The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-04-25

at-firstsight is as out-of-date as our
little grandmothers' hoops rusting in
the garret. All, sweetheart, |, for one,
know better!
Suppose / had not come to Vir-
ginia-and known yOu My heart
jumps when | think of it, 1t makes
one believe in fate. Here at the Court
found an old leaf-calendar-it site
at my elbow now, just as came on it.
The date it shows is May 14th, and
it's motto is: Every man carries his
fate upon a riband about his neck
like that.
THAT first Sunday at st. Andrews,
] thought of a day--may it be soon!-
when you and 1 might stand before
that altar, with your people (my
people, too, now around us, and |
shall hear YOU say: 4, Shirley, take
thee, john And to think it is really
to come true! Do you remember the
text the minister preached from? 1t was
But all men perceive that they have
riches, and that their faces shine as
the faces Of angels l think 1 shall
go about henceforth with my face
shining, 80 that all men will see that
l have riches-your love for me, dear.
Il am so happy can hardly see the
words--or perhaps it IS that the sun
has set l am sending this over by
Uncle Jefferson. Send me back just
a word by him, sweetheart, to say 1
may come to you tonight. And add
the three short words / am so thirsty
to hear over and Overcome verb be.
tween two pronouns-so that can
kiss them all at once!"
He raised his head, a little flushed
and with eyes brilliant, lighted a
candle, sealed the letter with the ring
he wore and dispatched it.
Thereafter he sat looking into the
growing dusk, watching the pale
lamps Of the consultations deepen to
green gilt against the lapis-laz1li Of
the sky, and listening to the insect
noises dulling into the woven chorus
OF evening. Uncle Jefferson was long
In returning, and he grew impatient
finally and began to prowl through the
dusty corridors like leopard, then
to the front porch and finally to the
driveway, listening at every turn for
the familiar slouching step.
When at length the old negro ap.
peared. Valiant took the note he
brought, his heart beating rapidly,
and carried 1t hastily in to the candle.
light. He did not open it at once. but
sat for full minute pressing it be-.
tween his palms as though to extract
from the delicate paper the beloved
thrill OF her touch. His hand shook
slightly as he drew the folded leaves
from the envelope. How would it be.
gin? "My Knight of the Crimson
Rose?" or Dear Gardener" (She had
called him Gardener the day they had
set out the roses) or perhaps even
sweetheart" 1t would not be long,
only mere Eyes" or "Come to me-"
perhaps; yet even the shortest missive
had its beginning and it's ending.
He opened and read.
$ For an instant he stared unbeliev.
ingly. Then the paper cracked to a
ball in his clutched hand, and he made
hoarse sound which was half cry,
then sat perfectly still, his whole face
shuddering. What he crushed in his
hand was no note of .ender love.
phrases; it was an abrupt dismissal.
The staggering contretemps struck
the color from his face and left every
nerve raw and quivering. To be moth.
ing to her, as she could be nothing to
him." He felt CHASTITY inclination to
laugh. Nothing to her!
Presently, his brows frowning heav.
lily, he spread out the crumpled paper
and reread it with bitter slowness,
weighing each phrase. Something
which she had learned since she last
saw him, which lay between them"
She had not known it, then, last night,
when they had kissed beside the sun.
dial! She had loved him then! What
could there be that thrust them irrev.
ocably apart?
Without stopping to think Of the
darkness or that the friendly doors OF
the edifice would be closed, he caught
up his hat and went swiftly down the
drive to the road, along which he
plunged breathlessly. The blue star
spangled sky was now streaked with
clouds like faded orchids, and the
shadows on the uneven ground under
his hurried feet made him giddy
Through the din and hurly-burly of his
thoughts he was conscious of dimly.
moving shapes across fences, the
sweet breath Of COWS, and a negro pe
destrian who greeted him in passing
He was stricken suddenly with the
thought that Shirley was suffering.
too. 1t seemed incredible that he
should now be raging along a country
road at nightfall to find something
that so horribly hurt them both.
1t was almost dark-save for the
starlisht--when he saw the shadow Of
the square ivy-grown spire rearing
stark from its huddle of foliage
against the blurred background. He