Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-02-03
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WIN L VII
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her. She bad had many
admirers, but hitherto not one of them
had stirred her heart. Now, as the
weeks passed, she began to experience
the joy of being wooed when the lover
is also the beloved.
She knew so certainly that she had
loved him that she trembled in doubt
whether he loved her. She waited for
the declaration she longed to hear be-
fore revealing herself.
She was now cool, now tender to him
as hope and fear alternated in her
heart, and he, manlike, was equally
cast down by her rebuffs and elated
by her fayors.
One evening he brought her cutting
of verbena, and they went together into
the garden to plant it. The surround
ings inclined to sentiment, and he broke
off flower, a red rose with a golden
heart, kissed it, and asked her to wear
it for his sake.
Her hands trembled as she fastened
it into her low cut bodice, and he
caught them in his. She did not with
draw them.
A moment more and the eager ques-
ton might have sprung to his lips, but
they were interrupted. Hal and Edgar,
Lucilla's brothers, made a noisy ap-
pearance on the scene, and carried off
her lover to the billiard room.
Seeing there was no help for it, he
yielded with a good grace, and Lucilla
chafed. She wished now she had not
let him hold her hands. He would re-
member that sign of yielding on her
part, and she had nothing to console
herself with. Yes, the rose! 1t nestled
warm against her breast. She would
put it in water, that il might last the
longer.
So thinking, she made her way up to
her room. But, after all, the flower
was still quite fresh, and it seemed
pity to disturb it from where his hand
had helped to place it.
Now that Hal and Edgar had him at
their mercy, there was little hope of
seeing him again that night, unless
she cared to join in tLeir game, and
for that she was not inc lined.
She sat down by the open window
and watched the dusk gather. The
wallfowers and the roses threw up
an intoxicating perfume, and thought
came to her. She would watch for
glimpse of him as he laft the house.
Yes, it was worth the long waiti
The moon rose; a silver crescent in
an unclouded sky; and presently in a
distant tree nightingale began to sing
its song Of love. The liquid notes
thrilled her; ner he, TT went out to the
| night. But time sped on; it was grow
| Ing late; her exultation died down; the
nightingale ceased; the rcse had begun
to droop on her breast. Flowers fade
on flirtsw She smiled at the thought
Her own heart was true and stead
| fast enough, she knew. Nevertheless,
she took the flower now and placed
it in water. As she withdrew into the
warm room she shivered slightly and
wrapped light shawl round her bare
neck and arms, that her evening dress
left exposed, ere she seated herself
again at the window.
Then came the sound OF the hall door
banging, and her lovers swift tread
crunched over the gravel. She leaned
from the easement.
Right past her window ha came, and
suddenly stopped. Was 1t loves pre-
science that he stopped and stood look
ing up at her window? Certainly with
even less thought of seeing her there
than she had of such an unexpected
move on his part. She was not warned
In time to retreat.
"Love! Lover he whispered, throw
me down the rosei''
But she drew hastily into the shadow
with burning cheeks.
Did he guess she had waited three,
perhaps four hours, waiting for a sight
Of him, who had-never yet so much as
told her he loved her? She would die
of shame! He assumed, at any rate,
that she cherished his flower. He took
much for granted. And he dared stop
under her window and beg a love token
as if-as if she had given him her heart
| WITHOUT the asking!
Lucilla's pride was up in arms. She
pulled down the window with an anger
that was manifest.
And he, ignorant of the intricacies
of the feminine heart, with sudden
hopelessness upon him, went sadly
home.
How small misunderstanding can
create a barrier between two lovers
whose love is as yet unsigned, unsealed
and undelivered.
That night made a breach between
Lucilla and Vincent that was not long
in the widening. pride properly be-
longs to a woman" Lucilla told her.
self, "aHd not to a man." And, Vim
cent, conscious only of her rebuff,
waited vainly for the encouragement
she had not grudged him before.
And one day, when the young moon
rose on just such another summer even
ing as had seen the little rift within
the lutte, when the nightingale sang
over again his tender rapturea, now
passionate, now pleading, and Elucilla
with falling tears bent her head over
the withered leaves of a faded rose
Vincent sailed to seek better fortune
a kinder fate in other lands. And Lu
ella waited to see him again, counting
the hours, while time sped into years.
you must really come with us to the
theatre tonight" declared Lucilla's
great friend, Elsie Southwood. Felix
has such nice box, and is going tt
bring Mr.. Glenroy. You know, Lucilla
you always wanted to meet him."
Lucilla reused herself; she was near
ly always absorbed in a reverie now.
ssThe man, you mean, who has tht
gift of reading in peoples faces theil
i fate?'
Yes / wonder if he will tell u:
ours. OF course know mine; I'm al
ways going to be as happy as the day
is long, with my precious Felix, a reg
Mar Darby and Joan couple. Blu