him, and in his
new light-the light Deaths torch had
thrown over his life-he saw how false
and selfish had been his existence; how
he had held the richest blessing that
could crown his days, and thrown 1t
away, forcing back the words that how
cred on his lips.
He would go back, and, confessing
all, entreat her to give him one more
chance. That she still loved him he
never doubted False himself, he
never questioned her truth.
!, And so, after three long years, the
Albatross sailed homeward.
happened that, though bound tc
, another port, the vessel touched on Its
way at the harbor near Hilton Manor
thus giving Henry Linden the -oppor.
tunity he desired.
One bright autumn morning ht
.. started to walk to the Manor.
AS he neared the house it startled
him a little to see no sign OF life ahou
it-no smoke curling from the tai
chimneys.
!. The great hall door stood open, ant
near it, summing himself in the veran
, da, sat the old steward.
! The family had gone abroad, the Oh
}, man said, and the house was shut UP
q Where we're they? He could no
y rightly tell; those outlandish torelgl
= names never stuck in his memory. me
would not be back for a long tlMe
4 that he knew. They were all well o.
q last accounts
il Henry Linden turned away bltterl
d disappointed. He had been so sure
: meeting Alice, and explaining every
y thing.
l. Bit 1t was some comfort to wande
Q over the ground, trodden once VIII
o her, alive with memories Of her.
!. He came, at last, to the pretty ntti
II church, nesting among dropping WI
lows, and softly unfastening the latci
o he entered the churchyard. HOW we