The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-26

as or better than l do that you do not
like; and you are very straightforward
and thorough, Colonel Thurston-far too
much 80 to pretend to be what you are
not. On that account liked you from
the first" she added "Don't be fright
ened because l say SOL mean don't
think that am bent on your conquest.
l would not add you to the list of nv
captives if could; but should like to
win you for friend if such thing were
possible"
"It is not possible" he answered,
| hoarsely. ut is absolutely impossible
30 far from being your friend, Miss
Loring, have never felt such deep and
bitter enmity toward any human creature
as l felt toward you before I ever saw
your face"
He saw that face the next instant, for
another vivid lightning showed it
turned toward him with al expression of
astonishment on its pale, clear-cut feat.
| ures.
"Deep and bitter cnmity |" she repeat
ed. did what you felt 20 as far as hiatt
Enmity is generally associated with the
desire to injure-did you wish to iniure
me, Colonel Thurston 2"
Even in the darkness Thurston was
conscious that flush rose to his face.
At that moment he felt as if bis desire
that Bertie's wrong might be avenged
had been very paltry thing
IF you will allow me to waive that
question, Miss Loring-" he began, but
she interrupted him impctuously:
81 cannot allow it. | would rather
much rather-hear the truth, if you will
tell it. Dislike is one thing enmity an
other. Why should you have felt enmity
toward me7"
Then he told her, with the accompani-
ment of the raging storm, in the obscuri-
ty which shielded their faces from sight,
save when the fitful glare of the light
ming revealed them for moment. Who
has not observed what strange capabili-
ties of expression the voice develops in
circumstances like these? Is it because
our attention is not distracted by the
play of eye and lip, that the cadences of
tone reveal 80 much when we listen to
them in darkncss2 Certainly Thurston's
revealed q great deal to Agatha Loring.
10 mako her understand how much more
than an ordinary brother Berthe was to
him, he touched briefly on the history Of
his childhood; he told her how his
fathers early death left his mother al
most destitute OF fortune; how her sec
ond husband had been q wealthy. gen.
erous man, whose kindness to him
(Thurston) had been unvarying; how he
was killed in battle, and with mis- diving
| lips commended Berthe to his step-son's
care how his mother repeated the charge
when she died soon after, and how near
to his heart the boys happiness had al
ways been. Simply rs the story was
told, all its details were made very clear
to the woman who listened.
81 WAS forced to go to Egypt" Thurs
ton went on. "a career there was the
only one which opened to me; but when
! turned my face homeward at last, after
! five years absence, it was to see Berthe
Bertie alone--and renew for few months
| our old association. My thoughts were
full of the sunny-hearted boy left, and
found instead man whose whole ua-
ture had been wrecked by passion, .or
whom all the hopes of life had turned to
ashes, and whose reckless misery was
| pitiable to witness. He could not endure
| even my society; and when came here
had just seen him start alone with his
| wretchedLess to Europe. Considering
this, You may judge how charitably felt
toward yoa, Miss Loring, who from be-
ginning to end had wroug ght the work."
so Berthe Egertcn is your brother"
| she said, slowly, after moments pause.
| "No one told mel had no idea of it.
Not" she added, "that BERTHE Egerton is
| more to me than any other man, except
that knew him end liked him until"
"Untii, like Mr.. Virien, he ceased to
amuse you," said Thurston, bitterly. II
am sorry we began to speak on this SUBJ
ri In nd
cruel and heartless one may think
woman, one is in courtesy bound not to
speak according to ones thoughts"
Silence for full minute. The storm
by this time began to abate its violence,
the lightning grew less frequent and
vivid, the thunder rolled more remotely.
One of the peals was dying away with
many distant reverberations, when
Agatha spoke:
,"You have only heard your brothor's
story, SO cannot blame you for thinking
OF me in this way-nor have any inten-
have never believed in mems hearts, as I
told you once before-so perhaps Ihave
not treated them very terderfy. Your
brother seemed to me pleasant, impul-
sive, undisciplined boy, who mistook
fancy for passion, and who troubled me
not little before I dismissed him. I
am very sorry that should have caused
him SO much pain, but could not help
it.";E Ia! ~ ftt -
III do not arraign you. said Thurston.
4our owA conscience may some day do
that-soml day when even your heart,
Miss Lorilg, has been wakened to a
sense Of s3lfering."
81 thought you we're convinced that
have no h{art?" said she, quietly.
"How cin tell Z" asked he, quickly.
Women }re enigmas. God only knows
what yOu|arc. only know that you
have ruined Bertie's life-and that you
would ruin mine if 1 gave you the
chance"
He uttered the last words impetuously
Uttered them without thought or calcu-
iation-and, if there had been flash of
light at that moment, he might have
been surptised at their effect upon
Agatha: She started and clasped her
hands tightly together, while for the first
;:o :: hc= ~ s iio. za.;,::.es &C eceecl.
failed altogether. She desired to speak,
but no lifting words occurred to her, and
80 it was he who went on:
II did not mean to say that, but, since
it has been said, owe you an explana-
ton. Il am not in love with you Miss
Loring, but since / have known you I
have applreciated for the first time how q
man might be fascinated by the charm of
such womaa you are, even while"
He paused, :rit she finished his sem
tence calmly and clearly: