The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-10-11

wan your parasol here-tneres no
slra."
Il forgot" she said, with a little
nervous laugh. The roses in her belt
we're fading rapidly. He had sworn to
speak before they we're dead
Ruth" he said, not noticing that
he was using the name which was al
ways in his thoughts, may man
speak TO you of lover"
She made no answer, only the color
came and went in her cheeks and she
clasped the handle of her parasol
tightly in her hand.
Il think unconsciously all my life
| have been waiting for you. I often
wondered why | didn't fall in love as
other men do. tried to do so. / be-
gan to think that love would never
come. grew despairing. l tried to
dethrone an ideal and be content with
common clay, but somehow l couldn't.
am glad now | couldn't, because you
were living all the time, only didn't
meet you until recently. You are my
ideal woman" he concluded simply.
Mono" she said hurriedly, with
evident distress, don't think that L
+" she trembled violently.
He drew her down beside him on a
fallen tree trunk do you know
have curious theory about you--if
there are any theories in love- Shall
tell you? We were talking the other
evening about having possible known
Lamb in a pre-existence. Well,
think have always loved you.
think, by some strange telepathy you
saw my longing and drew my heart
to you. Though many miles have di-
yided us you were waiting for me and
was waiting for you. Your image
was engraved on my heart; you en-
shrined yourself in the inner Businesses
Of my being. You would not let me
fall in love with anyone else; you
held me as your lover and your lover
and your lover only. Did you do this
out Of mere wantonness? Have you
no reward for me? | have lived in
Paradise this week, yet l have been
tortured, too. They told me-you do
not mind? They told me that you had
long ago given your heart to some
one. Did you give it all away-have
you no little corner for me? You see,
| am quite humble, so humble that /
would share"
She raised her eyes and looked at
him. In those beautiful eyes he read
a tenderness thai made his heart leap,
yet it was blended with a strange
shame, and deep distress. Her lips
trembled as she said; Il can never
have but one lover. l would not share
my heart. 1t is all-all given to one
man" She put. up her hand to the lit
tie golden cord at her neck. See, )"
she said, there is only one man 1 can
ever love-look! This is he!"
In despair Josslyn turned his eyes to
the miniature case that she now ex-
posed to view. To his surprise he saw
that it did not contain a colored min
iature as he supposed, but print, the
face Of man, evidently cut out Of
some illustrated paper AS he looked
she turned away her eyes.
Don't you know it," she said in
low voice
rs it possible-is it-dear, what does
this mean?" he asked wonderingly.
He would have taken her in his arms,
but she rose quickly and leaned against
a tree nearby. She stood like a prts-
oner self accused, who found agony
and Unt rn1ipf in confession
Listen" she said, Il have some
thing to tell you-a confession to
make"
81 don't want" he began impetu-
ously.
But she hushed him with such an APP
peal in her eyes that he deslsted.
For a moment there was silence
while the woman recovered her self
control.
The woods were cool and shady, the
soft green of the underground and the
messy carpet grateful to the eye after
the glare of the sun. The foliage of
the branches overhead barely moved,
but wove as it were a network over the
too brilliant sky. In the stiffness the
notes of a bird near by could be heard
Jug-jug-jug, it warbled joyously.
1T is the story of dream, said the
woman at length in a low voice, "a
foolish sentimental dream. think
it began almost as soon as l could
speak, when wore little white frocks
and blue tie-ups. Even then l had a
passionate longing to be loved. My
mother used to tell me how | would
ask people at whose knee ! stood do
you love me very much?' and if they
leased me or failed to show any af-
fnntinrn En,. M I r,nn1Id nraan awaw To