The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-09

or color, or cheer; anu no" tue pAac'
was too dangerously delightful for 1
young man who did not want to MARI!
to frequent. She was such lovely lit
tie thing; not exactly beautiful, that is
she would not have been beautiful in .
picture, but in flesh and blood, and il
Lucian Malvin's eyes, she was exceed
ingly beautiful, with her soft color, hel
clear dark gaze, and her bright hair thai
broke into cloud of sunny rings about
her sweet face; such a gentle gayetJ
went with her wherever she did, such 6
tender grace of manner, too, in the in
tervals of her buoyant spirits, her voice
was such warbling voice, her way
were such winsome ways. Luciar
Malvin felt that he must forswear hel
presence unless he wanted to make life
a burden to himself; and he ceased going
to Mrs. Barnetta's. where she was stay
ing, almost as suddenly as day forsakes
the horizon in that dreary season wher
twilights are not.
But if he could shut himself out from
the Ba1nettas', he could not shut Mis-:
Rosa out from general society; and &c
where he would, he met her almos
nightly, laughing gayly, singing sweetiy
dancing lightly, till he declared to him
self that if this was going to last, hi
must indeed cease going out at all But
that was little too much; he did not
know how positively to deny himself the
mere sight of her. Yet things were
growing very precarious when he could
not take book but he saw that blush
ing face slide in between the pages
when he could not make out wri
without being in danger Of slipping hel
name into the blanks, when he hearc
the delicious voice murmuring in hit
ears when he walked, and walked al
night with the little spirit when he
slept. He made a compromise witt
himself-it was all he cculd-and de-
clared that at any rate he would moi
dance with her again.
It was an idle effort. He might al
most as well have danced with her az
have stood looking at her, quite uncon
scious of his general air, and all the low
er in his glance. Mrs. Barnetta beck
oned him to her side he stood there
just as Rosa came up from her prone
made and left the arm of one cavalier tc
be carried off by another. "You are
not dancing, Mr.. Malvina" she said
"Oh, would you hold my fan and hand
kerchief9" he followed them with hif
eye again as the music crashed into 6
dashing galop. =
What right had that other man with
his clasp about this darlipg3 why did
she suffer ita what decency was there in
the society Which commanded such sac
rifice9 In his embrace-whirling wild
~ to this wild music Z ~x
"You do ate'him, don't youa" said
Mrs. Barnetta, in his ear. "If looks
could slay"- He started. Was he car.
rying his heart upon his sleeve for davis
to peck ata "Oh, I don't pity you q
bit," laughed Mrs. Barnetta, low toned.
And putting out her hand, she took Ro-
sa's fan and opened it as she talked.
"Anybody," said she, "with such g
power of making misery, ought to en-
joy it."
"I-I beg your pardon, Mrs. Barnet
ia, but if you read me riddles, I mus
ask you also to be their sphinx"
"Oh, no; it was the function of The
sphinx to PROFOUND the riddles, not te
solve them" And~ Mrs. Barnett'
laughed her low, pleasant laugh. "Yor
do not come to US any MORE" she said
"And as I used to be in your confidence
before you deserted me-, I can imagine
the reason. I do not like to say it is very
shabby treatment of an old friend. O.
course cannot say that it is rude. Blu
if you do not dance with Miss Merciel
this evening, I shall be fearfully offend
ed. I am not going to have my LITTLE
treasure made unhappy for the sake o
the safety of the prince of all good fel
lows himself."" IS a~
Eucien changed color 80 suddenly tina
Mrs: Barnetta put out her hand in af
fright, half expecting to see him fall
Dut in a moment ne was himself again
"Do you Is Miss Mercier "-h'
began, and paused half way.
cas- if I should say another word
and had not already said alto
gether too muchl" said Mrs
Barnetta. "There, ehe has left dancing
and gone for an ice.l What DO you thinl
of round dances, on the wholes" Ant
they were, to all appearances, deep in
discussion Of the subject when Rosa re
turned and swept her late partner {
courtesy, and took shelter on the othe
side OF Mrs. Barnetts. Perhaps sh'
had seen the way Lucian's eye had fol
lowed her, and it had given her certain
illumination that made her shrink.
Just then the band began one of th'
Hungarian waltzes, a sweet aud raptur
Gus measure that set the blood itself tx
dancing in ones veins. Why not9 On
last dance, one last moment of ecstasy
ere he went out forever into loneliness
Directly he had crumpled the bit of lac
into his pocket, and was bending before
the little Rosa, who seemed suddenly tt
have lost all her light gayety, and wht
put out her hand to him with a con
scious burning blush upon her face tina
his heart reflected in a melting glow
And then there was no thought of pride
or of negation, or forgetting the music
was swinging them at its will; they cir
cled in each others arms to its deliciou
and delirious movement. Yet only a mo
ment was it, a few moments, brie
sweet space of half conscious time; ant
then faintrecognition crept through it
spell and warned Lucian of the poison
in this honey. He was in the act of sur
render; he was about to seal his fateant
that of this dear girl; to take her AVA.
from her fathers wealth and her luxuri
GUS ease, and condemn her to the cark