Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-05-02


turned neither the nod nor the smile.
l inquired the reason.
II do not like her, sir" he said. after
a pause.
"For any particular reason?' asked.
"No, sir" he replied, after another
short pause. my feelings toward her
may spring from prejudice"
"speak more plainly. Fleetwood" l
urged.
"Well, SIR" he said, "in the first
place, she is not Frenchwoman."
"I discovered that some time since,"
I observed.
There was look of surprise in his
ewes as he said, But her name Is
French"
"Quite true, Fleetwood. Her father
may have been French
MAY have been, STRIP he remarked,
repeating my words with emphasis.
'Then he is not living?"
mile. Rosalie is doubly orphaned"
I said. "Come, come, Fleetwood, we
may be doing the young lady an injus-
tice in canvassing her SO freely behind
her back"
"You are right, sir, rs you always
are. am very sorry l spoke
But" I persisted, "having gone so
far, we may be adding to the injustice
by not carrying this conversation to
its legitimate end. We cannot be too
careful of regulations. Say what is
in your mind"
every well, sir. Mile. Rosalie has
no parents, but she has relations"
81 think not, Fleetwood" :,
"No sisters or brothers, sir?"
$50 understand. She Is alone in the
world, with not soul to depend upon
except ourselves
"Then the man she meets, sir" said
Fleetwood, "is not relation"
II was not aware" said, that Mile.
Rosalie was in the habit Of meeting
any man; but, after all, 1t is no affair OF
ours"
mo, SIR"
"Go on, Fleetwood; you had best fin.
ish. Are these meetings frequent?"
every frequent, l should say, sir. J
have passed them, by accident, at least
half dozen times"
"How long has this been going on?"
at is four months since first saw
them"
reflected. Mile. Rosalie had been in
our service only five months, and il
was generally understood, through her
own statements, that she was stran.
ger in the neighborhood, and had no
friends or acquaintances. Here, then,
was another duplicity to trouble and
perplex me.
"Where do these meetings take place,
Fleetwood?'
"In Ivybush Lane. sir"
Ivybush Lane was. perhaps, the most
secluded part of the locality round
about; but if Mile. Rosaie and her
friend were lovers, was 1t not natural
that they should meet in spot where
they were least likely to be intruded
upon?
"And at what hour, in your observa-
tion," asked, "do they meet?"
always at night, sir, when there is
no moon."
"You are quite sure" l said, some
what startled, "that you are not mis-
guided by prejudice?"
81 speak of facts, sir, not impress
sions."
"You have impressions-but of course
you have; it is ridiculous to ask such
q question. What l mean is, that your
impressions are not favorable to Mile.
Rosalie?"
"They are not. sir. If she has a
sweetheart, what reason can there be
for such secrecy? When l have ap-
preached them-and l beg you to be-
lieve that I have always come across
them by accident-they have stopped
talking and have shrunk away from
observation, the man especially. Once
am certain they were quarreling."
"a lovers quarrel, Fleetwood?"
"Perhaps, sir; but it didn't sound like
it. They seemed to be threatening each
other. That is all I have to tell, SIR"
"Have you met the man at other
times, when he was alone"
II can't say, sir. never saw his
face; he seemed to take great pains
to hide it from me-"
"You are positive it was Mile. Rosa.
lie, and not another lady?"
81 am positive, sir"
"One more question, Fleetwood. Ivy.
bush Lane is lonely spot which one
would not traverse for pleasure on
darksome nights. What took you
there?"
at is near the graveyard, sir, where
my wife Is buried"
His voice trembled with emotion.
pressed his hand.
"Let us keep this. to ourselves" ]
said, presently. "It will be the wiser
course. When my daughter is married
Mile. Rosalie will leave our service"
At this moment, as Fleetwood was
about to leave me, Eunicc danced uI
to us. 1t was pleasure to look upoL
her bright face, beaming as 1t was with
happiness. Loves summer was hers
her life was filled with heavenly joy
In her hand she held two posles.
"AIlle. Rosalie arranged them," she