The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-03-03
+ Then with sudden boyish 7candor
an6a happy smile on his animated

!, What is ops, poor little year? not
year." gleehsly. H..
, "But the difference in religion p
f ... '"'Au obstacle, I grant, but not a
} insnperable one. My nncle marie
an English lady, q Protestant, an
!, they have been very happy together.
"But 1 think there 10 another man
stammered, surprised at finding m.
outposts carried SO easily. ,>.i@ l..
! "You do not mean TO say that sh
. is compromised With any man, al
most fercely:i s::.Fl.:5,a,rs.-r.. ,.,
T. II do not know What meaning yo
attach to that word,a,for the count
imperfect Fronch waAAot always il
'tteliigible. "There. is 81 young man
1.-The son oi a ,''neigh6or, who bas ad
!, mired her q long time"
H"Oh, be admires herr" with a cur
of the exquisite lips, as If to say
"Who does not2' -" J. r.
"But ] think she may like him
little .qH (. -..4 o.. - F'-
"Why do yoa torture me so?' Tel
me at once that they arc betrothed,
cried he, pale with concentrated an
|gcr. ......n o..
He thought. she had trifed will
him, l knew instantly, but he quietly
said, II cannot tell you exactly il
what relation they. stand to .eacl
other, but 7 think Miss Clair woult
if she found an opportunity to speal
with you" . a.rs, r.. f. :: ::
| '"You do not know how 4 have
tried to make opportunities. g
Everywhere, hoping to see. you, ane
II, have never met you-not pnce
Wont you ask her to come down tc
fnight?a aoaxipgfy like Child.
I"3"Not tonight: it is too late"
; Il must sec Nils st. Clair, tonight. >
"Impossible." - " {, ~ -. :
81 must see Miss St. Clair. Find
out for me when I can See her: Twill
60 with you," in white heat Of pas.
sion. eve had been alone for some
little time) >-D1c' 1ni - russ.
I took the arm which he held out,
not a little agitated by the excess Of
emotion which thrilled and quivered
through his youthful frame, as he
hurried me up the broad stone stair.
case and along the wide, corridors
.hat led, to our rooms. What bust.
ness had + to ineddle? How should
an old fogy like me know anything
of the love affairs of this generation Z
The girl would have haveamanaged
more wisely than,I, J. reflected, by
no means jubilant over the result.
gs.sWait here" and [ walkedron to
Miss St. Clair's door, opened it, and
there sat Helen III her pretty white
wrapper, bathed lin the moonlight,
serene as o star, as if there were no
passionate young heart breaking in
waves of anguish at her. feet. "Hel.
en-, the count is i'd the corridor, and
he will not 60 till, I ,have told him
when YOU will see him." ,r,a, ia
slow can I? You must think foI
me-" '':.. ~, =. .. ..
f A hasty consultation. The coun,
was standing where ] left him I'VE
shall ,bo at the Sistine Chapel ito-mor.
row at two O'Clock" - '',';'''.'
He bowed and w0s gono. e-,',.!
1 did not sleep we'll that night A
pretty person Lam to take charge Of
a young girl! l wonder what MIR:
|St. Clair would think if he knew ]
had made an appointment for his
daughter to meet u young Spainiard
On the way, however, I admonished
Helen, as if no misgiving Of my own
wisdom had ever crossed my mind
'fYou must be firm with him: Tel
him so decidedly that Ae csfnut
doubt you really mean it," ,.1'. C,
"Yes," said she, "but l do dread ii
so. {: / can't bear his thinking that ]
encouraged him." a4,i ,7r,.t ~.
Then you did? ..,...s.....,, 81 s !.
"I didn't mean to, but as 1iks
him; and didn't think Of his taking
| it so to heart. Men are so strange
You think you have a charming
friend, and then they will 60 on just
so, boys and all, and you have to take
them or lose them and you can't
take them. 1t is too bad !" ":..'' ~.
We were at tho door. The keeper
opened it, and there ystocd the count
waiting for.us 1t was not the first
time wo had, been in the wonderful
chapel, Fortunately, there were
very &w-personsthere on this after
noon-none that we; knew.-I, sat
down to look at sSs grand sfrescoes
Helen and thes count walked on to
the farthest corner. IElookea at the
Cumean Sibyl,, the impersonation of
age and wisdom, and wished, as I
glanced at the youthful fignres talk
ing so earnestly in the distance, but
not a murmur of whose voices reach.
ed my ear, that she would impart to
me her f;.r-reaching vision of futurity.
l gazed on the image of the Eternal
Father sweeping in majestic fight
through the air, bearing the angels
on bis floating garment as be divides
the light from the darkness. I saw
Adam glad with new life, rising from
the earth, because the outstrstched
fngor Of his Creator gave him q con-
scious strength. I looked atl"The
Last Judgment" grown dim with
years, till every figure started out in
intensity of life, and it seemed as if
the faces would haunt me for ever. q.
And yonder still progressed the
old. ever-new drama Of love and an
guish, with its two actors, who SEEM
ed scarcely to have changed their po-
sition or taken their eyes from each
other. At length they walked slowly
toward me with more serenity of as
pect than I had dared to hope.
"Shall we 90 into the picturc-galle.
ry ?" asked the count.
II think wo may have time to walk
through it,. ! anwered. 1t is now
halfpast three"
as it possible that we have kept
you waiting so long?" they asked
simultaneously.
"An hour and q half is short time
in a place like the Sistine chapel" 1
remarked scntcntiously.
AS soon as we were alone l drew
Helen to the confessional: "Did you
tell him about Mr.. Denham ?"
ayes, everything, and he was so
noble. I am so sorry. The tears
stood in his eyes, and he said, Il suf
fer, but I am n man. I can bear it.
Then he thanked me for dealing so
openly with him. He never once
binted rcproach. And I. deserved
it," she said with unwontcd humility.
II never felt before how wicked it is
to firt Just n little. He is not, selfish
like some people that l know )" and
n