Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-02-04
THE CRACK IN TIE DOOR.

luE ClSACh In Iii T. DUOk.
The prettiest house, prettiest garden,
the best servants. and the largest bank
account INK. belonged to Mrs. Mehita-
BILE, Armstrong, widow. Some people
also declared that she was the prettiest
woman in x, but these were not the
other women. They said that she had
red hair, and was too lat, and what the
gentlemen saw to admire in her they
could not guess, etc, etc; but, say it
as often rs they might, every man in the
place was Hetty Armstrong; devoted
servant, friend, and, o dozen of them,
her lovers, also. A bright, dashing,
warm-hearted woman she was, as merry
as though she had never known a care.
Not that she had forgotten the love of
her youth-the gallant, blaok-eyed Gap
tain, whose ship had gone down in mid
ocean five years before, and whose pic
tured face 10y near her heart eight and
day, sleeping and waking; but she was
too full of life and hope to live entirely
In the past, and loved neither hours of
melancholy, not what women call ga
good cry" To forget all sorrow, if she
could, and to be as happy rs she might,
were the two grand rules of her life,
and, therefore, people who did not
know Hetty Armstrong thought her
heartless, and made great mistake.
They called her flirt, and that was
not true, either. She only firted with
those who began the game first, and
that q woman had right to do. At X,
If q gentleman called twice upon lady,
his attentions were said to be every par
tlcular )" "if he saw her home from
meeting" rumor declared that they
were engaged;" AID if he spent an
evening with her. they were "to be
married next week." for certainty but
Hetty Armstrong was somehow not in
cluded in the general rule. She had
determined to do rs she chose. She
went everywhere with ovely unmarried
gentleman of her set. She was friendly
when she chose to bo, and hirted when
she liked. After setting gossip afloat n
dozen times, she gained her point, and
people left her alone. It was Hetty
Armstrong; way, and no indication of
matrimonial Intentions. For years gen-
tlemen haunted her parlors, escorted
her hither and thither, sung with her,
danced with her, confided with her, and
adored her, and village gossip had not
not married her, until suddenly tran
ger made his debut at X, and set the
tongues going beyond evon Hetty Arm
strong's power of silencing.
BE was tall, he was handsome, ho was
comparatively young. He had just that
touch of exquisite about him which is
30 charming when "a mans man for
a that" faultless in toilet, faultless in
manner, education, accomplished alto.
gether, he openly flung himself ut Hetiy
Armstrong; feet and declared himself
her admirer. OF course we do not moan
to say that he ruined the knees of hit
faultless habiliments by going dowr
upon them, or in any other way conduct
ed himself rs did the knights of old wher
heart-smitten, but, after the manner O.
the nineteenth century he declared hi
Intentions quite as openly.
He sang to and at the lady. Ell
haunted her parlors like we'll dressed
ghost. He wrote poetry for tho "Lumi
nary" addressed to Fl. A.. and signed
=. Il. He breathed deep sighs ant
gave soft glances, and said things thu
might have double meanings. Ant
this not for week or month, but fol
year, at the end of which timo Hetty
Armstrong began to understand tha
she was expected by everybody to &C
cept Charles Rokewood when he Offered
her his heart and hand. Meanwhile
the soft eyes and sweet voice, tie deli
cate attentions, and the winning song