Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-02-04
Of her admirer were not without their

ShSou upoh iAobpJ AElGbeIOuSbEl lleart.
It began to be conscious Of certain
tremors and hatterings in his presence.
Her cheeks flushed Us they had in girl
hood. Her dreams were not the sober,
practical dreams which nature at FIVE
and.twenty should alone indulge in !;
and as the days rolled on che felt moro
conscious that the "Yes" which was
expected of her would be easily uttered.
She tried to be prudent and Judge
the man carefully. The result was that
she declared him to be san angel" At
last Hetty Armstrong fairly let go of
the rudder of self-will, to which he had
olung so long, and allowed herself to
I'drift down the tide of circumstances
which were to lead her into fho arms Of
Charles Rokewood. She felk that life
would be happy with such bosom to
repose upon, and began to wonder
whether it really, was necessary for n
widow to be married in pearl color when
white was 80 becoming to her complex
ion.
So matters stood when Christmas
drew near, and with it HettY Arm
strong's regular Christmas eve party.
All X, or nearly all. would be there ];
even the Rev. Luther Paragon; who
amiably forgot to say that he disap-
proved of dancing and charades when
Mrs. Armstrong declared that "she
adored them" It was always the mer-
riest party of the season ut x, and
this time Mrs. Armstrong decided that,
che would outdo herself. There was
dash more of ooquetry in her dress /; a
dash of extravaganza in the supper /; q
glitter of rare China, and perfume of
rare flowers in the parlors-just as they
say wine warns up the Wits and fancy
does love at times. All things would be
brighter, fresher, more sparkling, just
now, thought, or rather vaguely felt,
the woman who had just began to know
her heart, and thought she knew an
others.
She stood, in her rich. dress of lace
and silk, flowers in her hair and on her
bosom, before her ...gnests arrived,
before her crate fire in the parlor,
when some one touched her on the
shoulder, and, turning. she saw Charles
Rokewood.
Her face was little paler, her eyes
more earnest in their look than usual,
and sort of happy terror hung upon
her as she guessed why he had como 80
early.
"I knew I should find you nlso," lie
said, "and have something to say to
you ;-eomething"
There she stopped him. Don't say
it now," she pleaded. "I have m
evening before me which calls for all
my calmnoss. If it is anything agi-
tating, II must ask you to wait.
After these guests of mine are gone-or
to morrow, I will hear You; not now.
Charles Rokewood bowed. "Your
will shall be my law" ho said, and
took her hand and kissed it. She let
him do it, blushing all the while, not
caring now to look OF him.
All the evening, aftor the other
guests were there, her thoughts wan
dered back to that moment. She knew
what she would say, and she could an.
swer only in one way--only one-she
liked him 80 we'll.
"And I have folt go sllro I could
never like any one again." thought
Hetty Armstrong. "Thore is fate
in it."
But she danced and sung and talked
as usual, and no one guessed that
was what she was dreamipg-not even
Mr.. Rokewood, who, with chosen
friend, had slipped away from the par
lors, and was smoking and talking in
tho dressing.room. He was little out
of sorts. Hetty, conscious of her du
ties as hostess, insisted on being pub.
lic property, and could not be lured
into tete-a.tete, and tho women who
were ready to be talked to he did not
caro- about. Engaged men are gener-
ally known by their boorish conduct to
ladies generally. Rokewood, although
not engaged, believed himself far
enough on the road to forget suavity,
and fell back upon cigars and his mas
culine friends whenever his lady.love
could not bo whispered to or gazed at.
Consequently damsals who thought
Rokewood charming were wondering
what had become of him, when Biddy,
tho waitress, mys.eriously beckoned