The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-07-20

Had 1 known your intentions, I should
not have granted it,"
"But you don't mean to say
You surely can not refuse my
suit utterly! Ned cried, mourn
fully.
'Indeed, I must, Mr.. Clark" she
answered, tcnderly. "Though I re-
spect and esteem you very highly, |
can never be other than 4 friend, Or
a sister>to you"
"But perhaps you will think better
Of it" Ned said, in so pathetic q
: voice, that I should have felt really
sorry for the fellow had it been any
body but Ned d-feather-heartcd Ned.
who never loved anybody, save him
self, enough to give him an hours
real pain; as it was, [ wanted to
laugh, but, as I before remarked,
thought it would be indiscreet-"pcr-
haps you would think better Of this,
after mature dcliberation. 1 do not
want You to decide hastily. Think of
it lew days, and then give me your
answer"
"lndeed, it is not necessary" Julia
said earnestly. 81 should answer you
just as [ answer you now. Your
friend-nothing more"
But if there is any obstacle that l
can remove"
"There is an obstacle" Julia inter
rupted, with q little quaver of mirth
in her voice. "But | would hardly
like to have it removed! Mr.. Clark,
I trust to your honor to keep my
secret, though it is secret only for
the present: am the promised wife
Of Professor. Thornc! We are to be
married in a few months. Now take
me back to our guests, and let us be
the best Of friends in the future, as
we have been in the past"
1t was too good thing to keep I
had to tell Ned that l heard it all, the
next time saw him.
"You see, Ned, I couldn't help be-
ing there" I said. "And. after you
had got fairly aAoat on your sea of
eloquenco, l was not at all sorry to
hear it. You did it up well, old boy
but, really, pns surprised at the re-
ply. I had grown to look upon Miss
Julia as relative"
"Oh, hang it !" cried Ned, chafng
under my raillery. "Why can't you
let fellow be? You'd no business
listening. anyhow! But l am not
sorry she answered me as she did,
after ALL"
"No," l said; 'you will never have
any regrets now, thinking what
mi ght have been. 1t helps You out
Of your quandary nicely. Leaves
you just 'Hobson's choicc'-Clara or
nonc.'
And Clara is worth both the
Others" Ned responded emphatically.
'Sho would reign royalty over IL ftl-
lows house! She's a woman TO be
proud Off"
"All right" said +. Glad you looll
at the thing so logically. Helen and
l shall welcome Clara, aad be glad of
her as a relative and ncighbor."
Ned went to the Falls, and before |
saw him again, with the Norris party.
lie wrote one glowing letter, soon
after he arrived, giving IN account
Of Clara's royal charms, what u SEN
salion she made, and how the fellows
cnvicd him.
at will all bo settled before get
back !" he wrote.
l introduced the subject as soon as
wc met. =,
"Well, Ned, when it is to be 2"
"Oh, deuce take you!" lie cried
throwing himself on my lounge in his
old way. "You are always at a fcl.
low-never giving him any peace .
"But, Ned" said 1 gravely, trying
not to laugh, "you wrote that it
would all be settled before you came
back. What more natural than that
1 should ask you when it was to
Beg
"Well, then, neney" snapped Ned
"She went through all that long rig.
marolc that Julia did-'sho never
thought Of such a thing and so OIL
and the next day she was receiving 9
the congratulations Of her friends or
account Of her engagement to Bos
ton chap. Seems she has known him
for year or two. Il tell you what
Tom," he continued, in a reflective
manner, "there isn't much depend
cnce to bo placed upon a woman'>
actions. A fellow. may be positive
that he has on y to ask and receive
and, likely as not, he will get posi-
tive refusal. Now, l was sare could
have any Of those three girls, by say
ing the word. And just sec the con
sequences Two of EN- married, one
pretty near it, and 1 rejected AND
alone. But | am sort Of glad, after
all !' he went on. "Clara is Il splen
did woman, but she would cost mar
deal to rig her up; and there is JUS
the trimmest little girl over in Brook
lyn, and if she'll have me, I'm going
to SEQ what I can do in that quarter
do not fix my hopes too firmly upor
earthly things, but still think 1 have
chance over there. And she. ha!
no sister, 80 thcre'll be no bother
Oh, well, women arc queer creature!
act ono thing, and mean another
but, I tell You, Tom, that little Brook
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