The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-01-17

having hooked her fish, delighted III the
torment she put him to. "It becomes
fatiguing after awhile
"Wcll, then, shall we join the SNOW
ballers?'
"Oh, dear, no! When last I saw
them. poor Fi-fce-fum had lost his nose,
his ears, both arms, and everything else.
There would be no fun i'll pelting mt the
stump new. One might as well throw at
the trunk of tree"
ooh, Lucilla," said he, earnestly,
"what makes you treat me in this mail
nerl'
"In what mannerl' asked the little
coQnctte, affecting supreme unconscious
ness.
"You will neither sleigh with me nor
Join the snowballing party, though I
have asked you dozen times; yet you
have joined nearly all the other fellows
in both pastimes."
"Haye 1, really? Well the other
fellows, rs you call them, are all par
ticularly pleasant, agreeable young
men.
cam not pleasant to You, then?"
"Not just now. You really look like
some melo-tlramatic tyrant. Besides,
you don't expect ME opraisc you to your
facet"
"Lucilla," said the young man, with
such passionate energy that it startled
her, "whv torture me thus! Don't you
know that I love You with all my heart
and soul? 2"
Yes, she knew it well, and her heart
beat fast with joy anl triumph but the
demon of coquetry had possession OF
her, and she answered, though i'll softer
tone:
"Really, I had never thought about
it."
"Think about it now, then,' continued
the young officer, speaking rapidly,
and in tones of deep emotion; "think
about it now, dearest. do love you,
and think yo1r father will approve of
it. Will you be my wife? Say yes y
But Lucilla, though she had given her
heart in return for Wilfrcd Hcrbcr1s,
was not to be carried by g storm i'll this
provoking way, and she said:
"No."
"You cannot mean it." exclaimed Her
bert, in great agitation.
"Why not?' replied Lucillu; but
even as she spoke she rercnted. "Nhy
not? Can not choose whom I plcasr?'
"You love some one else" said the
young man, moodily.
= Lucilla gave him one little bit of com
fort:
"No, DO not she said, honestly.
"Thank Heaven fGr that! But wont
YOU answer NE, Lucl)a?'
"Not now," she said, wavcring. Then
her womaN's heart wished to surrender,
and she added, with tremulous sigh:
"What if I say NO, again %
Foolish Young captain, he might have
seen that this was wish Oh the young
l&,l-:'s part to capitulatc; but he did not.
He replied, firmly:
"No woman shall ever say 'No , to
ne twice"
This ronscd all the pride in Lucilla' 5
nature; it was almost Il repulsc.
"Good morning, Captain Herbert, y
she said, as she turnciin'ignantly away,
Il have some business to transact with
Mrs. Knox. the housetccpcr.
house, leaving the young man half sorry,
half triumphant.
Il have atfronted her," lie thought,
looking after her. Put + am sure
she loves me-" And with q l!ghtened
heart lie j ned the other visitors on the
lawn.
All through the evening, Lucilla
maintained distant coldn"ss toward the
vcung ct!iccr that made him feel exceed
ingly uneasy. If her heart he'd been
touched by his avowal Of the afternoon,
It WIS evident her pride was deeply
offended She would neither dance with
him nor sing with him as usual. And
wLcil it became absolutely necessary to
reply to any remark made by him, she
did So with the barcst possible civility.
Luc:lla herself was far from comfortable,
and she availcd herself of the plea OF a
headache to excuse herself to her guests
and retire to her OWL room.
Her maid, Dorcas, was arranging the
Young ladys hair for the night, when Il
low tap at the door WAS heard, and one
of the under housemaids presented her
with note
From Captain Herbert, please
ma'am, and l was to beg for an answer
before You went to bed.
"What GOODNESS" thought Lucilla, but
she said "Dil You tell Captain Her
bert [ had gone to bed, Mary -
ooh, YES, please maam," said the
girl, with an arch smile but he said
il VAS OF great Importance"
every well; ; yon may go, Mary. I
will give Dorcas note to give to Cap
tain Hcrbc:t's servant"
And Mary departed.
With n beating heart and heightened
color, Lucille opened Tic note. 1t ran
thus.
"DEAR LUcLLA-I cannot rest until
YOU answer me. Forgive me if spoke
like coxcomb this afternoon. Give me
an answer, / cntreat. Will you have
me? Write simply Yes or No.
Lucilla, with compressed lips, took III
pen and ink and wrote on single siir
of paper "No," then twisted it into 6
note and gave it to DOrcas.
"Dclirer this to Captain Herbert
servant immediately" she said.
Allu DolCitS ltlU lHS 3'o'ti, 'SieSh 'At
ding her mistress good night.
Lucilla loved Wilfred Herbert, but hel
stern pride would not permit her to yield
She was determined to punish him fol
his dictatorial ways and his presumption
of that afternoon. What a! was he to be
captain over the citadel before it hat
yielded? Lucilla, be it remembered
was an only and spoiled child, and hac
been used to having her slightest whin
consulted. Who was Wilfrcd Herbert
that he should presume to constitute
himself her master? Her heart tolo
her that he was the man who could sub
due her willfulness, but her pride re
fused to submit to the yoke. Suddenly she
remembered young Herbert's words O.
that afternoon "No woman shall say
NO to me twice." and she had sait
"No" twice. At least she had said j
once and now she had written it. Goot
heavens she had lost him then. Lu
ella grew pale and sick at the thought
She rose M in her bed with motion al