The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-05-13
A LITTLE FLIRTING LIERsTTLLhNJG
And the Years Afterwards.
By NJ. L. D.

tberc no blame 10 be attached 10 You
Are You so t;.ultleSs that, Oh his part,
there is no call for forbcarancc. Nellie,
my child, happiness is bestowed upon but
few, and even for those who are blessed
now, who can tell what the morrow may
have in store? How dare you, then, ul'-
gratefully spurn what the Gircr has in
love bestowed p
s.Cousin Annie, you do not know-you
could not fec}:as~l DO Your life has been
go calm and unruflcd-your temper is SO
even-that you cannot feel for me now.
Were it not so would tell you all-teil
YOU of the cold contempt and naughty 81
fence with which l have been treated.
Cousin Annie, Icould forgive, forget all
but this"
The speakers were together on the bal.
cony of !. building in a Southern village,
we'll known as a summer resort for enjoy
ing the pleasures of sea-breczes and sea.
bathing:
It was light, but the bright moonlight
displayed well, and to no disadvantage,
the calm, beautiful face OF the first speak
or. She was acknowledgment, perhaps,
though it was hard to say whether the
years passed through had been many. or
whether so fraught had they been with
sorrow and suffering, that tho faint lines
upon the broad brow were those imprint
ed there by care or by time.
The large, soft black eyes now dreami.
]y rested far away across the broad ex-
panse of water. but her thoughts had wan
dered further still-back, back into the
past. Her beautiful black hair was az
ranged in glossy braids; and as Nellie
Landon looked up and wondered why
that EXPRESSION of intense sadness had
fallon npcn her Cousins face: she almost
faDcied that the moonlight cast halo
around the perfect head.
Nellie Landon WAS 81 fair type of the
fashionable lady Of nineteen, in this nine
teenth century; not n.likc Mrs Walthali
or Cousin Annie in appearance, although
instead Of the dark eyes and darker hair
of Mrs. Walthal, Ncllic's eyes were Of
the hue Of the violet. and her hair ut that
beautiful shade Of brown, on which the
sunlight ever seems to rest.
Undoubtedly the belle Of the season.
Nellie was not little spoiled by the adj
miraton and aduatlon received from all {;
and the little spark OF coQnctry which
had hitherto lain dormant in her heart
had suddenly burst into u fame, threat
cning now to mar the happiness OF more
than one besides herself; so that Mrs
Walthall, under whose protection she
was, deemed it best to demonstrate Il lit
tie on the evident cStranScmenl between
her fair young relative and Hugh Emer.
son, to whom. she was 6etrothrd.
s.Ne!lie," said Mrs Walthall, in Il low
tone, after many minutes Of silcncc, as
each watched the breaking waves upon
the beach below them, "lell me Your
grievances, my dear; tell them without
one fear that l. cannot feel Tor your suffer
ings us you would wish IN. to do ] may
secm calm. cold, Nellie; hut it is the rest
which has come to me only after many
SORROWS; and dead as my heart may now
appear, once it was AS full Of hope us
yours now is"
The tone, the manner so soft and viii
ming, soon drew from Nellie a recital OF
her fancied wrongs-of little indications
OF wandering love on the part OF Hugh;
and finally reluctant confession that all
these had been shown only after many
wayward acts Of her own, against which
Hugh had in vain protested
'sAnd now, Nellie" replied Mrs. Walt
hail, when tue confession was ended, tell
rae candidly and honestly. if you do mt
think this state of things has all hee
brought about by your desire to 'tlirl' a
little before resigning heart and hand ex.
clusively to him to whom You have prom
isedit.; and'tell me. too, whether in your
: estimation the pleasant trfing compen-
safes for the heart-aches Of tho past few
days"
sDear me. Cousin Annie" said Nellie,
trying to turn the remarks off, lightly,
show seriously yon take things! My
own heart, can assure you, is not ut all
involved in my game Of hearts > and when
the season is over will return to my
home quite unscathed."
"Oh, Nellie, Nellie, take carel l have
30 warned you against all this; and you
cannot tell how it .ricvcs me to hear You
so lightly speak of what may affect all oi
your after lite know it is the custom
now for young ladies to act in this way ;
TO treat us n light matter the plighting oi
their love; and l cannot blame you as l
would; but if You will be patient. and
listen to.a recalling of my past. | will
show you why grieve so, when see the
young and thoughtless act as you do.
81 was not so old as YOU now are by
two years, when l gave my heart, truly
.nd wholly, to Eugene Benton. All was
bright and happy before uS-no cloud for
months ovcrshadowed our j yous lives
and bc!nrc us in Imagination lay years oI
,ntold happiness and love. What would
[ not have dono for Eugene then
% doubts Of his lovc-no doubts oi his
pefections ever crossed my trusting incar!
4. J. II.