Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-09-26

Miss Greyes fine eyes blazed witt
anger. II do not forbid you to, Pau
line. but I hope you will not. Pau
Graham's father is q detestable man
When tell you that once upon time
was engaged to marry him he was
widower, and Paul was a little Lad ir
dresses then. Walter Graham Is
publisher, and showed him a poem
had written. Pauline, he laughed a
It." q
Pauline, startled BY this sudden con
fidence, knew not what to say. Max
ers Of books and publishers were re
mote beings who rarely strayed into
her practical little world. Still, she
longed to comfort the troubled woman
"Perhaps he laughed because-was
It a humorous poem, Aunt Ruth" she
asked timidly.
"Humorousw scoffed Miss Greye. 81,
was called Loves Dirge."
''Oh," said Pauline family. 81 have
no doubt it was a beautiful poem"
ut was" admitted the poetess brief
ly. after that, Of course, everything
was ended between Walter and me.
had the gate In the rose garden nailed
up, and now the hedge has so over
grown It that 1t cannot be found. II
is like the incident-it Is closed for
ever"
"And overgrown with the roses OF
memory" murmured Pauline as she
left the room and went upstairs.
In the library Ruth Greye stood
with down bent head. her eyes fixed
on the rug at her feet. 1.-The roses OF
memory" she repeated softly. and
there were tears in her eyes.
At the end Of six weeks the repairs
on the stone house were about com
pleted. Father and son had overseen
the regeneration Of the neglected es
tate until it verify bloomed as the
roses that crowded 1t. Paul Graham
had registered time by his encounters
with Pauline Greye.
They had met many times. -Four
times he had passed her pony cart as
his motor whizzed by. Then he lad
tired Of the car as an unsociable
means Of locomotion and mounted q
horse. Often he had overtaken her
equipage and ridden slowly beside her
as they talked, for Pauline had de-
cided she would avail herself to Miss
Greye's permission and continue her
acquaintance with the most interest
ing young man she had ever met
Their acquaintance ripened quickly
and one day when Pauline returned
home and saw the reflection Of her
own happy face in the mirror she
blushed as she realized she had learn
ed the most beautiful thing in the
world. After that she did not drive.
She shyly kept to the northern grounds
or dreamed over book in the wide
veranda.
Paul haunted the roads restlessly
His own love was an acknowledged
fact to himself. yet because of Pau
lines unguarded position he dared not
trust himself to see much Of her, and
he was miserable when she, too, hid
herself away.
One gloriously beautiful morning
Ruth Greye arose from sieeplcss
couch and walked slowly among the
dew drenched roses in her garden.
She stopped now and then to inhale
the fragrance Of a Cloth Of Gold rose
or to break tiny cluster Of half open
ed buds. Suddenly she came to the
place where the hedge had overgrown
the rustic gate. She stopped abruptly
and looked with startled eyes.
The hedge had been carefully trim
med away, and the rustic gate, releas-
ed from its fastenings, swung idly
with the light breeze. Ruth moved
close to the hedge and buried her face
in the sweet smelling roses.
There was a firm step on the path,
and she looked up quickly to meet the
glance Of Walter Graham on the other
side Of the rustic gate. Her breath
came quickly, and she summoned all
her pride and fortitude to steel her
heart against her former lover.
His hand was on the swinging gate.
"You have opened 1t at last, Ruth
he said in low tone. "Did you open
1t for me after all these yearsi"
She did not answer. She was look
ing through the vistas Of the rose gar
den, for In the distance two people
were walking. 1t was Paul and Pau
line, and his arm was about her waist,
and the CLINT Of her golden hair shone
against the black of his coat. So Ruth
and Walter had once walked In years
gone by.
"Did you open the gate for me.
RuthT repeated Walter Graham pa
tiently.
Ruth pointed toward the lovers. II
am too proud and obstinate to do such
q gracious deed" she said slowly.
"She-Pauline-must have opened the
gate for your son. Walter, let me
open the gate for you. Will you come
backT She laid her hand on the gate,
and It swung back for the first time In
many years to admit him to the gar
den Of his love.