The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-08
HIS GLORIOUS FOURTH
By Nellie Crayey Gilmore.

 ly and slid to a faltering standstill.
 Aldrich surveyed the darkening sky with uneasy eyes. transferring them tentatively to the unsuspecting pink profile just above his left shoulder.
 Dolly glanced up. interrogating his sudden silence. and encountered de- cidedly anxious glance in return.
 Well, what Is it?' she asked, trying hard to make her tone sound common place.
 T hate like the mischief to tell you, Miss Templeton, but as near as l can figure, we are about nine miles from human habitation and the gasoline tank -" He paused dramatically.
 "Oh. Jimmy!"
 Dolly threw out her hands in a second of hysterical abandon; then she laughed in little way that seemed to cover up a sob.
 T have often walked twelve." she announced presently in a highly cheer full voice, notwithstanding that the color deserted her cheeks.
 But 1t is almost seven o'clock. and 1 am afraid-'
 "Oh, 1t will be quite midnight before we can make it, 1 suppose" she broke in with a shrug, but as 1t is our only alternative, I really don't see the sense of sitting here. arguring."
  ing the brake, he sprang to the ground an going over to the other side. helped Dolly to alight.
 For an instant they stood in the middle of the road facing each other.
 But what is to become of the ma chine?" she asked.
 Aldrich dived into his pocket and brought forth note look and pencil I'll tag 1t, tthats all," he laughed, ss he faf hot f xx,in nA fall into hands piratical." He scrubbed a line across one of the blanks and fastened 1t to the forward cushion.
 Forty minutes of steady walking brought them mile nearer home. With an unconcealed sigh of weariness. Dolly flung herself down on a prostrate log, and Aldrich slipped into a seat be- side her. His face indexed variety of emotions. Hope-that had hitherto shriveled within him. She would never forgive this.
 Dolly" he began appealingly. "Hea- ven knows I'd rather have lost my right hand than"
 She interrupted him with little sfm patient gesture.
 Jimmy, please spare me. It's bad enough in all reason, but let us not add tragedy to a situation which is AlF0dQy meiOOTdHdtlC III tHS c6tEohS.
 Aldrich subsided under the sEub. contemplating the toes of his bots in gloomy silence. Some minutes passed. The darkness yielded gradually to splendor of gold light. flung down from a cloudless sky by thousands of stars, and everywhere through the misty yellow, innumerable dogwood blossoms shone solemn1y like white crosses.
 Suddenly Dolly started up and walk ed off down the road again. the other following gloomfly.
 Miss Templeton," he began after silence, "do you know why I asked you to come out with me this afternoonT
 She did not reply at once. The tone. more than the words, caused the blood to scorch her cheeks for an instant.
 Why" she returned after a little. ito celebrate our independence, of course-just as every one else is do ing" She gave him an inscrutable ht- tie glance from the tail of her eye
 T wanted to ask you a question:" he announced gravely.
 "PIease-" she began, walking faster. Couldn't we discuss"
 Don't distress yourself" he inter- posed bitterly, three times is," he looked at her resentfully, quite suf- hcient to show a fellow how many diff I9TSnI SOElS OL d LOOl ne Cdn OA himself It is solely in the interest of friendship. I wish to speak now"
 Dolly frankly admitted to herself that friendship was even less interest ing than the other thing. She bit her lip as she demanded petulantly: Well. what is your question?'
 The other day." he replied. quickly. T heard that you were going to be married. that you were going to marry
  had made the statment with your own lips. Is 1t true?" The last words were uttered hoarsely. almost a charge.
 Dolys white lids fiickered as she looked up into his eyes.
 Tt is quite true" she answered un- hesitatingly the crimson pouring all over her face.
 Aidrich stopped short and faced her. compelling her glance to meet his in a suddenly masterful manner.
 "Why?' he demanded passionately. Dolly shrank away from him; his ve- hemence half frightened her.
 Because" she said proudly, "I love him."
 Aldrich was silent for a moment. but his silence was more tense than words. He came close to her. so close that his hot breath stirred the hair about her temples
 OnCe you reIuSeQ H6 Out savagely, "twice-three times! And I was a poor man."
 Dolly fared up.
 Your influence Is more than fauer- ingl" she remarked, her eyes suapping. Your love would have been my strongest incentive toward success" he went on, Ignoring her comment alto gether. q never intended that you should share life of poverty. I had meant to work night and day, day and night--to give you everything that other women have"
 She looked at him curiously. and warm light sprang to her eyes; but she said nothing, and for several minutes they walked on in silence
 T did not refuse you because you were-poor." she observed presently "and even had done so. 1t would have heen more for your own sake than mine, Jimmy. Ones ideas. become rev olutionized sometimes" she added in n lower tone.
 Suddenly, less than a quarter of a mile away, a thin streak of light shot skyward: then another and another tilf the clouds were lursd with sparks and opalescent shafts of fire. The in distinct music of band mingled vaguely with distant shouts of taught CT. interspersed with fusilades of can non srackcrs.
 Dolly grabbed Aldrichs arm and nulled him to an abrupt standstill
 Jimmy. the picnic"
 Dolly almost collapsed with joy. AL drich breathed a mixture of relief and
 lr Iak l.