Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-26

which che hso learned sinos ~ ~
saw him. w4ch ~ 1oewosa 49,"
She AaA not Known n. -. last nl0At
when they had kisssd hsside tAe saA-
dali She had lo@ed Ain theai What
could there b. thAt tkSa1a then irrsv.
ooably apart?
without stopping 10 think ee ~
darkness or thatsths friendly doors o.
the edince would 10 closed. hS caught
up his hat and went swiftly down the
drive to the road. along which he
plunged breathlessly. Tho blue star.
spangled sky was now strsAksd with
clouds like faded orchids. and the
shadows on the uneven ground under
his hurried feet made him giddy.
Through the din and hurry burly Of bic
thoughts he was conscious OF dimly.
moving shapes across fences. the
sweet breath Of cows, and q negro %
destrian who greeted him In passing.
He was stricken suddenly with the
thought that Shirley was suffering,
too. It seemed Incredible that he
should now be raging along Q country
road at nightfall to fnd something
that 90 horribly hurt them both.
It was almost dark-save for the
starlight-when he saw the shadow Of
the square ivy.grown spire rearing
stark from ito huddle Of foliage
against the blurred background. He
pushed open the gate and went slowly
up the worn path toward the great
iron-bound and hooded door. Under
the larches on either hand the outlines
Of the gravestones loomed pallidly,
and from the bell tower came the faint
inquiring cry of small owl. Valiant
stood looking about him. What could
he learn here? He read no answer to
the riddle. A little to one side OF the
path something showed snow.like on
the ground, and he went toward It
Nearer, he saw that 1t was mass Of
flowers, staring up whitley from the
semi-obscurity from within IN iron
railing. He bent over, suddenly noting
the scent; It was cape jessamine.
With the curious sensation Of almost
prescience plucking at him, he took =
box Of vestas from his pocket and
struck one. It hared up Illuminating
a nat granite slab in which was cut
q name and inscriptions:
EDWARD sAssoON.
Forgive us our trespasses."
The silence seemed to crash to earth
like great looking-glass and shiver
into million pieces The wax dropped
from his fingers and in the superven-
ing darkness numb fright gripped
him by the throat. Shirley had laid
these there, on the grave of the man
his father had killed-the cape jessa-
mines she had wanted that day, for
her mother! He understood
81
It came to him at last that there
was chill mist cropping among the
trees and that he was very cold.
He went back along the Red Road
stumblingly. Was this to be the end
of the dream, which he had fancied
would last forever? Could 1t DO that
she was not for him? Was 1t no hoary
lie that tho sins of the. fathers were
visited upon the third and fourth gen.
GRAFTON!
When he re-entered the library the
candle was guttering in the burned
wings Of night-moth. The place
looked all at once gaunt and desolate
and despoiled. What could Virginia.
what could Damory Court. be to him
without her? The wrinkled note lay
on the desk and he bent suddenly with
q sharp catching breath and kissed it
There welled over him q wave Of
rebellious longing. The candle spread
to hazy yellow blur. The walls fell
away. He stood under the moonlight.
with his arms about her, his lips on
hers and his heart beating to the
sound of the violins behind them.
He laughed harsh wild laugh that
rang through the gloomy room. Then
he threw himself on the couch and
buried his face in his hands. He was
still lying there when the misty rain
wet dawn came through the shutters.