The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-05
81 Il .,s From App1etoa's Journal y q
4 WORK Of RETRIBUH[0N.
CHAPTER II. zvr

x - 81 Ef 81 EtIS
After Thurston had accompanied his
brother to the seaport whence he em-
barked for, Europe, and had seen the ship
which bore him "sink below the VERGE .
he was conscious of a strange sense Of
isolation and desolation. 1t was true
ethat the shore, on which he stood was
that ofliis native land = a. land where the
had relations by the dozen, and friends
lin the conventional sense of that term
by the score but he had come to see
Bertie-and BERTHE was gone. AS is
sometimes the case with men of his order
the sunburned soldier had very tender
heart; and this heart ached now not only
with the desolation already mentioned
but with the thought of his incapacity to
relieve one single pang of the pain which
his brother was suffering.
It was the latter reflection chiefly
which drew his dark brows together as he
Sset his face cityward again, leaving the
docks and shipping, the tossing waves
and vanishing ship behind. "God grant
that all the suffering she has caused may
be returned upon her before she dies r
he said to himself; and it is not difficult
to tell to which one of all the daughters
of Eve his wish referred. !
Turning his thoughts from Berthe, it
became serious question what he should
do with himself during the next month.
1t was true that certain affairs of business
demanded his attention, but at the most
they would only claim part of his tine,
and how he should dispose of the re-
mainder was an enigma. He might
travel; but to travel alone is dreary
undertaking, unless the traveller has some
definite object in view, or is so wrapped
up in an absorbing feeling as to stand II in
no need of companionship. There were
summer resorts; but the idea of lounging
with newspaper and a cigar on an
hotel-piazza, listening to watering-p!ace
gossip, or floating on the tide of watering
place dissipation, required more fortitude
or more frivelity than. Thurston possess
ed. He thought of his relations, fo-
there occasionally comes time in. a
man's:life when he feels inclined to seek
those of his own blood; but such length
of absence, such difference of association,
intervened between himself and all of his
kindred, that there was not q single door
to which he could go certain of vel
come or of congenial society. He ghed
slightly, and dismissed the thoug hit. If
the worst came to the worst in the matter
of ennui, he could follow Bertie's ex-
ample and go abroad as scon as his busi-
ness would permit him to do so.
- =. 1t happened oddly-as things some-
times do-that an hour later, as he stood
by the counter of 3 bank which he had
entered, gentleman, after watching him
closely for a minute, came up with out
stretched hand.
s'I hardly think 1 can be mistaken" :"
he said. care you not Philip Thurs
toni"
"The same," Thurston answered, turn
ing quickly. His glance had scarcely
fallen on the face before him when a
laugh came into his eyes. "You are
Cameron jennings" he said, shaking
hands warmly. Il should have known
you anywhere" :.
"You ought-if only by this token"
said the other, touching Slight scar on
his forehead. You gave me this with a
hatchet when we. were both about FIVE
years old. When did you come back to
America? 1 did not know you were in
the country"
Thurston replied by a brief detail of
the why and wherefore of his presence.
Mn. gJennings looked a little surprised
when helheard of Egerton's departure for
Europe; but he was asman of sufficient
tact to make no further comment than to
say: 81 saw BERTHE at the Mardi Gras in
New Orleans last spring, and / thought
he was not in quite his usual health and
spirits. No doubt he needs change of
air. We all need it more or less, especi-
ally in summer. Have you seen none of
your old friends ? Why, this is shame
full! You shall go home with me, and
my wife will kill a fatted calf for you
with the greatest pleasure. Don't you
remember her as Lucy Denmead2 She
is cousin of yours"
"I remember her." answered Thurston,
conscious of an absolute thrill of regard
for Lucy Denmead, whose existence up
to that moment he had forgotten. "She
used tosbe very pretty" rg. ssf
s"Sheis very pretty yet, said Mr.. Jen-
nings, with commendable pride, "and
gay as lark: She fills Sans-Souci-
that's the name of my country place
with company every summer, and makes
things as pleasant as they can be made.
Sans-Souci is the place for you, my dear
fellow! Can't you leave the city with
me tomorrow? am only here on busi-
ness, and I find it excessively hot"
In Thurston's present frame of mind it
did not require much persuasion to in
duce him to entertain this proposal very
favorably. He dined with Mr.. Jennings,
and the next day found him by that gen.
tleman's side in the train which bore
them away from the place where he had
last seen poor Bertie's haggard face.
Sans-Souci was several hundred miles
distant-but what are hundreds of miles
when steam annihilates time and space ?
On the evening of the second day they
disembarked at a way-station, and found
a landau drawn by two black horses
waiting for them.
s'This is pleasant" said MIR. Jennings,
III q UOdO w 3SA1SA1 90 MY 1SNS eAA0oSo -
shade:Hecked road, with fresh breezes
coming to their faces, green hills on all
sides, and breadths of rich meadow-land
making a pastoral foreground. 81 think
you'll like the country, Thurston, and |
hope you'll like Sans -Souci. Lucy had
the house full when / left, and we are
pretty sure not to find it empty now"
A drive of FIVE or six miles brought
them to this home Of hospitality-a pic
turesque villa crowning gently-swelling
hill, with winding stream and fertile
valley below. On the piazza as they
drove up stood a very small lady very
elaborately dressed, who welcomed Mr.
Jennings affectionately and Thurston
warmly.
"Of course remember you," she said
to the latter, when he hazarded the ex-
preston of a fear that she did not. ~
think we had Irritation before you went
away, and five years is not such an age
in this part of the world, whatever it may
be in Egypt. am charmed to see you,