The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-03-18
art that made it very

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and the preacher has come. Your
young man will be about in a day or
two, and next time he will have better
sense than to be tinkering with tin
on top of a house on his wedding day
hell know his hands are liable to
be shaky.r
II hope he'll not have another
wedding day." replied Hebby, smil-
ing. That afternoon, when the two
were alone and the new house very
quiet, Hebby sat hold his hand and
looking down at him.
"You seem different, somehow,
Hebby," he said. II never saw your
eyes look like that before"
you never saw your wife's eyes
BEFORE" she answered, blushing.
Maybe, though, you don't like the
change"
But I do" he protested, and
Hebby looked away out of the win
dow, to where on a shelf on the back
porch sat the shoe-box of roses. She
had opened and looked into them.
They were wrapped in wet cotton, and
the heat was already whitening them.
Poor Miss Patty knew so little about
packing flowers! The little soul had
forgotten all about the Governor in
Rufus accident, and had not even
thought of her box of roses when she
hurried back home to make prepara-
tions, very proud that Hebby had
asked her4to come back and stay with
them that night.
Rufus" said Hebby, after a pause,
%4the doctor thinks you will be out by
day after tomorrow. Do you think
you could stand the trip UP to the
city? If you can, I'd like to take that
trip you spoke IT,"
Would you, Hebby?" he cried,
gladly. "Well, I'd like that, and we'd
see the Governor"
"I wonder If you would mind TAX
ing Miss Patty, too?" said Hebby.
timidly.
well, rather not, considering that
II it hadn't been for Miss Patty /
wouldn't be caring any more about
Governors or wedding trips, either.
Yes, let's take her, by all means, if
she'd like to CO."
A few days later a young m
in bridal gray and a tall young man
with his arm in a sling walked into
the grounds about the Capitol. Be-
tween them was an eager-faced little
old woman, whose blue eyes were ak
ing in all the sights and whose tongue
was going cheerily.
"I'd think they were the traditional
bridal couple, if it wasn't for the
old lady," said the Governors special
friend to the tall, handsome woman
at his side; and just then the trio
came UP.
How can we see the Governor"
asked Rufus.
"On ~business?" said the friend.
~Oh, no-just see him and hear
him talk-maybe he might be going
to make a speech. We just want to
see him." said Rufus; and then Miss
Patty put in, proudly:
"And we've brought him some flow
ers from the first civilized rose-bushes
that ever were planted in the prairie
soil of Clinch County"
"Clinch? The best county in the
State for farming, and the one that
gave the Governor his biggest ma
jority!" exclaimed the gentleman,
heartily.
And then Miss Patty's enthusiasm
poured itself out in a torrent as she
told him how she admired the Gov
ernor, and how her people and the
grandparents of Rufus and Hebby had
been the first settlers in Clinch Coun-
ty; how she had watched the land
poisoning out into homes and towns,
with their churches and school
houses, homes and happiness for
thousands who came first because the
price of land made it possible for
them to live.
The gentleman listened very cour-
teously, and if Hebby felt a little fear
that Miss Patty was becoming tire
some, she did not allow her restless
ness to show itself. The woman in
the wonderful white dress, a flmy,
cobwebby thing which Hebby decided
had been purchased with a regal dis
regard Of wearing qualities, stood
looking down into Miss Patty's eager
face, listening in the queerest way,
as if something she had heard before
was assuming form and meaning to
her. She did not smile, and there
was a tired little droop to her eyes,
but there was that in her exquisite
ness, her grace and s~oftness, that re-
minded Hebby of the dollhouse flow
ers, with their long stems and won
drous tints.
"Oh, that vas so interesting!" she
exclaimed, with a sigh, and a smile
that TRANSPORTED the gray eyes, as
Miss Patty, a little abashed at her
own volubility, shrank back toward
Hebby. 81 am so glad to have heard
you tell all that! Now, this is Mr..
Marsh, the Governors secretary, :"
continued the lady, land If you will
give him your address, he will send
you cards for a reception at the man
sion tonight. 1 know. the Governor
will be glad to see you. And don't
forget to send him the roses this
afternoon" she concluded, with an
other smile.
That night, when the three came
to where the Governor stood, be
seemed to know, and to be expecting
them, so hearty was his hand-shake,
so cordial his greeting; and 10! there
by his side stood the lady they had
seen in the Capitol grounds, and on
the bosom of her silken gown lay a