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

Ned Clark stretched his Srace1ul
length lazily upon my office lounge,
md assumed serious expression OF
countcnance.
Ned was my wife's cousin-a good
looking, wide-awake fellow, possessed
of considerable property and an insult
.ferable amount Of selt:esteem, which
rendered him about as happy a NOR
tal as ever existed.
But this morning he looked serious.
81 tell you, Tom," be said at length,
81 am in such a pickle-a tan
talizing quandarys
"Well, what's up?" l asked, half
closing my book.
After two minutes of silence, re-
sumed my book and became absorbed
in my study, when Ned CALCULATED.
''Those Girlsp' -<@----
His eyes were fixed upon the shelf
above my window, and mine followed
in that direction, but | saw nothing to
to call forth his exclamation.
Returning to my book. had reach
ed the bottom of the page, when |
was again startled by tho words, this
time in louder tone, "Those girls"
"Where 1 cried, now fully aroused;
"wherc arc they conccaled?'
"Bc calm my friend" Interrupted
Ned. 81 was merely informing you
of the cause Of my quandary. 1t is
about those Norris girls, you see.''
"Well, what have they done" l
asked, laying down my book. "Any.
thing that requires my assistance?
Is it breach-of:promise case"
Ned looked AT me in undisgulsed
disgust. ;,
went on, at length. 81 got acquaint-
ed with Clara Norris, the oldest girl,
last summer, down at the seashore,
and was really quite taken in with
her. She is. fine girl-was the
belle of our set.
81 was just upon the point of pro
posing, when she loft. But thought
it was no matter. 1 just as well at
tend to it after came to the city. So
I called the next day after my arri-
val, was shown into the parlor, and
told Miss Norris would be down i'm
mcdiatcly.
"When thu door opened. 1 rose to
greet my black eyed charmer, but in
stead, stood face to face with nice
looking, grey-eyed girl that l had
never seen before.
"Well, thanks to my knack Of get
ting oat Of scrapos, l slipped out of
that all right.
4 beg pa"llon!' said. But /
enn"osed I was to meet Miss Norris
- All, yes | soc!' sh2 said, making
no . ca-eiustaatly Your call was
a-ans ia, NY sister Clara, | suppose.
30, sl.e not at home this week, and
~a9 w;II be obliged to let me enter
tain ycn
IRON shat time we went on swim.
rss;oriy. and | never enjoyed call
hgttes in NY life. She played to me-
,,nd nev2r SAYS such pretty hands in
nv iite and her voice was llk'
ark and she could talk fellow in
t. P4radiso! Know just what to say
md hew 20 say it; and remembered
; len, that Clara was rather reserved
and not half as social as she nigh
be.
We'll, I called again that week
and that girls voice aud her soft love
ly hands haunted me. Then her sis
ter came, and her eyes were darker
and brighter than ever; and Julia
that is the other ones name-seemec
rather dim in her presence Still, hel
voice and her way of talking Glars
couldn't compare with; and l wa
lust tossed back and forth between tht
two. ~
lone day I would decide to settle
the thing and take Clara; and the,
Julia would begin to talk, and he
hands would flutter in some prett,
work, and I would leave the hous
decd in love with her. And, one day
she said to me:
a' Do you know that Ellen is com
ing home tomorrow p
"'Who is Ellen ? / asked.