The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-12-22
CHAPTER ill.
Vows.

bAiNiAAs AOA " iAu Win SNdAANAth
vedettes the veStiges OF winter. spring
began TO intrench the main body OF
ner army. The lilacs became delicious
spreaders Of fragrance, the japonica
unfolded its exquisite single flower.
Niolets hallowed the dead grasses OF
winter. Then the dogwood trees hung
out their snow-white blossoms like
huge white butterflies. Against the
drifting cloud and up into the warm
air famed the daring color of the red
/ maple OF the swamps.
The seventeenth of the month
Toinette O'Bannon met with puz-
zling experience that afternoon. She
was working in the garden behind her
cabin, SO that ii might not lack for ITS
wealth Of bloom that spring. The
! tears gathered In her eyes as she bent
! over the task. She was thinking of
| the garden In New Orleans, whose
first cool blooms had been gathered TO
be laid beside the still. white face that
had grown cold at her birth. Now she
herself was woman and had found,
| with her father, a new home in the
northern wilds.
She gathered some sprays Of purple
| hyacinths that late frost had with
cred on their stalks. These she twist
ed into a detected posy and tossed
into the lane, mourning even for them.
| Then she stopped and began 10 dig
| idly about the roots OF some love-in-
the-mist. Suddenly she was reused
| from her day-dream by the sound OF
| footsteps passing on the side street
| that passed the garden. And then she
heard an ejaculation like the moan OF
beast caught In a trap, and heav-
Ter voice speaking. Too startled to
move, she listened behind the screen
| ing bushes.
"What ails you. manr
"The mark The mark!"
"What foolishness now? What
mark?"
There! The purple posy! oh, my
| God!" The speaker seemed to choke.
The other laughed contemptucusly.
| Nonsense, man, those be but flowers
someone has dropped. They mean
| naught."
"You cannot know" said the other
convulslvely. "If you but knew the
oath"
"a fiddestick for the OATH" the
gruff voice blurted. Throw the thing
away, tell you, and forget II. Hast
1t with your" ...
There was n pause and then the
commanding voice resumed:
"Throw 1t away, man. 1t was naught
but a mummery." ).t
The girl heard their steps pass on
down the street. Rising quickly, she
stared at their retreating backs. The
one was tall youth, whom she rec
ognized as young Doctor Elliott; the
other a broad-shouldered, portly fig
ure, a stranger TO her. As she turned
back her eye caught sight Of "A
crumpled bit Of paper lying on the
path outside the garden and with girl
ish excitement she hastily. ran out and
picked it up. Dirty and greasy IL was,
as II with long handling, and on It,
written in a struggling hand and un-
couth spelling, were the words:
7. Edward scull OF my own free will
and Acoard do declare and solemnly
sware that I will never reveal 20 aney
person or Persons aney thing that may
lead TO the discovery OF the same Either
in or by word sign or action as may lead
TO aney Discovery under the Penelty OF
being sent out OF this World by the fret
Brother that May Meet me after the per
pie mark further more do sware that
will Punish by death aney trater or
traters should there aney arise up
amongst Us / Will persue with unseaceing
vengence, should he fly 20 the verge OF
Statute. will be gust true sober and
f1lthful IN all my dealings with all my
brothers so help God 20 keep this my
oath Invollated Amen"
What had Doctor Elliott to do with
edward Scull?' She puzzled over
,he riddle and tried 10 dismiss II with
laugh. But as she returned 70 tho
liling garden II seemed 10 her that a.
cloud. no bigger perhaps than a mans
f'ad but still a cloud, came over the
ace.
When Elliott. having ridden In from
Louisville on his mme. called on Toi-
nette later IN the afternoon. they
strolled. at his suggestion. along The
river path. she had not known hiu
long b1t on each o. his weekly VISITS
to Corydon BIC had disclosed in every
look and word a growing passion for
her. .'
The glrl. walking IN n fevcrie that
drew veil of tenderness over the
deep sapphire Of her eyes. and the
April day. fading ont In n dream of
amethystine blue and dazzling glory
Of gold. seemed part Of each other.
By her side walked the tall young
doctor; and he. TOO was. part. surely.
Of the beautiful fellowship Of the
happy world.
He speaks: "Toinette here are vio- |
lets. Blue as your eyes. TOT. !
nette,"
She does not answer; the words are
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