The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-10-27

| Nuo ehdty ditcT linking All engagement With
them. Won break it for Frank sss-. ai.
sBut won't Frank think it very odd fer
me, after making an engagement with him,
to break it for these comparative strangets.'I
"There is the difference. With friend
one may take liberties, but not with stran-
ger. Frank can go with you any evening,
but Mr.. Santori, leaves town day after to-
morrow. He has been civil to you and it is
but polite to go with him." o. lfa
Lucy paused. 4 3, l.4
"But Frank will be SO angry" she said tim
idly, at length. e ,, '..sI = s..r.., Is -,
| "Then let him be. OH before 1 would
suffer a gentleman to see cared for anger.
ing him, would die. What, surrender this
privilege of sex No, no. if you wish TO
retain the affection of man, tease him,
and conceal You, affection from him."
There was again pause of several min
utes, and the breakfast service was nearly
over, when Lucy's sister carelessly remarked.
This is the last night of Signor Eagle,-is
it not2 You have the newspaper Lucy"
YES; he sails for Europe during next
week.
And the Exhibition remains open for a
month Z"
sit does"
"Then | am astonished that Frank did not
ask you to hear the Signorthis evening. He
knows how fond you are Of music" =. ....
| Il have mind to 60" said Lucy, who
by time, began to yield, as customary, to her
sister, from a secret dread of that sisters sar-
casms, if she betrayed her love. ..
Frank and can go to the exhibition some
other time" ,-...
"But if he gets angry" said the sister with
slight seorn on her lip, which stung Lucy
to the soul. T..
| Angry or not will 60 with Satori," said
Lucy, with flashing eyes. $50 that's fixed D
and she rose from the table
81 And she did gowith the Italian to the con-
cert. Frank arrived few minutes after she
had left the house, and words cannot describe
his surprise, indignation and pain at her con-
duct.
He paced his room for hours that night
now determined 10 see her once more and
hear her excuse. - . ....
Lucy herself spent and unhappy evening
Not even the divine strains of Nigel's instru-
ment could Danish from her mind how Frank
would regard her conduct. On returning
home she heard the surprise of her lover,
which he had not affected to conceal and
arguing the worst, she retired to her cham
ber and spent the night in tears. At
breakfast she strove in vain to hide tho effect
the last evenings events had produced on her.
Her sister read her secret in her swollen eyes,
and with a few well managed taunts, turned
the whole current of Lucy's thoughts, and
ashamed of her weakness. 1t was while
she was in this new mood that Frank call
ed.
"Well, your jailor is below said her sister
bringing Franks card up to Lucy. 'He has
come, | suppose, to see your repentant tears
under pain Of his eternal displeasure."
In no temper, therefore, to receive her low
er as au injured person, did Lucy descend
to the parlor. The salutation on both sides
was colo, and the conversation at first en-
barrassing. At last Frank came to the point
"You went out last night, Lucy. Was /
mistaken in supposing from what you said,
the night before; that you were engaged to
visit the exhibition with me 2"
This was said mildly though with some
constraint, and had Lucy replied to it in
proper spirit, all would have gone WE'LL
But instead Of making candid explanation
of the circumstances, and trusting to her low
er's generosity, she replied-for she was still
1 writhing under her sisters implied taunts-
4 "And if was engaged with you-what
then7
Frank looked sadly at her, for there was
a defiance in the tone, as well as in the words
Lucy's heart rebuked, and had she changed
her demeanor, all might have gone we'll
But pride that fatal curse interposed, and she
again resumed,
/ "Yousay nothing"
"Lucy," said Frank reproyingly.
Her eyes flashed.
81 do not understand you, sir! You as
i sumo tone of unwarrantable authority over
my movements this morning. Have / ever
| given you liberty to do thisa'
Frank hesitated ere he replied. He saw
that she had taken q position which preclud-
ed an explanation since It denied his right to
ask any. But he saw the erroneous nature
4 of her position. He therefore determined
not to give up the point yet iF" @
.''This is not what assert, Lucy he said,
! "you have made an engagement with me
which was broken. This certainly entities
! me toan explanation, and ! ask nothing
strange-I assume no unwarrantable author
! ity in seeking it."
Thejustice ofthis position impressed Lucy,
l<>7 IL