Monroe City Democrat., 1918-08-30

before old Aunt Bethiah's picture a
few minutes before. The spell cast by
Aunt Bethiah was entirely broken
when Hester permitted herself to be
urged across that old barrier on the
excuse Of looking at some especially
! luxurious rOse-cOlOred columbines thar
Judge Pritchard insisted had been
| Migrants from her garden and had
| shown themselves a season or so he
, fore.
II knew they were yours" he told
her, "and that is why cherished them
so. had the gardener nurse them like
orchids" Hester was kneeling over to
touch the silky blossoms with her fin
gers. Il wonder how they dared go
through the hedge?" was all she could
think of saying, and then her eyes and
those of Robert Pritchard met and both
knew that the barrier that had gone
down with the hedge could never be
replaced.
After they had seated themselves on
the rustic bench under Judge Pritch-
ARDS lilacS, on the excuse of hearing
the thrushes' song, Hester volunteered
the suggestion that 1t really seemed
only day since the last time she had
SAT on the same bench under the lilacs,
AND then she wondered whether she
had said anything that was too dis
loyal to the memory of Bethiah Mar
den, the stern old aunt who had
brought her up and left her all her
property.
Robert Pritchard answered this by
taking Hester's hand in his exactly as
ne had that last time, ten years before,
ana that. too, seemed quite natural,
though Hester blushed quite as if she
had been twenty instead of thirty.
You didn't go away because you
wanted tO?" he asked.
Hester shook her head.
TEL me just what happened and
then I'll tell you something you per-
haps never knew"
Hester had rehearsed the details of
Just what happened on that memorable
occasion so often to herself that the
recounting was not difficult. "Wep,
you see, Aunt Bethiah had ideas of her
own about how girls should spend
their time and so long as 1 read poetry
and novels and did embroidery in the
garden she was satisfied. But when
improved my time talking to you in
stead, she was distressed. So long as
that high board fence was here she
was satisfied. was quite safe in the
garden. Then the Neighborhood as
sociatiOn decided to have all fences
hOun OnH thnIcyh
It, the association had its way. She
planted the hedge and took me off for
four years in France-Sne said she had |
intended to take me, anyway, and per-
haps she had. I would have liked 60
Ing better if it had not seemed like |
punishment for talking to you those |
days when the fence was down before |
we started. 1t was just about this |
time of the year, wasn't it?
"And then by the time we came back |
the hedge was high enough for pro-
lection and you had forgotten all !
about your neighbor, and Aunt Bethiah |
was sure she had done her duty. l |
think the poor old dear died happier !
because the hedge was twelve feet high |
and five feet thick. She used to SMILE .
so contentedly when people told her it /
was the finest hedge in the state. 1 ,
really don't know why she should have |
objected so much to our talking
perhaps was very much to blame"
Robert Pritchard explained. "I was
twenty-five then, and went about |
things differently than would now.
You see made the Neighborhood as
sociation vote to have the fences taken
down. 1t was my first attempt at civic
Improvement, and no one but Aunt
Bethiah suspected my motive. She
called at my Office and told me her
opinion Of me and got as hot-headed
as she was and told her that / wanted |
to marry. you and intended TO do it.
I'd spent the evening here by the lilacs
with you then and knew my heart. 1
didn't believe the good lady VIXEN she
told me that you had told her annoy
ed you and had asked to be taken
away, so 1 can't hold it up against her.
I've wanted, though, to hear you say
that 1t wasn't So"
"And l really think Aunt Bethiah
liked you all alOng-do you believe she
is so very cross because we are sitting
here again under the lilac bush?"
Judge Pritchard would have liked to
say just then that he was entirely in
different as to whether Aunt Bethiah
approved or not-but so completely
was he concerned with the realization
that he had within his reach the love
of the woman of his dreams that he
had no thoughts for the other woman