DOROTHY AND BRADFORD--ROSAMOND AND CORNWALL.
Howard Bradford arrived on the 21st of July. As he and Cornwall drove
through the gateway, he had an excellent view of the Cornwall home. He
declared the house charming as modified and complimented John on his
efforts as a landscape gardener.
They spent the afternoon loafing around home, except an hour when John
went to the office, while Bradford slept, fanned by a breeze that blew
down the river and sang in softest murmurs through the windows of his
corner room.
When Cornwall returned, Duffield came with him and remained for dinner
and until a late hour. Bradford, when he learned that they each owned a
saddle horse and that those for hire were saddle-galled and the
free-goers nearly ridden to death, handed $250.00 to Duffield, who had
said that he knew of a horse for sale at that price and worth the money,
saying: "Though I shall be here but two weeks, the horse can be sent to
Pittsburgh, or sold again if I do not like him."
They had intended camping on Poor Fork at the camp site of the preceding
summer; but as each would have his own horse, and the fishing was better
just at that time five miles from town than near the head of the river,
they concluded to remain at home, spending the mornings fishing and the
afternoons boating, swimming or mountain-climbing. At least this was the
agreed programme until Duffield should complete surveying the Lockard
grant in Leslie County, when his vacation commenced.
The next morning Cornwall sent Dorothy a note, telling her of his
guest's arrival and asking permission to bring him around that evening.
She answered: "You are to come at six and dine with us, remaining for
the evening. I have a surprise for you, John. It is unnecessary to
answer unless you find my invitation impossible. Dorothy."
At six o'clock the young men, looking fresh and comfortable in their
white flannels walked over to the Neal home. Mrs. Neal and Dorothy were
sitting on the porch and after greetings all found seats. Rosamond Clay,
Dorothy's guest, came out and joined them.
She was a tall, athletic, strikingly handsome brunette, just eighteen
and, as the boys subsequently found out, a better shot, swimmer and
mountain-climber than either of them. In disposition and appearance she
seemed the very antithesis of Dorothy, though Dorothy enjoyed an
open-air life, and her wiry, little body was capable of withstanding
great physical strain.
"Mr. Bradford, this is Miss Clay, and, John, this is Rosamond. She had
just gotten in when I received your note and is the surprise I
mentioned. She is to remain a month and I am counting on you helping to
entertain her."
"May my surprises always be as agreeable. With Miss Clay's permission I
shall do all in my power to make her visit a pleasant one. If she is
fond of out-door sports, riding, fishing, boating and mountain-climbing,
which we have a right to assume since she has come to the mountains, we
can promise her a good time."
"That is just what I adore. I have brought my own saddle, fishing tackle
and swimming suit. I wanted to bring a canoe, but Bradford said I could
easily procure a dug out and refused to express anything but the
paddles. I even thought of sending my horse, but father said that would
scare Mrs. Neal to death, as she was expecting a visitor and had not
offered to adopt me. I understand you have a fine saddle mare; I shall
ride her and you can get a mule."
"You have mentioned just the things she loves. She constantly wants to
be doing something or going somewhere. She rides, drives, swims, shoots,
climbs cliffs and trees and is a good, all-round sportsman. I'm not
sure, but I think she keeps several fox hounds. Her brother, Bradley,
says they belong to him to save her reputation. As soon as she wrote she
would visit me, I ordered some hob-nailed shoes and a bathing-suit from
Louisville and sent to the drug store for a bottle of iodine, some
surgeon's tape and several sheets of adhesive plaster. If you gentlemen
can work in a dance in the evening after each mountain climb, her
happiness is assured. Here comes father. Mr. Bradford, you are to sit
beside me at dinner and you, John, with Rosamond."
After dinner Duffield and Miss Creech and Mr. Cornett and Miss Hall came
in; and the time until eleven o'clock was spent in chit-chat on the
porch or, when Mrs. Neal could be prevailed upon to play the piano, in
dancing in the drawing-room.
Before the party broke up Bradford and Cornwall made an engagement to
take Dorothy and Rosamond up the river fishing at 6:30 the next morning.
