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

1Q6Io was no escape IOI LOulsa. Oue
arose from her love of a corner, with the
manuscript in her hands.
81 am sure you have come for this,
she said to the old deacon. Then she
glanced at his companion. She caught
the impression in her rapid glance of a
scholarly looking young man, with q pale
forehead and a dark mustache, who wore
eyeglasses.
~ believe I am the owner OF the
record left here so many years age" the
young man explained. "But I have no
reason to carry it away at this moment.
I shall be in the village over the Sab
bath, perhaps through the week. If
you have not finished reading it, I shall
leave the book with you gladly"
"Oh, no." said Miss Thatcher, quickly
too quickly she afterward thought;
but embarrassment, or perhaps fate,
urged her to decline the strangers
politeness.
She was going, and as she went an IN
comfortable impulse caused her to turn
back and say : eff you are kindred to
the man who wrote the book, twill make
you very sad. hope-Ih hope you will
feel a little love for him."
+ + y : Z
At church on Sunday the claimant of
the Bowles' mill manuscript appeared IN
a conspicuous pew, and Louisa Thatcher
felt, even when he was not looking at
her, that his thoughts were studying
her through and through.
On Monday morning, as she trudged
along the highroad to the s~choolhouse,
she met him, and he evidently expected
a recognition; but intent upon the neces-
sity of absolute dignity in a "district
schoolna'am," she vouchsafed him
none.
"She blusheu, though" the young
man reflected, consolingly. That even.
ing he called at MIR. Seaman's with one
of the village dignitaries, but the desire
of his eyes was cup stairs correcting
compositions" and he did not gain a
glimpse of her.
At noon the next day the mother of
faxen- haired Nettie, pet of the baby
class, came with Nettie's luncheon, &C.
companied by the indefatigable young
man, who was then formally presented
to Miss Thatcher.
From that time they met daily on the
way to school and the way from school,
walking slowly along the highroad and
the pretty wood path that closed it, and
giving each other gradually, with all the
trustful facility of youth and irresistible
attraction, the confidential histories of
their young litetimes. At evening he
came to see her.
One evening the young couple were
sitting in MI. Seaman's parlor by the
dim lamp, digniied by the mercenary
genius of Mrs. Seamen into GO IN extra"
looking together over the mill manu-
script.
II find it so dull" said Leonard
Mansfield. "Were it not for one con
sideration and one conviction, I should
never be able to finish. The considera-
ton is for your sake, because you like it,
Louisa; the conviction was the founda-
ton of my coming to claim the record.
When my uncle's will was read eve
years ago, n clause struck my imagi-
nation.
"sIf any Ct my heirs feel sufficiently
interested in me to inquire into my per-
sonal history, they will find my diary in
the old mill where 1t was written, at Red
Cedar pond. Personal application to
be made to Deacon Treat or Squire
Wells The heirs noted this direction
with indifference.
"Mys share of the legacies took me
through college-as my father, n of
the dearest and noblest of men, but
never fortunate in money making, could
not afford-and furnished me with a
small capital to commence law practice.
I had more than one compunctious
thought about my benefactor. It seemed
to me a shame to accept such benefits
from a man in whom I had not even
sufficient interest to acquaint myself
with his personal history. This year,
when T became for the first time en-
couragingly established in my profess
sion, I determined to commence my
vacation by looking up the neglected
diary. I confess I do notind myself in
spired by it's revelation. What did you
find, dear Louisa, to kindle you into the
request that has haunted me: I hope you
will love him a little"
CT found worlds in it," said Miss
Thatcher, signing so sorrowfully, as she
had not done since she had entered her
new world of love and loving.
"Worlds of what, my dearest 70.
asked the light hearted young lawyer.
He was clasping her hand in one OF bis
as he spoke, and with the other he
turned absently the leaves Of the time
stained book that lay on the table. A
little bit of handwriting that he knew
struck his vision; it was the line on the
margin:
"No one to love, none to caress."
Miss Thatcher saw it too. Eyes, I
know" she said, softly. 81 wrote it
there. I could not help it. Twas the
tribute of my sympathy"
He turned to her very earnestly.
Something in the tremulous sensitive
ness Of her face smote his heart pain
fully. Tears started to his eyes. He
folded his strong arm around her with
a sense of infinite tenderness.
"Let me tell you," she said, olsen
gazing herself from his embraces,
"what a strange thing I found, or
thought I found, in that diary. First
of all, you know, I was drawn singu-
larly into rapport with the writer by
my own sad loneliness. I felt the depth
Of meaning in his complaint. Yes" she
said, trembling, "I must confess, and
l do repent, even in his complaint
against Heaven. Alone in the world.
Sometimes that happens"
And here let it be explained to the
reader that by an accident in the cradle
the writer OF the diary had been made
physically repellant, and his sensitive
soul exaggerated bis misfortune into a
barrier between himself and the loving
~sympathies of all mankind. As for wo-
mankind, he knew motor his mother
died at bis birth-even it's maternal ten
derness.
"Leonard, dear" Miss Thatcher went
on, "you will think me, perhaps, the
most superstitious being ; but l think
and the idea has gathered some rea-
sonable pleas-I cannot help thinking
that this book is framed as a mode of
bequest. I believe the writer, your
fathers brother, stung with the bitter
thought that his hard earned fortune
would be spent by those who never
knew d cared for him, devised q meth
cd by which q part at least should be
the reward OF affectionate gratitude"