The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-07-28

tell you what he says"
The two girls, Bertha and Fanny, were
almost inseparable companions. They had
been friends since childhood, but since
Fanny's engagement to Eugene, they had
been together more than ever.
There was only years difference in
their ages, but their dispositions were ex-
actly opposite. While black-eyed, rosy
checked Bertha was spirited to an almost
unfortunate degree, and impatient Of re-
straint, blue-eyed Fanny-who bore the
reputation Of being the handsomest girl in
the village-was quiet, retiring and un-
assuming. She was rather slender infgure,
and there was a grace in her every move :
ment which never failed to attract. Her
complexion was Of: the purest white, and 2
her features, without being rigidly regular,
were certainly prett They were more than.
that they swers S6ma md refined, and !.
!; The. hes creeping 30 sufface,;
in hercheeks, and The long, df9eP Ping fashesss
which at times, yelled her. wonderfully !;
deep blue eyes, were added charms which
bad no small share in making her the belle.
Of the thriving New England town whore:
she had always lived. "A W. 49,
It was natural that both girls should
feel deep interest in anything Eugene en-
gagged in. If he should accept the offer
now under consideration, it meant q speedy
marriage, and a life Of quiet comfort was
as certain as anything can be IN this world
of changes. If he declined, who could tell
what might come between them? Who
could say how he might be situated
single month from that very morningr
Bertha was busy with thoughts like
these when Eugene came in from the gar
den, and threw himself at full length on
the sofa, in the room where she was sit
ting.
Bertha" he asked, after few minutes
thought, " What did you ever hear mother
say about my nameS"
Bertha looked up, surprised at the
strange question, but made no reply,
About my first name, mean"
What q boy" said Bertha, with a
smile. Don't you know your own
name?"
Roland Eugene Wallingford, Of course"
about it"
"They never called me Roland, did they;
why did they give me % name they dis
liked and would not use?"
"I am sure don't know"
"Was I named after any one ?"
"After some one father met before he
came here, believe"
"Confound this notion Of making O
child walking, talking token Of their
parents affection, for some one else. They
will be inscribing the virtues Of the de-
ceased on the children's backs next"
- Il, 1,ol o.
her brothers quaint idea, but said no
thing.
"Hld father any second name? They
might have given me that, you know"
He had none"
"Nor motlier?"
"No name but Margaret
care you certain?'
"What makes you ask such strange
questions, Eugene? l don't understand
yon to-day"
az have curiosity to know. You said,
just now, that WAS named after some one
father met before coming to this place. Do
you know who that nan WASP"
AZ do not.'
A long silence followed. Bertha worried
indnstriously ut the hem ola handkerchief,
and Eugene lay with his eyes fixed on the
ceiling of the room.
"Eugene!"
It was Bertha who broke the silence.
Her brother was busy with his own
thoughts and did not answer. The girl
walked over to him and put her hand on
his shoulder as he lay, still looking straight
up.
"Engene, I have answered your ques-
tions; will you answer one Of mine 2"
"If Gun, yes"
"what arc al you :; going to say when you
answer that letter?'
al don't know yet, am going out to-
night. and when come in, you shall know
everything about it that know"
"You have something else in your mind,
and you won't tell me what it is. Has any
thing happenedp Is anything dreadful
going to hlppenp You look a year older
than you did when you went out to the
post Office. Did you show HE all the mail
yon got -
"There, sister minc," sail Eugene, max
ing miserable attempt ut being gay"
agreed to answer you one question, and you
have asked me half dozen. a.. = s:,s,.i z
"sBut am in earnest and Iwans you'll 81,
answer me.''
"Well, if you will know, didn't show
you all. I Kept one back and destroyed it..
Don't ask ME what it contained, for won't
tell you until tonight
He lay there few minutes longer,
never seeing the tears that were gather
ing in his sisters eyes, and then went out
in the direction Of the business portion Of
the town.
Ard while Bertha sobbed and puzzled
Ger the unanswered letter, and the letter
she had not seen, Eugene pondered over
the pile Of crumpled fragments lying in
his room, and imagined that the success or
failure Of his life depended upon the truth
or f:llsity of the message the legal-looking
sheet had contained.
Although it was scarcely noon when Eu-
gene left the house, Funny went over at
dusk and found that he had not yet re-
turned. Both girls were too anxious over
his unwonted absence and his actions of
the forenoon to talk much, and 80 they sat
in silence by the window facing the street,
until the c,orE struck ten, and still the
bright moonlight showed no signs Of his
coming.
TO BE CONTINUED
RUNNING FOR OFFICE.