The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-11-30

| wan your parasol here-thereS no
| SUM-
Il forgot" she said. with a little
| nervous laugh. The roses in her belt
| were fading rapidly. He had sworn to
speak before they were 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
l have been waiting for you. l often
wondered why l didn't fall in love as
other men do. | tried to do so. l be-
gan to think that love would never
come. l grew despairing. tried to
dethrone an ideal and be content with
common clay, but somehow couldn't.
| am glad now l couldn't, because you
were living all the time, only | didn't
meet you until recently. You are my
ideal woman" he concluded simply.
AVN, SAS oahu AuAA ASO11b "A~NN
evident distress, don't think that. l.
L" she trembled violently.
He drew her down beside him on
fallen tree trunk. do you know
have curious theory about you'll
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 l have always loved you.
think, by some strange telepathy you
saw my longing and drew my heart
to you. Though many miles have dl-
vided us you were waiting for me and
l 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
tenderness that made his heart leap,
yet it was blended with 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 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 cOlored min
iature as he supposed, but print, the
face of a man, evidently cut out OF
some illustrated paper. AS he looked
she turned away her eyes.
Don't you know it," she said in a
| low voice.
| us 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 pris-
oner self accused, who found agony
and yet relief in confession.
Listen" she said. Il have some
thing to tell you-a confession to
make"
Il don't want" he began impetu-
ously.
| But she hushed him with such an ap-
peal in her eyes that he desisted.
| 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 bird near by could be heard.
Jug-jug-jug. it warbied joyously.
1T is the story of dream" said tho
woman st length in a low voice, "a
foolish sentimental dream. l think
it began almost as soon as l could
speak, when l 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 l would
ask people at whose knee l stood do
you love me very much?' and if they
leased me or failed to show any az
lection for me would creep away to
the woodshed and be unhappy for