Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-03-19
PORT ROYAL S. c.. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1874

ears-the quick tramping of footsteps
through the long grass and daisies.
Her heart beat fast, but she would not
turn her head.
"I knew I would fiud you under the
ash-tree."
BERNARD. And now the hea 1!
turned, and she held out both hands.
He squeezed them in a very uncivilized
manner, that he must surely have
learned in the lumber region.
Chow you have changed" she ex-
claimed. She saw at glance that the
great brown eyes were alive with active
thought; that the mouth was frmer,
and the whole bearing of the man,
reselute and manly.
eff he has not succeeded, he has not
given upl" was her mental comment.
She made room for him on the bench.
"And you, not all! You are the same
Jessica I leftl I do believe this is the
very dress you wore when last saw
you'll"
GLOW can you be expected to know
one white dress from another ?"
"It is not your wedding-dress, I
hope. You are not married, Jessica ?"
"No, I am not married." she said
demurely.
"Thank Heaven for that! What
have you been doing this long time ?"
"The same old round of duties.
Sewing and helping mother with the
housekeeping, and the children with
their lessons. There is no end to
woman's work, you know. Only, I
don't believe you know anything about
it."
"I know you were always as busy as
a bee, and I used to think you. must
consequently be unhappy, but I have
learned better than that now"
"Indeed! And pray what have you
been doing that you are ashamed to
write to your old friend ?"
"Did you expect me to write to
you?"
eve generally look for common
courtesy from those who pretend to be
our friends, and neither letter or mes
sage have you sent me"
"I was waiting for something of my
own You see I have not forgotten o
certain conversation under the pollard
willows yonder."
Jessica turned away her head. "I
did not say you were to treat me with
the ordinary politeness of an acquaint-
ance."
ct know. I resolved to see you no
more, to speak to you no more, until l
should have retrieved my manhood. 1
went to see Daryl who told me of his
lumber business at Maple Bend, where
I could get work as a common laboring
hand. It was rather staggering offer,
and I took couple of days to consider
it. was at first somewhat inclined to
back out of the scrape, but, at last I
summoned up the necessary fortitude,
and went"
Jessica thought of the report she had
purposely spread around him to force
him to 60, but, like discreet woman,
she held her peace.
"Hard work it was," continued Ber-
nard after pause, "and dreary and
disagreeable, helping to get the lumber
to the RATS, and down to the vessels.
This labor lasted for three months, and
if it had not been for my positive deter
mination that nothing should force me
back to the old Gfe-and fo- one other
thing-I think my endurance would
have given way. At the end of three
months the business increased so rap.
idly, and so many hands came up, that
I was promoted to partof the business
I liked very well-flling out the or
ders, that came in pretty fast, by select
ing the proper wood, and measuring
the lengths, etc. But, 1 need not tell
you all that, and how one thing led to
another until now I hold quite an i'm
portant position, with fair salary, q
good knowledge of the business, and
the prospect of doing better still. And,
besides these, I have the funniest mite
of house that looks as if the wind had
blown it together, and might, at any
time, blow it apart, and yet it is snug
and tight for all"
"You have, indeed, done wonders,
Bernard. knew you could do anything
you wanted to do"
eff 1 had got nothing from my work
but the consciousness of independence
and manliness, would consider myself
fully repaid"
"Of course you would"
"But then you see I got something
more than this, and I shall expect
something worth more than all"
ooh, you dol A mill of your own, I
supposed"
"No, you little demure witch, you
don't suppose anything of the kind.
Would I have come down here in our
busiest season for that? No, I came to
look for a jewel without which my life
will be nothing-my Jessica's love.
Will you refuse to listen to me now,
darling ?"
There was no need for words ; Jessica
turned her blushing, happy face to
Bernard, and he clasped her in his arms.
cat last" he said rapturously. ooh,
my dearest, I have waited long for
this. If were not so happy would
reproach you for having been 80 cold
and cruel to me. But, you love me at
lastp To
"I will make a confession to you
now, Bernard; loved you all the
time"
"My darling! And you let me think
you did not care for me. Why did you
send me away without the least glimpse
of hope for your love? Why did you
tell me you despised me?"
"No, no, Bernard, never said thatP
"What you did say amounted to the
same thing, and you would not even
soften it by saying that you would try
to love me-"
"What security would I have had