Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-17

lorsome days before, she heard vol
ces on the piazza-Rayne Boughton
conversing with his friend, Frank
Wilbur.
II would never marry Il poor
| girl" said Rayne; 81 should always
listrust her love, and fear that she
married for money. TO retain my
love woman must be beyond sus-
picion."
Hope Warton laughed softly.
"Dcar Rayne," she said to herself,
"you cam ncvcrsrspcct Inc OF doing
that. My fortune is large enough
10 make nc independent Of that
consideration
How carclcssly she heard the
words then: how unimportant to
her they seem. But how chilling
ly they come back aftcrward
How cruelty she remembered
them when Charlic-fair-llaircd If
resolute, dissipatcd Charlie, rcscm-
blancc of his weak mothcr-hcr
only brother, wrote to her from the
fashionable resort where lie was
scjourning will! lis helpless baby
wife that his fortune was gone, that
he was pcnni!css. And worse still
|
-alas uni;.ithlul to lii. trust, and
the fortune of an o:phan-warl i'll
trusted to his care was squandcrcd.
Weak, selfish Charlie, how car
ncstly he implored her to relieve
him! Ills trust must be accounted
for; exposure was at hand, would
she not save linn! Give him hc,
fortune, he wrote, and he could
escape exposure, restore the trust,
and be safe. lie would care for
her aflcrward; she should not want:
he could work for her, beg. dc
anythlng-only save him, spare his
helpless wife the shame.
Hope Warton's whole nature re-
hclled; spirit Of justice burned
within her.
"Hc has sinncd," she said slet
him suffer. Why should l bear the
burden Of his faults Give up my
fortuuo!'
How terribly Rayne Boughton's
words came back! how they rang
in her GERS, and made her brain
wlirl
"Ncvcr!!" she said, "ncvcr. l
will not sacrifice all to him; he
shall not strip my life of all hope
and love"
Memory made hor pause. There
came back to her that final scene,
when gentle, dying mother babe
her be mother to the wayward
boy who knelt by her side. Again
she saw tho light Of peace and rest
come into those troubled eyes as
| she promised. She had been faith
tul to her charge should she desert
him now?
Bitter was the conflict, but Hope
Warton conquered. She put the
woman under foot, and was the
strong heart again.
81 will save you, Charlie; God
help me-" she said. s:The path of
duty may be bitter, but its end is
bright"
Raync Boughton wondered at
her cold, constrained air at the
breakfast-table next morning. If
he could only have known the fire
that was raging in her heart!
She joined him on the lawn after
breakfast, as he stood looking
drcamily up into the dancing leaves
of a bright-hucd maple. What
she said she knew not; she only
knew that she stood before him
cold, calm, decisive, and asked him
to release her from her engage
mcnt.
She gave no reason, assigned no
cause; she wished to be frec-that
was all. Would he release her.
No outward sign Of emotion, no
trace of the ferco conflict within,
no evidence of tortured and quiv-
oring heart was visible. Her voice
was calm and even, her manner
grim. and self-possesscd.
And Rayne Bonghton, manlikc,
suspected not the anguish within,
the wild longings struggling tor
utterance, the bitter agony of her
throbbing, bursting heart. He saw
only a woman tired of her con-
quest, anxious to shake off her
irksome bonds, that she might do,
rive from the ensnarcment of some
| Nfhnp &1,n