Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-07-02
The Wedding
Gift
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

Wv ton asked as his cousin shot
past him down the side steps. She
sagged the least bit-her left arm am
pushed something heavy enough to
throw her out Of plumb. where
away? I'm bound to know"
You mustn't And you shan'tl I've
got the heels of you," Roselee cried,
STOPPING under his arm and darling
away. Smiling grimly, he went back,
caught up a field glass and with 1t fol
lowed her flight until sure of its
destined end. Then humming a ia
vorite air gravely, he betook himself
TO his waiting roadster, and shot away
down the sunlit turnpike, turned into
cross track a mile along the ruts Of
II, and came quickly to a halt at the
END or 1t. spring trickled there from
beneath an outcropping bowlder. That
1t was mineral spring full of healing
you might know by the gourd dipper
swung above the pool. Roselee had
chosen her rendezvous wisely-not an
eyebrow would lift IL she CHANGED to
be discovered there. She would come
very shortly, scrambling down the
steep hillside. Surely she must know
that her errand was utterly useless
Idly he followed the trail of painted
pebbles until It was lost at the creek
margin a hundred yards away. He
started violently as his car shot past
him, with Roselee at the wheel, and
heading 1t not toward the hill, but
down the narrow creek road.
An hour or so later Col. Bill Dow
den, a bachelor, bluff, generous and
rich, slipping his noon julep upon his
shady front porch, stared hard at an
apparition-a mighty pretty girl,
somewhat dlsheveled, who had raced
up his drive and called to him as
her car halted: do please Colonel
Dowden remember newell enough
to help me-"
Remember you, Miss Roselee.
Dye want to insult me, insinuatin'
! might forget" Dowden cried, dart
ing to help her out. She shook her
head, glanced over her shoulder at
something behind, and said tremulous-
ly: wait! Maybe you won't want
me to stay even minute when tell
you"
Never a wait, ma'am," said Dow
den "Out you come-and here you
stay as long as you like. Even II
you're runnin' away from Andrew
Jackson Denton-with the weddin'
day set swore hard when l got
the cards.
Don't waste gallantry-Pm toe
near married." Roselee glggled. Then
she scrambled down and made to tug
at the parcel which was the root OF
trouble
An hour later Colonel Bill sat wor-
Shipping the Lashley plate spread over
his desk, his big table, two or three
chairs in his office. Exquisite Geor-
gian of the finest pattern, authentical-
ly two hundreds old It was all that
remained Of the Lashley fortune. II
had come to Roselee from her spinster
great-aunt godmother, with provlso
against any sale. No great hardship
1t seemed, though she had nothing else
since she was to marry a million, plus
man. Nobody could deny that title
TO Andrew Jackson, If he was a bit
grabbed and set In his way. Not
stingy-Roselee could have had half
his estate-if he had happened to ap-
prove the thing she wanted 1t for
But five years maintenance abroad
for a budding artist, fellow he hated
cordially. No He wouldn't do It,
ROseIee, desperate, knowing once
she was married she could not make
any binding engagement without his
consent, had struggled the plate out
at piecemeal, hiding it in black Lucy's
cabin arranged to meet q private
banker at the spring, show him the Sc
curlty, even let him take 1t In charge
so firm was her faith that poor Neil
Agnew would redeem It in full time
Then, too, there was Neil's Lashley
cross-he had the blood, but could
never claim tit was that more than
anything else that moved her So
Andrew Jackson had blocked her
fine scheme-so she had shown him q
trick worth two Of that-Colonel Bill
declared
Roselee stood holding out to him
royal tankard, saying with the least
tremble: 81 know you will keep the
things safe and love them, and you
deserve them. You-you have been
so kind Maybe-after a wilhelm
drew will redeem them-for the chill
dren, you know" with a quick burn
Ing blush.
"He shan't-nobody shall-there'll
be no need" Colonel Bill said. 81
been studyin' hard what sort o. wed
din present to give you. Here's my
chance-and Neil's chance. I'll stand
for him, whether he turns out genius
or Just plain yellow dog. And I'm go
ing to take you and all this beauty"
nodding affectlonately at the glitter
ing array, fright back where you be-
long-and give Andrew Jackson a
calm down he'll remember while he
lives"
That set ROselee sobbing outright,
but she stopped short when she heard
Andrew Jackson shouting: "Bill
Dowden, confound you, bring out that
runaway right Off"
How did he known ROselee
hraathad family