Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-01-23
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BY JEAN STUART.
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The young woman, sitting on loS
in the summer shade. was conscious
that someone was coming up from the
hill road, and that the bushes at the
edge of the road had been parted. She
saw that man was looking out Of the
tengle.
81 beg your pardon, if have dis
turbed YOU" he said courteously, re-
moving his hat "But I used to be IA
miliar with-with this-some years
ago, and I am trying to recall this
place. 1t is so much changed that ].
can hardly realize it is the same"
The young woman followed the d.
rection of his eyes. He was looking at
a disordered heap that had once been
chimney, and at overthrown and rot
ting blocks of wood that had once been
the pillars of house.
"Time seems to have made many
changes here" she said quietly, without
any embarrassment. He looked around
again, with a lingering glance, and sat
down on the other end Of the log.
"This is the remains of the house in
which I was born," he said thought
fully, after a silence. ut has been
long time since saw it. Right about
over there was my room. There was
rose vine over the window-my moth
er planted it-see-a wild branch of
it is growing yet And that old Chin
ney! I couldn't realize that the old
house would be gone when I came
again. If you know what 1t means.
believe have a heartache because the
old house has fallen down"
The girls eyes rested softly on the
decayed chimney.
"I was wondering before you came"
she acknowledged, "if those who used
to live here had forgotten all about
the old home. am merely summer
boarder over at Farmer Gray's, and
have heard little about-about you,
think-and of the Others"
There was a long silence before he
answered her.
1T found out early that would go
out and make my way in the world"
he said. "I had hard work the first
five years. But things began to come
my way at last I could build beau
tlful home about this ruin If wished
and I was thinking as I came out here
that I would like to do that-but now
Il am not so sure. am afraid it
would be the loneliest place in all the
world-haunted with ghosts. Every
thing I ever loved here is gone"
"You speak, perhaps, of the dogs
or IS it the COWS and horses?" she
asked.
'T spoke more especially" he said,
"of a tiny girl that used to call my
little sweetheart. Where is she now,
1 wonder? How the years rob us as
they go!"
The girl turned and looked at him.
s'But doubtless the years gave you
far more than they took away" she
said steadily. "One finds it that way
in life. A man loses the baby sweet
heart he thought he loved. Beg par
don't is almost dinner time with the
Grays. and 1 must 60"
"But-wait q momentw he cried,
greatly perturbed. as she was going
PAST him, 81 asked-I asked again and
ugain-and when found that she was
to be an heireSS-and l was mere
drudge in q hardware house. with
grimy hands and ill-ftting clothes, did
not ask again"
She had paused, the rufTled white
sunbonnet hanging back from her face
and framing it in.
81 have no doubt you have even for.
gotten how she looked" she said pres
emily.
"She had a world of golden hair" ht
replied. "IIer name was Elsle-and
there was dimple in each cheek TheE
she laughed. Perhaps you have heard
the Grays speak Of her. They were
fond Of her once"
"Yes," she said, moving slowly to-
ward the opening in the tangled brush
wood. II have heard them speak Of
her. She was adopted, as you say, and
was educated, and had the world at
her feet, one might say. And yet
heard-it seems to me that someone
told me-she came back here not long
ago-to look at the old home-and to
cross the creek at the old place
He had one feeting glimpse of her
as she looked back at him from be-
tween the leaves. A flood of rosy
color had swept over either cheek, and
in the midst of the rose was q dimple.
A look of amazed comprehension
flashed into his face-but before he
could speak she was gone.
He had always been swift OF foot,
however-and besides
He knew the way to Farmer Gray's,
and the way led across the little creek
ut the foot of the hill.
Copyright. 1911, by ". G. Chapman)
Useless Wishes.