As the boys went home they stopped by the livery stable to hire three
saddle horses. Finding this impossible, they engaged a light jersey
wagon, which Cornwall and the girls were to use, while Bradford was to
ride Cornwall's horse.
They had an early breakfast and left on time. When near the ford of Poor
Fork, Bradley discovered that he had left his tackle at the stable. He
rode back for it while the others, crossing the river, drove up the
fork.
When they came to the creek, where it was planned they should seine
their minnows, they waited some time for Bradford; then Cornwall tried
to seine, but the stream was too deep and the seine too large for
individual effort.
This Rosamond, the young and enticing Diana of the party, noticed and,
gathering up the cotton lap-robe, a coffee sack and some twine, which
she found in the box under the wagon seat, retired to a clump of elder
bushes and in a few minutes came forth draped in the lap-robe and
moccasined with coffee sacking.
Cornwall was a slave to her most fantastic command from the moment she
stepped forth from her screen of elder bushes, topped with their white,
pancake flowers, and, taking hold of one end of the seine, jerked and
floundered him around while he attempted to retain possession of the
other, dragging him barefoot over sharp pebbles and, when on a smooth
ledge of rock, sat him down in water to his shoulders. He rejoiced at
Bradford's absence and that no other man had seen her loveliness,
half-hidden, half-revealed.
They soon had a bucket of minnows and as they drove up the river were
overtaken by Bradford, who, mistaking the road, had ridden quite a
distance down the main stream.
Miss Clay, Dorothy and Bradford had no trouble in landing a nice catch,
but Cornwall's eyes were never on his float, which the fish converted
into a submarine when baited and after the minnow had been stolen
reposedly floated upon the surface, the resting-place of a big,
lace-winged snake doctor.
"Mr. Cornwall, why don't you rebait your hook and try to catch
something? What was the good of my going to all that trouble in helping
you seine if you will not use the minnows? You look everywhere, except
at your float; first at me, then over the treetops as though you wished
I were at home or in Heaven."
"That's right, I look first at you. The minnows have helped you land the
fish. I feel like a crappie on a dusty turnpike. You have caught more
than one variety today! Let's go home. And I am not going to drive those
sleepy, old plow horses unless you sit on the front seat." And so they
rode home together.
The next afternoon they planned to climb the mountain, but when Bradford
and Cornwall came to the house, he said to Rosamond: "Let us drive up
the river to Helen Creech's; Bradford and Dorothy can find something
else to do," to which she assented.
Driving slowly along the narrow, shaded road that bordered the river
bank, he held her hand and called her "dear," and told her the love
story that Kentucky boys tell the girls with whom they go; and she
parried and checked him as she had several times before been called upon
to do with other boys.
Thus each day, either paddling on the river or riding horseback, or
fishing, or bathing, or mountain-climbing, the four were together or
paired off; he with Rosamond and Bradford with Dorothy; and each
repeatedly declared that they had never before had so glorious a
holiday.
Cornwall, at the end of two weeks, made up his mind to propose; and
Rosamond, expecting it, had decided she would accept--if he would
consent to defer the marriage a couple of years.
Strange that Cornwall and Bradford should each have decided to propose
at the same time and place; that is, the night of his dance and on the
bench in the garden. Bradford, because he expected to leave the
following Monday, his stay already having consumed more than the
intended two weeks; Cornwall, thinking that he would first like to show
Rosamond through his home.
While they were decorating the house, in which Mrs. Neal, Dorothy and
Rosamond assisted Mrs. Cornwall, he showed her over the house and
grounds and, pointing out the bench in the arbor, said: "Tonight,
Rosamond, at eleven I shall bring you out here and ask you something.
Watch the time and save that dance for me. If you do not, I may take it
for your answer."
When the hour came he claimed the dance. After dancing a minute or two,
they passed into the dining-room and out the side door into the moonlit
garden.
As they drew near the arbor they heard Bradley say: "This was my dream,
Dorothy." Cornwall, thinking of Dorothy's dream of two years before, and
remembering what she had recently said to him about dreams, was slightly
startled. He let go Rosamond's arm and unconsciously turned towards the
house. Rosamond, surprised and conscious of some subtle change in his
mood, suggested that they return to the ballroom.
