The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-05-29

. lSlZ. !,
that it is undersigned.
"In order to convince yon Of it's
truth, perhaps I had better allow you
to reperuse q few specimens that /
have from one Mr., Berthold Great.
erex. See here they are;" unlock.
ling q cabinet and showing a; goodly
parcel tied with ribbon. ,&"
"Did I write you all those ?" said
BERT, aghast. Let me see them"
Y'What are they p asked Caroline,
withdrawing her attention from the
styles for an instant. "Ohl love.let-
ters?" ~ ,,< Il =, ~ re!
"Love-letters? ?" repeated Maria: ~
don't tlknow.-Were they, Mr.. Great
erex p aside. ~
II don't remember" said Bert.
"Lct me read them, and I'll decide?'
Il don't dare trust you. People
have way Of burning up their old
letters if they can lay hands upon
them, Now perhaps I'm silly and
sentimental, but mine arc worth
something to me. Blythe way, Mr.
Greaterex, did you ever 60 into court
when there was a breach Of promise
case on? Jerome took us in once,
when they were reading the love-
letters, and it was so funny? Every.
body was convulsed. They were
convulsed. They were very nice let
ters too!'' .... ~,
Bert turned little pale. He
vaguely remembered that at differ
ent periods he had believed himself
seriously "smitten" with Maria's
charms, and had, no doubt, written
in strain becoming lover, but how
ardently or how explicitly he could
not recall. He knew that there fad
been a breach-ot:promise case away
back in the experience of one Of his
ancestors; and the case had gone
against hip, yet he had never fully
recovered the tone Of his sensibiities,
which she had received such a shock.
"Give them:to me." "said Bert reach.
ing his hand for them.
"Will you give me anything in re.
turn Of equal value? Will you give
me the nosegay in in your button
hole?
1T is beginning to fade. No.. Miss
Upton" ..i.a.. ..gr@
"Come into the garden, and I will
givs you a fresh one.
"Thanks.' = :.
He3fo.lowed into the garden, where
Esbe made selection, and throwing
Mrs. Small's gift aside, put her own
nfits place. When she had finished
he picked up the faded flower and
pressed it into his pocket book. )
"Oh," said Maria, souvenir, some
-" The words broke off in her
throat, "Who gave it to yon?" ab-
ruptly.
"The Widow Small" said Bert
smiling. 49, -,
Come you are teasing me. You
sba'nt see a single letter aud they
are ever so interesting !'
"Ilow could they be otherwise when
you were the subjects"
And then Caroline called to- them
that she was going home, and tho
conference ended. ...t -. TX
So it was that Bert temporized,
with that dreadful hint Of letters be.
ing read in court for the diversion OF
the lowns-foIk hanging over his head.
Had he been quite certain Of their
contents he might have de6ed them
but he was aware that a young man
in the first enthrallment of his fancy
allows his his enthusiasm to ran
away with his prudence. But all this
did not prevent him from going daily
to Mrs smalls for his bouquet,
which, by the way, he sometimes
carried to Maria Upton, a sacrifice to
Nemesis; and these daily calls at the
cottage in Lovers Lane became like
daily bread to the hungry. lie lived
for them, counted the hours till it
was time to set forth, prolonged them
till the hostess was tain to spread
her little tea-table and invite her
guest to drink nectar from china and
to taste ambrosia homemade Some
times when the nights were warm
they took tea in the little arbor, with
roses nodding in the archway. and
honeysuckles climbing the lattice,
and mignohette spicing the dewy air !;
and there the moon would find them.
listening to the sleepy notes of
thrushes in tie hedge or talking of
the dim, delicious future as if it were
some enchanted land toward which
they were journeying together:
One evening as she bade him good
night on her door step, he felt her
hand tremble in his. .. ....' -
What is it2" he asked. ''Did you
see ghost among the plum-trees ?"
"Something startled me. l saw-I
thought saw face among the
shrubberry" o.. .va
"Whose face2" .,........ ..
ooh, perhaps I was mistaken. 1t
was shadow projected from my fan
cytmay hap"
"You are getting nervous, little one.
You must not live here alone."a =
And the next evening, when Mr..
Greaterex loitcred to the c.ttage, he
found she had followed his advice !;
the doors of the house were closed.
and play cards ITO Let" were in the
windows. The widow Small had
vanished like the genius in a fairy
story. MI. Berthold Greaterex was
beside himself, and ready to brave
anything in Maria Upton's power.
What did promise signify in COM
parison with losing his love? Let