Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-13
THE CARPETBAGGER
BY OpIE READ AND FRANK PKLEY
- Q N
copvrehted Lee PublishersAn Rights Reserved
By Permission of Publishers

TO command an army make Ile SeeHi
older?"
mot a Bit" he maintained. Taking
her by the hand, he said: Come,
sing something for me. There is not
voice in the world that pleases me
as yours does. Sing Lorena.'
She sang for him and he stood be-
side her, with his mind in the past,
the bright and careless days of his
youth. He heard the banjo's ring
and caught the glow of the Christ
mas fire in the cabin. Again he was
borne in triumph upon the shoulders
of black giant, held up to be wor-
shipped as the coming master. All,
how different from the past brought
back by the Carpetbagger!
The Major did not ask her to sing
again when the song was ended. He
led her gently to a chair, and when
she had sat down, giving him smile
which, as much as the song, spoke
of old days, he took a seat near her
and looked into her eyes till she col
ored under his gaze.
"Alice," he began, you know my
history as we'll If not better than 1
could tell it to you. You know why
1 never married" She looked at him
and slowly nodded as the past came
back to her-the mourning Of a
neighborhood for a girl thrown from
a horse and killed. One week from
the time when she lay, amid the bios
SONS and roses Of April, young Rey-
nolds was to have led her to his faith
er's house. 1t was hard blow and
his . friends feared that his reason
had been shaken. With physician
he had roamed in foreign lands, and
for years after his return, lived as
one to whom life was heavy load.
She remembered it all, and her eyes
were soft as she looked upon him. 1t
was the first time he had ever allud-
ed to his bereavement
Yes" she said, Il know"
Time has mellowed that sorrow
into something sweet" he remarked,
silent, leaving her to wonder why he
had brought back that part Of the
past.
Alice"
"Yes, Major"
He took her hand as he had taken
it years ago, on their way to school,
to help her across rivulet-he took
her hand and held it, still looking
into her eyes.
I'm the years that are gone, there
was no romance between u.s."
mo, Major. We were always good
friends"
Slowly she began to withdraw her
hand from his, but he held it. "Of
late, after all these years I have
thought that we might be more to
each other. We both have looked
upon withered roses; we have breath
ed their perfume in the chamber OF
death; but roses are for the living as
we'll as the dead"
Major, 1 don't-don't quite un-
derstand," she said, withdrawing her
hand, but without taking her eyes
from his Roses for the living? Yes,
they are planted and cared for by the
living"
"Ah, and they should be enjoyed
by the living. At my house there is
a wilderness of them, without a mis-
tress.''
And my garden is full Of them,"
she said.
Yes, but they have no master"
THE rose needs neither a master
nor a mistress" she replied. 1T
needs but one true servant,-Senti-
ment."
Alice, I could esteem no one so
much as 1 do you. 1 believe that
new career is opening for me, and
alone, it would be but half a career.
Will you not share it with me? Don't
answer impulsively. Don't answer
now. But when I am Governor, 1
shall ask you to be my wife"
He arose to take his leave. She
went to the door with him, and they
stood there in a silence, full of mean
ing for both, they heard the merry
laughter of Nellie and Roy, off some
where in the perfume Of night.