The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-06-06

'"0'0 'ee"ou 'oit" MI Ho'buS AHecton
for her young lover, that had already
| transformed her into q woman.
The evening was so calm and warm
tha, DR. Ford C'Uncle' gave in 10 FIoras
| entrea,ies and tho invalid was allowed 10
temain to tea with the rest in tie piazza.
1t WAS a merry Time. Judith scarcely
felt like herself. With Flora she wa.
brilliantly witty with DR.. Ford she was
profoundly scien,iiic; and with Edward
Lee, who. however, seldom spoke, she
was the soft and gentle girl, and this
phase in her character was not less DO
coming than the others. There was
slight veil Of reserve which gave charm
| TO any enthusiastic burst in which she
might indulge; her rich voice wa. modu
lated to q sweet, low cadence when she
recited any rare appropriate quotation,
and when towards the close Of tho eveni
ing she consented to sing, forgetting her
WEAKNESS, there was nothing more want,
ing to make Judith Carpenter, no, only a
fascinating woman, but brilliant belle
That Edward Lee had bean struck with
her At first, it would lie useless 10 d.uv.
tls had heard Of her rare a,tainmsnts
and Of her intellectual cultivation from
Flora. who nsYer wesrisd in speaking OF
her friends accomplishments. When she
stood before him that evening, he ibrol.
UNFAIRLY started to see his beau ideal OF
a woman. Not the beauty Of psrfee,
moulding was hers; but her eyes beamed
with every changing emotion. her Ep.
parted ia fascinating smile. or closed
With proud reserve. 10 every mood she
was the p.rsona,ion Of a dstinc, charac
ter judith did not know that she was
beautiful; her mirror reflected high fss
tnrss and heavy brows but she did know
that wherever she went she was admired.
Why, she never enquired-it was So
But there Vas poin. in Judith C.rpen
tsrs character, that, however common il
may be among Ewes daughters. is no,
the less bIameabh She was a coque,ts.
Tn her heart Of hearts she dia no, know
this. Her attractions were displ yed
shs could not help this when she ~ss ex-
cited. These fell indiscriminateIy on ali,
aud as she vas Indifferent to all. It made
little difference TO her who loved her and
who did not. Judith had met many,
bat the common standard, the pretty
pink facsi. curlsd. mus,ached exquisitss
isIl far below her idea Of man, and now
on the verge Of her twentieth year she
stood hesrtwhole.
Good night Miss Carpenter" were
EIwards parting words, as his chair Was
wheeled past her. Judith stood near With
fIora, and ss the young man ls, the hand
Of his bstrotbed fall upon the chair arm,
he took Judilh's dark, slender fingers in
bis and pressed them to his lips fsry emily
but spec.iully. "How gallant your
lover is, Flora" laughed shs. as passing
her arm around her friends slender waist,
they stood a. the window watching the
chair roll down the hall.
"Oh YES, he loved you before he sa.
you. You were my friend" she added
arcbly.
TIE days passed. aod young Leo grew
rapidly convslescsnt, and gradually gain
cd strength. They were ofisn lsft together,
the susceptible Lieutenant and the fssci
mating guest, Flora being engaged with
household affairs and DR.. Ford with hi.
plantations. Several parties followed
rapidly 10 Succession the one which Flora
gave the week after Miss Carpenters
arrival. At oil these Judith shown con-
spicuous A ns belle OF the evening. DR..
Ford's parlors were crowded Nightly With
the young men OF The place who were
respectively engaged in the contest for her
smiles or her more substantial charms
She smiled on sll, but NO TO the unlucky
wight whose concsi. led him further than
. meoaliRht promenade. or sentimental
ehst Judith WAS an unmsrcifui eaptov;
no sarcasm was too bitter. no Gu, too
severe for those sFho thu, committed
themselves. At every s,ep. Edward Lee