The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-08-05


hing food abaft the rudder. l ! ~.
what would my dear old mother
have thought had she known how
near, henSalem was to eternity
The worst part of my bewilder
ment was that I could see no way tt
make her acquaintance. Indeed, she
seemed so happy, so unconcerned, sc
free and bird-like that did moi
dream for one moment that she ever
saw or noticed me. How I longed t
make her heart ache little! Why
I believe if I could have seen ahel
unhappy for a moment I should have
been quite cheerful because OF hel
keeping me company. "aT'.
"No, she was not alone.-Give me
o match. There was very handsomt
|-(remember that word, handsome
-man vino stood guard over her
He was not her husband. There was
also young lady companion about
her own age. These three l had
reason to suppose cousins from
snatches Of conversation which could
not escape my ears from time to time.
well, James, my boy, you know
there is always some way out OF such
a feverish tangle as that. The fact
was, this white-hatted cousin I rath-
er suspected of being a suitor, and
that the cousinship was a great way
of. : If my anxiety had continued
one day longer than it did I should
have flung this fellow over the rail
or gone over myself from sheer envy
sBut the trouble did not continue
long. Tie evening of the third day
was eventful and wrought wonderful
changes in my prospects. Soon after
nightfall the band began to play, and
those inclined began to dance. She
danced like a Sylph or Psyche, or
some other divinity, and, all / could
do was to look at her and endure a
severe headache. Completely over:
wholmed by my infatuation, l rushed
out of the cabin and breathed the
fresh night air abaft the heel-house.
a plank had been broken off from, it
about as high up as the railing, and l
bent my face down close to the
great flying wheel and let the cool
spray dash against il.
Scarcely a moment had passed in
this refreshing occupation when
thunder and lightning, Jim! do you
believe ?-who should hipity-skip
down the narrow passage but my
Queen of Love, her face wreathed in
smiles and her eyes aglow. l was
staggered, knowing that some mistake
had been made and that ! should
make it worse by blunders. r.-
She had mistaken me for her cous-
inl ~a -. ~,
sOh, you can't escape ne Charles
stand right still, I've something to
tell You? ? She made plunge for my
arm and caught her prisoner. She
was torturing me with grace and
beauty and the most charming aban-
don. There is q man in there who
looks exactly like you, she said. i
must know him. Introduce him.
Like me p I quavered.
'Xcs, like youl-only better look
ing. Hasn't such an awful look in
his nose-prettier mouth too. I've
seen him wandering around so lone
some-like all day. I pointed him out
TO cousin Nell, and what think you
she said7'
"Can't guess" said I.
That's just like you, Sir Charles
Glumcrossl Dumb as poker! She
said if you ran away from us again
she would get this man to 60 home
and play of a trick on your relatives
Think of that once, and come to
your senses
.sWell, now, that threat was source
of great comfort. This girl was not
his sweetheart, but in q fair way to
become mine. What glorious mis-
take this wasl How to get safely
out of it-that was the appalling
problem. But every moment was
loo sweet; I didn't care to get out Of
it.
Come said she, 4 want you to soc
him. He has the haudsomest eyes in
the Mississippi Valleyp (That'f
what she said JamesD I'm quite ir
love with him. Il then stood erect.
Il didn't say anything, of course
but :rudged along. I would have
walked right over into the wake hae
she asked it as o favour. Bnt sht
Edidn't. 1 don't exactly remember
how it was, but soon we were dancing
Didn't I dance, though, though? W.
lust whirledI So we danced unit
she suddenly stopped and cried
why, l can't find him. He has let
his solitary seat Then some ON
gave us an unmerciful thump and w
moved out of the way. Her eye
sparkled. She turned red. Then w
withdrew intoa corner. 3D..
'What is it P said I.
'There-there-can'ty you see, Cous
in's waltzing with him? See he
look into his face-why it's dowr
right bold. Aren't they pretty fa
miliar for strangers?' Il though
she seemed q little disappointed a
tbis.) Il don't think he's so hand
some after all. He has got q. crool
in his nose, hasn't he.'
Il saw the man who was my re
Election, and, to tell the truth, was
little lattered. We both wore clothe
Of the same pattern-cven the sam
style of watch-guard.
+ hope they will have a. filtration
she said, dreamiIy. i believe he's
good man..