The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-12
to yourself, and while try to shake
off the love that has bound me to you:

to yourself, and while try to shake
off the love that has bound me to you,
I will only hope that ere you lead
another into your net, you viii con-
clude beforehand whether you will
keep him."
She looked into my face with
painful frightened glance, but I did
not stop to hear her speak further. I
turned and lett the house.
remarked that, under other cir
cumstances, mightrhave been moro
cool and collected in my speech; and
what do you suppose, dear readers,
the attending circumstances were?
I'll tell You candidly.
I was little heated with wine. T
had drank just enough to warm my
blood and give my brain on extra
impulse, and my words were not
chosen, as [ should huve chosen them
had the spirit Of wine been absent.
AS I walked towards my home, [
sought to persuade myself that had
fortunately escaped the snare of
coquctte, and that I might be the
better enabled thus to reason, I
stopped ut the hotel, where found a
few of my companions, and helped
to dispose Of half dozen bottles of
wine.
On the following morning awoke
with the headache, and when called
to mind the events of the preceding
evening, was anything but happy.
began to realize how much I had
loved Mary Granville. There was an
, aching void in my heart, and I wept
as I contemplated my loss. It was
my first love, and its influence had
penetrated every fibre of my being.
The beautiful girl had become more
dear to me than I could tell, and
groaned in bitter anguish when I
thought that she was lost to me
forever.
Iresolved that should feel very
angry and indignant, but when the
sweet face was called up to mental
view, such feelings melted away,
leaving me sad and dcsolate.
On the following Sabbath I attend
ed church, where I saw Mary once
more. She played the organ as she
had done the past year, and as her
fingers swept over the keys, I
fancied that could detect O tre1nu-
lousness, which I had never noticed
before. Was it Imagination, or was
it really plaintiveness-a sadness in
expression of her music
TO me it seemed at times as though
the organ moaned and wept It was
like the wailing of the daughters of
Zion by the rivers of Babylon
When the services were over, and
we went out of the church, L saw
Mary's face. It was pale and wan,
as though she had been sick. What
could it be? Was she suffering as
1 had suffered? The thought flashed
upon me that some one had told her
something to my disadvantage. I
had enemies, who envied me because
[ had inherited some wealth-and I
fancied enemies who envied me the
love of Mary Granville.
Another week passed, aud I be-
came more and more sad and lone
some. My business was irksome to
me, and my books and papers afford
ed me no respite. In fact, I could
not read, for my mind WAS never on
the page before me. Another Sab
bath at church and saw Mary again.
She was paler than before, and her
eyes looked as though she had been
weeping.
During the succeeding week, re-
ceived visit from my college chum,
Jack Stanton, who had just opened a
law office Mt Berryville. After sup
per, as we sat in our cosy parlor
smoking our segars, 1 suggested that
bottle of wine would not be amiss.
Jack shook his head.
''No, Charley" hc said, ''we'll
; leave the wine to those who need it. ;"
'You used to drink, Jack
eyes, bnt it never done me any
good"
"And do you think that.it ever did
you any harm?'
Gas to that, Will not say, but it
never shall do mo harm. know it
has harmed others as strong as I am.
Bv-the-way, Charley. isn't Mary
Granville here?'
''Yes," said I.
''Do you know hcr?'
1 turned away my face and pre-
tended to have heard something at
the window.
81 have seen her." I replied, when
had composed myself. "She plays
the organ in the church"
s'She and [ we're schoolmates, :"
pursued Stanton: "and speakino of