The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-24
ar father: he had been too severe

her father; ne had been loo sever
and ultra in his views-nor yet tn
loss Of property. and home, tina
caused the heart-aches; the bite
weeping, that had left their imprin
on her sweet face. But it wa
Frank Western-handsome Franl
whom Maud had loved above al
earthly things, this lover of her.
who had placed the gold ring OF
|her finger that Maud was caressinl
and she sat there in the rocking
chair in a still agony OF memories
that perpetually rushed over her.
She enever had given up the ring
no, nor she never would, even i
Frank Western had deserted hel
when her property took mysterious
wings
For, of course, he had deserted
her; telse what meant the long
long silence that had lasted three
months
Helnever come near her in al
her TRIALS; he never had sent a line
.or rpessage to encourage her. O'
COURSE he had Tilted her, and any
girl Of spirit would have flung his
letters into the fire, and his photo
graph after them, and ground biz
ring to powder.
But Maud was not of spirits, she
told herself; she could not bring
herself to destroy his precious let
ters, that were such a golden link
to her happy past. She tied them
up III a blue ribbon-blue means
true, and Maud would be true tc
her recreant lover, because he had
won her heart from her, and she
could not help herself-and she left
his picture in its accustomed place
in her album, and stealthily kissed
it every time she saw it.
She was not a girl of spirit, she
told herself; but 1 will confess fol-
her what she hardly knew herself
that she was one Of the truest, dear
est, sincerest girls that ever lover
wooed and won. And [ think | dc
not blame her for clinging to hel
past as she did; it was all the an
Choir she had, and the future looked
utterly dark and dreary to her.
So her quiet, lonely life in the
great city commenced. She came
in and went out, and honestly earn.
ed her daily bread; she grew firm
lin a belief that Frank Western had
died, or something, else he nere,
would have left her so long; and
then she began to mourn for him
as for one dead.
And all this willie there had nc
ghost troubled her. "Poor Mr.
Fay" certainly WAS satisfactorily
laid, 80 far as Maud and her land
lady were concerned; and Maud
had almost forgotten such legend
existed, until one day Mr.. Harris
who was busy "brightening up
the room, mentioned it.
II don't suppose you've evel
been annoyed, Miss Maud? | de-
clare I'd Almost forgotten about il
myself, only I happened to think
about poor Mr.. Fay more thar
usual this afternoon. I suppose it'E
because I'm polishing these silver
globes; he always admired them
so. For my part give me the old
fashioned gas;jets with chandeliers
and none O these balls with four OF
five flames to 'em. There, does
that one shine? it's kind O scratch.
ed, I thought. Maybe it won't
show, though"
Maud was sitting in her favorite
chair, watching Mrs. Harris's Wig
orous polishing of the silver gas
globes, and listening to the flow o1
kindly gossip.
"They all shine finely. I'm sure
Mr.. Fay wouldn't be able to find
fault if he was here. Mrs. Harris.
was he handsome?"
GAS a picture. I never see such
splendid eyes in a humans head as
his. AS blue as the sky, and yet as
dark as a thunder-cloud."
A little pang caught Maud'sheart
Franks eyes were the handsomes'
she ever had seen, and they coin
cided somewhat with Mrs. Harris
description, although Maud always
called them violet. =
"I knew a gentleman once with
such eyes; and he had very dark
golden hair, slightly curly, and
long side whiskcrs, and a nous
tacbc."
"Well, I declare now - and Mrs
Harris's duster stopped in mid air
"NNhy, that answers to poor Mr.
Fay to a IT. He had the sweetest
curly whiskers, and when he smiled
he didn't smile often, though, fol
he had tronble on his mind, [ know
he just showed his teeth a min
ute, and they was as white and reg
ular as sugar corn"
Maud was feeling strangely
there was a wild futtering of hel
heart, and o dizziness in her head
CouM it be possible ?-pshaw ! ant
ones name was Fay and the othe1
Western. Of course, it was only
81 ono of q tbousand cases of similar