Bradford, without giving Dorothy time for thought, brought her into the
garden and told his dream of the night before.
"Last night I came directly home after I left you and went to my room.
Feeling I could not sleep, I sat in the window, looking out upon the
moonlit mountain side and the silent river, the moon seeming to make a
path of silver on the water to the base of the little trail up the
mountain where yesterday I told you that our friendship, at least to me,
grew stronger with each succeeding day. Then I said the simple prayer my
mother had taught me when a little boy and went to bed and to sleep.
"I dreamed that mother let go of my hand and I went forth alone, a
little boy in knee trousers, walking along a narrow path that followed
down the bank of a tiny rivulet. As I walked along I grew older, my
clothing changed to suit my age, the path began to broaden and the
stream to deepen, and I passed along through the school days and other
experiences of my boyhood, still following the broadening path and
deepening stream and passing one by one the experiences I have known.
The start was at sunrise and the day perhaps a third gone when, I, a
grown man, came out into a valley and to a river over which was a
fragile bridge. I saw that thousands of trails like my own converged at
its approach and spread out fan-like from the other end. As I stood and
looked, the trails around faded out, except the one down which I had
come and another. A short way above the bridge a stream like the one I
had followed flowed into the river and along its bank was a path much
like the one I had followed. As I looked a young woman came round the
turn and saw the river and the bridge and that I stood waiting at its
approach. She hesitated for a moment and then came slowly on. When she
drew near I saw it was you and, going up, took your hand and together,
hand in hand, we crossed the bridge. Looking ahead, I saw that the many
trails at the farther end had disappeared except the small one up the
mountainside; this we took.
"The trail gradually broadened into a bright, smooth way and the ascent,
though unbroken, was not difficult. All the time I held you by the hand.
One day your step grew slower and, looking for the cause, I noticed
that, though I still held your left hand, a small boy walked on the
right and held the other. I felt some small, warm thing take hold of my
left hand with a tender, warm pressure and, looking down to see the
cause, saw it was another Dorothy, a miniature of your own sweet self;
and would have taken her up on my arm, but you, wiser than I in such
things, said: 'She must walk the trail--all you can do is to go more
slowly and lead her by the hand.' After a time I noticed that these two
found no trouble in keeping up with us and, before we reached the top,
they occasionally restrained themselves to keep pace with us. When at
the top, the boy, unknowingly, let go your hand. He followed a trail to
the right along the comb of the ridge, which you and I could not follow,
though we tried. The girl with a cry of joy released my hand and took
that of a young man who seemed waiting for her, and they journeyed on to
the left. I, taking both your hands in mine because our idle hands
seemed lonely, looked into your face, as I had not done since first we
met by the river. Your face had grown more thoughtful and more calm,
more patient and more kind; the lovelight in your eyes spoke of the
soul. Your hair, though white, was more beautiful than when pure gold. I
knew your unspoken thoughts; and, with the lingering kiss of yesterday
and a smile for the morrow, we turned our faces and journeyed downward
into the vale of years. Dorothy, shall we make the dream come true or
must I go back to the bridge and hunt another trail?"
"If you are quite sure you wish it above all else the world can give, we
will live the dream."
* * * * *
Cornwall spent the entire day after the dance at his office. He found a
note from Mary in his mail. She was at her home in Madison County. He
wondered how she might look after three years at Wellesley. She
mentioned that one of her neighbors was visiting in Harlan, Miss Clay,
whose brother, Bradley Clay, had called the evening before, and stated
his sister had written she was having a perfectly glorious time.
The thought occurred to him that if Mary were near enough, he would go
to her. Rosamond I love when near her; I think of Mary every day--yet I
have not seen her for three long years.
When Bradford, entering the room and all smiles, said: "Come, let's go
to the Neals,'" he answered: "No, I think I shall rest tonight; I am
moody and prefer solitude."
"Well, I'll go for Duffield. Pleasant dreams, John, as happy as mine
shall be; so long!"
John went into the library and read the first few pages of Machiavelli's
"History of Florence," about a king of the Zepidi and his daughter,
Rosamond, and he slept, and as he slept he dreamed.
