The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-07-15

do it.
She had hidden him lift her into a
grapevine swing that Topped itself
from branch to branch of two wild
plum trees. They were white with the
fullness VT their blossom tide.
She was but light armful. He
could easily have put her in the covet-
ed seat with one hand, but he trembled
under the pressure of her sweet young
body, and his great heart tbumped VIC
lently against his ribs, all because he
was such a coward Ralston, you seel
The swaying of the swing set the
delicate plum blossoms a-falling. They
gemmed her brown hair and fell upon
her lap. She filed her little hands
with them and laughed gayly:
"Such pretty, gauzy petals! They
look like fairy lace. Titania's wedding
veil might well have been woven of
just such stuff"
He had thrown himself on the ground
Mt her feet His great brown eyes were
full of the dumb alteration of a slave.
when ] get married." he heard her
say, ''Ill have a wedding bell made
of the wild plum blossoms-so much
daintier than the stiff, conventional
things one always sees"
He laughed nervously. "Ill have a
whole wagon load of them gathered as
soon as you say the word"
She stared at him insolently. what
word?"
"Such little word, Katie-yes."
~
the blue eyes that had taken on the
chill of polished steel.
what are you talking about, John
sic Ralston?"
He rose from his crouching posture
to tower over her commandingly.
Don't you know that l love you,
Katie? You will have to answer Yes
to that There's no other honest an
swer''
She flung her answer at him defiant
ly: Eyes. What them"
"And don't you know t. want to
marry you? Haven't you known it
these half dozen years, Katie?"
Eyes. What them
"Then"-he held out pleading hands
~ vi, NY lilllS Slii, VIII yOu
not come to me while the sweet wild
plums are blossoming for you and for
me? / will try so hard to make you
glad all the days of your life"
From under her crown of wild flow
ers she looked at him with a cruel
smile Of negation. She vaulted lightly
earthward and stood before him with
nj hah ind
Standing thus. she dealt him his death
blow.
"Never, never, never, John Ralston!
I'll marry no coward, an it please you,
sir. Why didn't you kill Dave Sturms
the other day instead of turning the
other cheek? All, you thought would
never hear of it, but you see l have-1
havew Her pretty face was dark with
passion. mo man shall ever point the
| finger of scorn at my husband. We'd
ding bell will never hang over you
and me, John. Goodbye
She flung him a hooking farewell
from the tips of her fingers and sped
| homeward alone through the leafy
aisles of the forest.
|
ceived his deathblow in battle. All
the sweetness had gone out of the
air. all the light out of the sunny
day. He flung out his hands with a
| gesture of despair.
| She had never loved him or she could
not have condemned him unheard
How easy to convict her of error if
| it had been worth while!
1t was then that he retired to the
Cross Bayou place and took up the life
of hermit crab, all because he was
coward, you see.
| Only one human being accepted him
unquestioningly, believed in him abso'
| lutely. That was Black Prince, and
when Johnsie went into retirement on
the Cross Bayou place Black Prince
| went with him.
| Prince was his foster brother and
his chattel. Nanny Ann had nursed
| them both from her full maternal foun-
| tains. There was nothing princely
about the chattel save his loyalty and
a chivalric devotion that found all the
| reward it asked in obliterating self fol
the object it adored.
"Me and Marse Johnsie" comprised
the universe for Black Prince.
From Black Princes point of view
life as it was lived at Cross Bayou by
tine and Marse Johnsie" was simply
perfect A little labor and great dea
of resting-what more could heart OF
| man ask?
If the white man had his periods Of
self disgust and bitter retrospection
the black one was never the wiser fol
II. If there came to the master mo
ments of passionate longing, when ;
shadowy girl face looked at him from
out the memory land. with a crue
smile of negation on her sweet face
the chattel was never the sadder TO
It, If Prince was conscious Of any de
fined longings, it was to have thing
go on just as they were forever an'
forever unless, indeed, it might be TO
the glorious annual excitement of {
barbecue.