The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-02-10

is going to Kiss Walter" she added
laughing, as very handsome young man
got out of the carriage, and with the
exclamations: "Hubert Gray p Walter,
old felloww the young men embraced
each other warmly, and turning to Col.
Maham, Walter said: "Father, this is
my friend, Hubert Gray" The Colonel
held in hard and wholesoul grasp the
hand of the young man as he said, owe
have never met before, but Hubert Gray
is NO stranger in the home of Walter
I Maham. My children's friends are my
friends, and doubly welcome to Berk-
'ley~ ~r'r9', .-ra.''. '...
Walter, with low, glad welcome, led
his gentle betrothed up the steps on the
piazza, where she was seized and carried
off by the eager girls, under the p7etence
Of brushing up for dinner-they being
ON the. gui vipe to learn the circumstan-
tials of the handsome stranger.
"Who is he, Annie, Chat beau gallant%
asked Rose. ';
Captain Gray, of the United States
Army"
"Bahl he must be Yank" exclaimed
Jessie.
eff he be Hubert Gray, he was Wal
! ter's dearest friend at West Point, ard
must possess noble qualities, even if lie
4 is Yankee, for Walter never wsaries Of
sounding his praise" said Marion; "but
Annie, where did you find himf"
"When we reached the depot, we OBJ
| served him getting off of the same train
! wo did,: Papa heard him enquiling if he
| could get a conveyance to take him to
Col. Maham's at Berkley Hall. Know
| ing that conveyance could'no be pro-
| cured, and being much prspossessed by
| his appearance, papa introduced himself
| and offered him a seat in che carriage
| with US. I am so glad he did, for he
! proved an agreeable acquisition to our
| drive here, and Walter seems to be so
| much delighted to see him. Now am
ready for the parlor. There was an acci-
dent on the road which detained US, and
I fear cousin Alice's dinner has been
waiting our arrival"
The girls returned to the pa,lor and
we're formally introduced to the young
militaire, whom they found with Arthur
and WaltOr, playing the agreeable to
group ofladies, Displaying in his manner
the modest ease and gentle Difference
which chsracterizes the polished gentle
| man in his intercourse with the fair sex.
| rEu passant, must not forget to say
| that the dinner did ample justice to old
Chloe's culinary reputation, and her mis-
tress' nice housekeeping, if the gusto
| with which it was eaten might be regar-
ded as criterion Of its excellency.
The dinner visitors had returned to
their homes, and the evening shadows
had brought lighted lamps on the tables,
more wood to the dying embers on the
hearth, and the happy inmates of the
Hall once again into the parlor to spend
that Christmas Eve together; the hours
of which, charmed by bonbons, nuts,
egg-nog, sweet muIic, merry tales and
light jests passed SO quickly away, the
old clock had struck midnight before
they thought of saying "Good night"
and 30 their good nights" became "Mer-
zy Christmas" too. Truly those were
glad, gay hearts which sought repose
chat night within the hospitable walls
Of Berkley Hall.
Hubert Gray possessed q taste for the
picturesque and romantic, which had
been much gratifed by everything he
had seen of Berklsy Hall and its sur
loundings. His quick and observant eye
lad noticed with delight the, large and
finely antlered stag-horns nailed on the
rails of the piazza, on which were slung
fishing lines, bird bags, powder TASKS,
shot bags and highly polished and beau
tifully carved hunting horns, evidences
that the family at the Hall were lovers
of the chase, taste inherited from their
l.nglo-H -Huguenot ancestors.
His drive from the depot through
dreary forest of signing pines, the ro-
mantle beauty of Berkley Hall, the cor
dial greeting of the Mshams, with their
unmistakable air of high birth and polish,
had so pleased and enlivened the imagin-
asion of Capt Gray that in "dreamland'
that night although not James Fitz
James, he dreamed himself one of those
errant knights of olden times who had
lost his way after night in a deep, dark
forest of moaning pines. Suddenly a
dazzling of many lights almost blinded
him by its splendor, and he found him
self seeking and obtaining admittancs at
the portals of an enchanted castle, the
dwelling place of wood nymphs of ex-
quisite and bewildering grace and beauty.
The music of that old castle was not the
masic which proceeded from any instru-
mant of mans device, but it was as the
murmuring of waters, accompanied by
hrman voices, SO enhancing to the sens
es, he deemed himself under the spell of
Syrens. Among the fair magicians Of
those enchanted halls, he was not long
in recognizing his acquaintances of the
previous day. In dreamland they were
no longer schoolgirls, but were devel-
oped into the beauty of perfect woman
hood. AS his dream progressed it seemed
to him that he had performed some deed