The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-03-01

the long friendship was broken up.
Garretson boarded few blocks dis.
tant from the old house and lived al
most recluse, his only memories
those of Mary Lassalle, his only hopes
of meeting her again. The new own
or of the Lassalle home, plying the
forlorn man, suggested that he should
continue to take care Of the garden,
and to this proposition Garretson
gladly assented.
"Then, very suddenly, a strange
event occurred. In the June of 1892,
just when the wonderful peach trees
were putting forth little green balls Of
fruit, they died. Not in a month, or
a week; they died in three days.
Every leaf fell from the shrivellins
twigs, the young fruit fell, the dead
trees stood out desolate against tho
landscape in early summer. And tho
flowers, that had been so brilliant, be-
came very ordinary flowers, indeed,
and never afterward did Garretson
possess that power which had been
the subject of so much comment.
-Four days after this strange oc-
currence telegram was handed to
Garretson while he sat in his lonely
room in the boarding house. It was
from Professor Lassalle and read:
Come at once. Ruth is dying and
calls for you r."
"Garretson arrived ten minutes be-
fore she died. She had given birth
to little girl three days before
about the time when the peach trees
died. When she saw Andrew enter
her room she turned to him with all
her remaining strength
""Take her-care for her. she
whispered. And forgive That was
all she could say. Afterward Lassalle
told Garretson that with the birth of
the child she hal seemed to expert
ence a sudden. ravulsion in her feel.
ings toward And1 ew. She could never
have lived, not with the most skilful
surgeons in the world attending her.
But she seemed to think of nothing
but her unkindness to her husbands
old friend, and she had expressed the
wish that Garretson should be her
child's guardian, if he survived her
husband.
"Well," said Doctor Emmanuel, ris-
ing from his chair and pacing the
room quickly, that is all there is to
tell. Lassalle died two years after
ward and Garretson became the
guardian of Miss Margaret. She has
been like daughter to him, but, as
I said Garretson is afraid that a deep
er sentiment may develop on her part,
as it has on his, and to avoid that he
is sending her to England, at the cost
of a great deal of suffering. It is
odd," he added, chow men like Gar
retson, who are by nature affection
ate and dependent for their happiness
on happy home life, should be con-
tinually crucified in their loves"
Paul Tarrant stood up.
"Now let us analyze this story Of
yours, Emmanuel" he said. 1T seems
to me you are making mountain out
of a molehill. The theory you are
putting forward is, OF course. that
Miss Margaret Lassalle is the rein
carnation of her half-sister, Miss
Mary, and that the mother, realizing
this with the approach of death, made
Garretson her guardian"
'That is my theory" answered the
doctor, smiling. "Well, have you a
better one, Tarrant?"
"Anl that Miss Margaret passed
prior, or. rather between-stages exist
ence, as an orchard of peach trees.
Now, my dear doctor, are you not
aware that the life Of the peach Is
only twelve or fifteen years? Sup
pose the orchard did die suddenly?
Perhaps it was nipped by late frost.
Good heavens, Emmanuel, as I said
before, are you going to bring me
back to earth as a bushel of sweet
peas or couple Of hundred beds OF
geraniums?"
"This is my Interpretation" an
swered the doctor, ignoring the others
outburst. II can imagine Mary Las