The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-02
"But I thought you were going down

An hour or two later Louise came ir
and stood by Paul's couch-her checks
flushed her eyes shining.
"Look what lovely flowers !" she said
"I gathered them in our dell, and to-mor.
row you shall gather some yourself
That kind Mr.. Dunwardin has gone to
see if he cannot fud very easy carriage
in which you could be driven out TO Beau
catcher and see-on, think of it, dear i
all the blue mountains that you love SC
we'll"
That kind Mr.. Dunwardin found what
he wanted in the way of carriage, and
the expedition on the following day was
altogether success. When the brother
and sister came down to breakfast next
morning, however it was to find their
pleasant acquaintance arrayed in travel
ling costume, ready to bid them good
by.
"The coach for the Warm Springs
leaves in few minutes" he said, "and I
shall go in itas far as Alexander's. Miss
Chalmers, when do you wish to 60 down
tomorrow 2"
"Whenever we are sure of finding
rooms" Louise answered. eff there are
any to be had, and it would not trouble
YOU too much to send line to that effect
by the coach up from the Warm Springs
this evening, we might go down to-mor-
row."
ri think can undertake the response
bility," said Mr.. Dunwardin. Then he
shook hands, waved all thanks, and de-
Instead of "a line" from Mr.. Dunwar-
that gentleman himself arrived on the
evening coach. He smiled at the look
of surprise with which Louise greeted
him.
"Don't you know" he said, "that Al
exander's is only ten miles below Ash
Vile? 1 reached there before eleven
o'clock, and left after five. That gave
me day in which to discover that is a
delightful place, to arrange my plans, and
to engage your rooms"
"You have engaged them, then? ?" said
Louise. GLOW good of you! !"
"Good of me? Not at all. l did not
make them"
"But what has brought you back" an
swered Paul. / thought you only ment
to take Alexander's en- rout to Laurel" .
"Oh-several things brought me back"
answered Mr.. Dunwardin, nonchalantly.
"I thought, for one thing, that Miss Chal-
mers might need somebody to take care
of her on top of the coach to-mor-
row.
Miss Chalmers eyes opened wide.
'Do you mean that you are going down
the river again tomorrow she asked.
"Why should I not ?'' demanded Mr..
Dunwardin, with the air of one put on
his defense, "I thought it rather clever of
me to come up, in order to tell you about
the rooms, and have the pleasure ofyour
society down to Alexnder's."
awe think it something more than
clever" said Louise. "You are very
kind"
Paul echoed this opinion, but Paul also
drew his own conclusions from the kind
ness. Just before Louise left him in his
own room that night he took her hand
and said, smiling yet wistfully:
"Bonnibel, what do you think brought
Mr.. Dunwardin back?
"To 60 down with us (! Don't you think
he might be more accurate to say to 60
down with you p"
"Paul!" Louise was so amazed that for
a moment she could utter nothing more
than that. Then title of bright color
rushed to her face and she looked at her
reproachfully. "Paul, l am astonished
and ashamed of you'll" she said. "Such
suggestion does not sound like you.
Mr.. Dunwardin is a kind-hearted, sensi-
BILE man, with no nonsense about him, in
deed, it would not be possible for any
man to connect such nonsense as that
with me. Don't say anything ofthe kind
again, dear, or you will make me
constrained with him-and that would be
pity. Good night"
'"Yes, it would be pity" Paul thought
there's no harm in having an opinion, all
the same"
This opinion became strengthened after
they were settled at Alexander's and Mr..
Dunwardin still fingered with them-de-
ferring his search after the precious
metals which he had como to seek. A
week passed. -,
On the leaf-shaded upper piazza of the
house Paul would lie for hours quite con-
tent, listening to the ceaseless refrain OF
the river, and watching the shifting lights
and shadows on the splendid heights.
Louise was often with him, but often,
again, she went on sketching or botanic
ing excursions, accompanied by Dun
wardin. Paul watched her with delight
during these days. She seemed to grow
"more like herself" he said-"prettier,"
other people said-with every hour.
Louise was the only person not concious
of this. 1t did not occur to her for the
simple reason that she was preoccupled
with other things, and personal vanity
had long seemed to her something IN
which she had no share.
1t was sudden blow to her childlike
enjoyment when Mr.. Dunwardin said one
day, with calmness which in itself was
amazing:
81 have grown to love you very much,
Miss Chalmers. so much that / can ask
nothing better in life than that you
should put your hand in mine, and prom
isc to marry me. You do not know a
great deal of me, but perhaps you know
enough to tell whether or not there is
any hope for me-"
They had been on a long excursion
among the hills, and at the time OF this
declaration they were sitting together on
a bold, picturesque buff which overlooked
tho imnetuous river and the long, green
island it encirclcd. Louise glanced up,
startled, half doubling if she had heard
Alright. She had just empticd the ferns