The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-06-24

reused up n thousand demons ham
mcring and knocking within my soul,
and plunged me in unuttcrablc misery.
"But after dark tho light will comc,'
ms Bourcicault tells ..us; and the rccoI-
lection, that, if persuasion" was nee
essnry TO bring on the match, it was
positive that there was no love in her
heart for tho suitor, pulled me up again
from tho slough Of despond.
After fortnight l went again TO
the house. l was ushcrcd into an
empty room; but presently Nellie
came in He checks were flushed and
her eyes wcro heavy, and tho lids
swollon from recently shed tears. AZ
ter shaking hands with inc, instead Of
our customary chat, she turned away,
q little brusqucly, [ fancicd, and stood
gazing out of tho window. Now
Spa-road, though charming spot in
my cnamourcd fancy, had certainly
no particular attractions in the way
of scenery or fashions; so that L
could only surm:sc that she wanted to
avoid our inevitable icte.a-tctc.
My wounded feelings prompted me
to i malicious course Of conversation ::
OF which, however, | was soon made
to be ashamed, coming off crcsttal-
len wretch, instead Of victor with
flying colors.
"Miss Eistcr," said, going up to
her, and putting on high jocular
tone, and mastering up an extremely
facetious expression on my physiog-
whilst my heart was humping and
humping up and down beneath my
waistcoat with lcviathan force, "your
mother asked me to use my pcrsua-
sivc powers to induce yon to reward
Mr.. Crling's attachment with your
hand" I took the little white palm
in mine with q Grandisonian grace
that ought TO have been completely
ovcrpowcring, but it evidently missed
its mark for she snatchcd it away
from mo with strange vchcmcncc
in her manner, and with an angry
flashing light in her violet orbs that
gave quite new phase to her beauty.
AS an angel sho was perfect; but the
glimpse of dcviltry that spallllcd mo-
nIcntarily i'll her eye rendered her, if
possible dangerous to my poor peace
Of mind.
$50 you advise nc to marry Mr..
Crling, whom / not only dislike, but
have contempt for! You think it
no sin, then, to 90 to the alts with
lie upon your lips, and to promise to
cling to man whom you would pre-
fer mover to look upon at all! /
thought better of you Mr. Fleming
better of your Judgment, better Of
your heart; for [ did fancy that you
had some little feeling for me, little
friendship at any rate" And she
burst out crying.
What was to become Of me? A
dozen tongues scomcd struggling with
in me for speech; million tongues
could never have uttered all my love;
all my alteration Of her. But some
thing kept me- silent. Afterwards 1
knew what that "somcthing" was
the horrible foar Of certainty was
antagonistic to my happiness. And
so I stood stock-still, appearing pro
bablc IN her eyes as interesting as q
block Of ice or q scnselcss log of wood.
Rcgaining her con,posure by an cf-
fort, she resumed: "Wcl!, Mr.. FIem-
ing, l cannot blame you for doing
what mamma asked you. I will try
and like Mr.. Urling; and perhaps I
shall succecd-who linows?'' shc said
with bitter little smile upon her lip.
"And the next time you call you may
have to congratulate me. But must
go now, and will send mamma to
thank you better than can do. Good.
bye, Mr.. Fleming" And Just touch:
ing the tips Of my cold fingers, she
glided out of the room.
l followed hor down the stairs, then
noiselessly let myself out Of the
For some weeks persisted in my
diurnal work but my brain kept
throbbing, and there was a strange
singing in my ears; and lassitude
crcpt over me, and appetite went
away.
Then one morning, as sat listlcss-
~ in my armchair, my buxom land
lady came, dropping her curtsey, and
desiring her natutinal chat.
"Lord, sir! !"-she had been staring
hard OF my visage for q few minutes
with more curiosity than politeness-
"wby, I do believe as how you are
going to bo very ill 1 never saw
anybody look SO unearthly like in all
my born days. And you never eat
anything now. Mr.. Fleniing-not if
I do your bacon myself, and
send it up nice and brown to turn.
No hero it is, sir, and untouchedp p
she exclaimed in a plaintive tone,
whose pathos, little inclined as T was
for .mirth; tickled my risible faculties.
"Never mind about my appetite,
Mrs. Robson; 1 am oil right enough.
1 want you to put these flowers and
fruit into basket, and dispatch them
at once to Mrs. Lister, Maryville Cot
tage, Spa-road."
"Of course I will sir, directly. And
now do 90 and liedown quietly. YOU
look as white as your own ghost, and
are no more fit to be worriting over
those newspaper articles than the
shoeblack at the corner"
I took the good woman's advice
and went to bed feeling that it was
useless to attempt work. My head
was aching as if'the "Anvil Chorus"
Of the Zrouatore was being performed
upon it, and my limbs felt as though |
had been stretched upon the rack in