The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-17

"This is my first visit to Lon
don," chirped Miss Blake.
"Oh, indeed!"
81 live'in the wilds of Connema
RAJ
II wish you were there just
now," was my inner thought.
Its the widest place on the face
of the earth, and the loveliest-but
won't you secure vls-a-ris !''
I compounded with a pink-facee
youth who was in talons of tall
lean, vulture-like woman, to face
me in the forthcoming melancholy
ceremony, and to assist in carrying
out its sad solemnities in all thei'
funeral details.
"Have you ever visited Ireland
Mr.. Brookley?" asked Miss Blake
at the conclusion of the first figure
81 should think not. Ireland il
a wretched mistake
The moment the words escaped
from my lips, I could have parted
with good deal of ready money
to have been enabled to draw chem
back again. They were childish
rude, ungentleman-like, and
turned to her to apologize.
The hot flush was upon hel
cheek, the little hands were clinched
until the gloves threatened to
burst up," and her flashing eyes
met mine as she hotly retorted-
"You must be an English boor to
say so.' " .. -.
, The pas seM commenced, and, to
use a stage phrase, Miss Blake
1went on"
What a charming figure! What
ain elegant turn of the head What
grace in every movement! -
I had committed a blunder, and I
felt it. She went through the en-
tire figure alone. She would not
deign to take-to touch my out
stretched hand. I had no words at
will to cudgel into proper form Of
apology, and I was bewildered by
her beauty. IS. a .,,..f"=G p.
| Lovely blue eyes, with sweeping
Blue-black lashes; o dainty little
dose, with a rosebud mouth, and
teeth like muff1ed diamonds; ra-
disnt brown hair in massive plaits
and her expression! ~. .....
Ay de mi ALBANIA! w. ,a
We did not, speak during the
quadrille. The pink-faced youth
confound his impudence = struck
up an acquaintanceship with her,
and treated the vulture-l looking
woman badly. I felt inclined to
burl him at his partner, impale him
upon her nose, and rush frantically
from the house. The charming
disdain with which I was treated by
Miss Blake, rendered me more
miserable, and it was only when
the laws Of society compelled her,
at the conclusion Of the dance, to
take my arm, in order to be con-
Quoted to the place whence she
came, that I ventured to exclaim-
"I implore of you to forgive me
I did not know what I was saying
I am worse than a boor. Hear me
for one moment;' and in few
eager words I honestly revealed to
her the irritatcd and iuhamed con-
dition of my mind, upon finding
myself stranded in a scene so ut
terly at variance with my mood,
and compelled, as it were, to drink
the bitter cup to the uttcrmost
drcgs. ''.
Ny pleadings were full Of the re-
deeming Influence Of earnestness,
and I succeeded in achieving her
forgiveness. She danced with me
again and again. I saw the candles
snuffed out, beheld ihe tallow-faced
greengrocer paid off, met the morn
ing milk without finching, and re-
turned the playful banter of the
cabbies in o mood 80 utterly
different from that which [ had
pictured to myself few short
hours previously, that
sshaw! who can control the inner
mechanism of the heart?
X * X
One glorious morning in August
last found me seated beside the
driver of one of Bianconi's long
cars which travel between West
port and Clifden, and, as a copse-
qucnce, through the heart Of the
widest and most picturesque see
merry in Conncmara. I had, amongst
other vows, registered one that, as
soon as circumstances would per-
nit, I would undertake a pilgrim
age to Bo!joldcrun Hall, to the
shrine of Miss Katherine, alas
Kitty Blake.
It is unnecessary for me to state
that I had muny reasons reasons TO
urge me to undertake this excursion,
and that I had ono in particular: in
fact, my heart had, somehow or
other, Slipped from beneath my
waistcoat-had travelled, in compa-
nv with Miss Blake, to her moun-
tain home; and it was with o view
l. L