It seemed to him that his Rosamond, perhaps ten year older, came into
the room. She was clothed in vivid draperies and wore a circlet of old
gold upon her brow, heavy bracelets upon her upper arm and a chain-like
girdle of gold around her waist, from which hung a jeweled dagger.
As he looked she spoke:
"I rarely see father, except in armor. Day after day mother and her
maids work at bandages and wound dressings. The halls of the castle are
littered with arms and the courtyard and plain surrounding the walls is
the assembly ground of armed horsemen preparing to go and returning from
distant camps. It has been thus since Narses drove our kinsmen home to
Pannonia, after several years' quiet occupancy of northern Italy.
"Now, Alboin, King of Lombardy, instigated by Narses and aided by the
Avars, following after our expelled kinsmen, has invaded our country
even to the plains of the Danube. We can see from the castle walls not
only our own, but his invading host as they make preparation for final
battle to determine the sovereignty of Pannonia.
"With such a drama pending, I am not content to be a bandage and
salve-maker in the women's quarter. Who would, if brought up to ride and
fence and wrestle with brothers and cousins, when they had all gone to
war? I desired to go, but was not permitted. Now with Maria, my maid, I
have found a good observation point in the tower and watch the opposing
forces maneuvering for position in advance of hostilities.
"Maria, I make out father's standard on the hillside near the grove; and
just across the small stream, not more than five hundred yards away,
that of Alboin, King of Lombardy. See! they charge each other; you may
hear the din and shouting even at this distance.
"Maria asks: 'Mistress Rosamond, no matter what happens, will you care
for and keep me with you?'
"Do not be afraid; father will win. Our men heretofore have fought under
other leaders not so brave, while he massed this force for the supreme
struggle. * * * They seem to have fought for hours, neither side gives
an inch. * * * See! the stream which runs through the field of battle
and flows by the castle is red with blood. * * * I fear 'tis a sad day
for Pannonia. Oh! our army gives on the north wing, * * * but father
holds firm in his position * * * Oh! the north wing has broken and flees
toward the castle! All seems lost! Father will be surrounded! See how
our men and the enemy are intermingled in their flight. They will reach
the castle gates together; it will be impossible to let them in. Maria,
run to the gatemen and tell them to close the gates and let no one in
till father comes. That cowardly mass if they entered, would be no
protection but surrender the castle. But wait; we will go together to
the gates.
"Gatemen! Friend and foe come together. Raise the draw! Close the gates!
Let the first to flee be the first to die, and at the castle gates! Let
them make an unwilling stand in defense of their own lives and so defend
the gates! They tell me a coward fights hard when cornered. Dare disobey
at your peril! It is the command of your king.
"The princess is right; to let this fleeing mob enter is but to
surrender the castle. Raise the draw! Drop the portcullis!
"In a few minutes there was a struggling mass in front of the gates. Our
men, finding them closed and no way to escape their assailants, fought
with the desperation of cornered beasts.
"The standard of Pannonia still floated where first the conflict began,
showing that my father, the king, made desperate resistance against
overwhelming odds. * * * But even as I looked I saw it swept down under
a driving charge and knew he was of the dead and the battle lost.
"In a short while the fighting ceased around the gates. Alboin, King of
Lombardy, riding up. I ordered the bridge lowered and the gates raised,
when he rode unopposed into the court yard.
"Those were fierce, wild days. A feast in celebration of the victory and
of Alboin's coronation as King of Pannonia was held in the castle and a
week later I was forcibly made wife of the victorious king. I was told
my father's skull had been shaped into a drinking cup and used by
Alboin at the feast of victory.
"He was comely and commanding; demanding and receiving homage and
instant obedience from all. In time I might have loved him, except for
the drinking cup.
"So Alboin reigned King of Pannonia and I his queen for more than two
years.
"Then Narses, who commanded the forces of Justinian in all Italy until
the Emperor's death, was deposed by his son and successor, Justin, who,
at the instance of his Queen, had Longinus appointed in Narses' place.
In revenge he invited my husband to invade Italy.
"Alboin consented; and was so successful in the undertaking as to gain
possession of all Italy from the northern boundary to the Tiber. He
established his capital at Pavia and his household and court were moved
from Pannonia to that city.
"A great feast was held at Verona to celebrate his victories and the
establishment of the new kingdom. I sat across the table from him. The
ferocious and heartless man ordered the drinking cup made from the skull
of my father and filling it with red wine to the brim, passed it to me,
saying: 'It is but fitting in celebration of our great victories that
you should drink with your father.' I tossed the contents into his face,
threw the cup from the window into the Adige and fled from the banquet
hall.
"From that night my sole purpose in life was to avenge the insult. I
determined that he should die by my procurement or at my hand.
"The maid, Maria, who in devotion would have given her life for mine,
had a lover, Helmichis, shield-bearer of Alboin. I plotted with her that
he should become the instrument of my vengeance and so had her bring
him to my chamber. There I soon discovered he was not sufficiently in
love with the maid to assume any risk on her account or at her
solicitation.
"Willing to take any risk or make any promise to accomplish the
assassination, I finally agreed to marry him, if he would kill my
husband. This he did.
"The Lombards were so exasperated over their King's death we dared not
remain in Pavia or even in Lombardy; but, seizing the royal treasure and
leaving Maria behind, we fled to Ravenna, where Longinus, Narses'
successor, had his capitol. There we were royally entertained and most
kindly treated.
"It was not long before Helmichis grew disgustingly wearisome to me. He
quarreled much about the possession and division of the royal treasure,
which was very great, but never once did he see within the chests. He
was anything but a model husband, delighting in low company, flirting
with every maid and peasant girl and by nature fiercer and much less
refined than Alboin, whom I had found endurable, except when drunk.
"Longinus, on the other hand, was a refined and courtly man, having been
brought up in the palace of Justinian. I admired him much. He was wise,
brave, ambitious and most prepossessing in appearance. He had told me
several times that had I come to his court a widow, his disappointment
would have been great had I not remained as his Queen.
"About this time the Emperor Justin died and was succeeded by Tiberius.
He was so occupied by his wars with the Parthians as to neglect his
Italian possessions, leaving them masterless or to be ruled by Longinus
as the real, though not the nominal, King.
"I had become the confidential adviser of Longinus; and in discussing
matters of state and the condition of the empire, we concluded it was a
most opportune time to take possession of northern Italy to the Tiber;
and were convinced that by pooling our resources this could be
accomplished, were it not for Helmichis. The first step in the
consummation of our plan was to be rid of him.
"Each day he took a hot bath. He always came forth thirsty and demanded
that I prepare a cool, acid drink and hand him. Longinus, knowing this,
gave me a strong poison to put in his drink, and when next I mixed and
served it I used the poison.
"Helmichis drank more than half when, noticing the flavor, his suspicion
was aroused, and, knowing that he knew, I smiled. He snatched up his
short sword, caught me by the hair and, handing me the goblet, shouted:
'Drink or lose your head.'
"Preferring to die from the poison than be a disfigured, headless
corpse, I drank what remained, and died within five minutes of my
despised husband."
John awoke with a start, considerably disquieted by his dream.
The next evening, with Bradford, he called at the Neals'. Dorothy met
them at the door and they found seats. Rosamond, tall, graceful and
queenly, came into the room. To John it seemed a shadow followed after
her; the wraith of the widow of Alboin, co-conspirator with Helmichis
and Longinus.
It was impossible to live down this unpleasant impression for a day or
two. While doing so, Rosamond took offense at his coolness and announced
her intention of returning home the following Monday. Dorothy expressed
disappointment at this and Saturday afternoon stated that she, too,
would leave on Monday. Bradford left on the same train. The three
traveled together as far as Stanford, where Rosamond left them; then
Bradford and Dorothy rode on to Louisville.
There Dorothy was met by her mother. Mr. Bradford was introduced and
drove with them to the Durrett home. He remained in Louisville several
days and called at the Durrett home every afternoon, remaining for
dinner and until a late hour.
The morning of his departure, glancing through the personals--a
suspicious act, as it was rather unusual for him--he read of his
departure after a brief visit, and at the head of the column that Mr.
and Mrs. Harrison Durrett announced the engagement of their daughter,
Dorothy, to Mr. Howard Bradford, of Pittsburgh.