The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-20
LETTY'S PROMISES.

LETTY'S PROMISES.
When Laurence Van Ercren was about to
sail for the East Indies, he asked Lefty to walk
half an hour in the orchard with him, which
was wrcathed and pcrfumcd with fruit BIOS
SONS.
.I'vc a request to make you, my dear Lefty"
he said. - and I'm half afraid you may think
it a selfish thing to ask indeed, know 1t Is.
but yet, with the renowned seliishncss OF man.
not only ask, beg it,
.What on earth can it be?' said Lefty,
smiling 'Do you want me to get me to 4
nunnery till your return, or to travel to Calcutta
to marry YOU? Or do you want me to give the
cold shoulder toTom Longworthv, and promise
never to say so much as How do ye do?
to him?" For the gossips had said their say in
Van Evercn's ear, when he returned from his
last voyage, to the effect that Longworthy had
taken advantage of his absence to be sweet on
Lefty.
"No, Lefty. it is none of these trillcs, he
answered "it is something much more
important to my happiness"
'.You know l will do anything to please
you"
"You will? Then promise ME tbs thing
solemnly promise that if anything should hap
pen to me. if should never return. if should
that you will never, never marry another.
Can YOU promise this, daring?"
"Certainly. But you will come back-you
must. Why. I should die myself il You failed.
There is no need of such promise, but give
all the same. 1promise solemnly that if you
die will never marry"
"Thauks." said Van Everen, kissing her cheek
with an air of having conferred favor. :"
have exactly five minutes left in which to say
goodbye. There is q great deal called love in
this world which is only propinQuity but one
mustn't call il loving, so the poet tells us
Unless you can love as the angels may,
With the brcatd of heaven kctwixt u.s.
And you think you can, Letty?"
II know it. Perhaps you mean to commit
suicide to test me"
And then followed few mi iiutcs OF tender
nonsense, and Van Evercn tore himself away,
leaving Lefty in tears What long. long time
it was to look forward to. How many storms
would beat along the coast, how many sunS
woald shine. mornings dawn. aud evenings
gather to their cl ,Se before they met again !.
In the meantime here was her trousscau to
finish and she used 10 sit at it hour by hour
with her thoughts away Oh some distant reach
Of the Indian seas, except when Tom Long
worthy loitcred in to help kill time. Tom was
really a comfort to her. III spite of Van Evercn S
unreasonable jealousy. He could tell her all
about the long Indian voyage, of cyclones
calmS ana tradcwinds-all about the great
foreign cities to which her lover was bound
with their sunhnrncd natives. their strange
customs. their fantastic stuffS, and curious
architecture till she felt as if she were there
herself 1t was some months later that Tom
Longworthy came in with cloud on his face.
"You are mp said Lefty, regarding him.
Not at all. thank you OILY i'll at ease
"Then You have some bad news"
"Yes. have some bad news"
"NothinS about Laurence?" she gasped.
o hope not.
You hope not! For heavens sake, don't
you know? What is it? Don't think you arc
sparing my feelings. You are only cruelty "
"The FyinS Scud"-
ais lost?'
elias foundcrcd. But there's no ccrtlinty
with regard to Laurence; he may be among
tho saved. Lefty! Lefty don't look Mt me
as I had broughtit about. would exchange
places with him gladly for your sake would
indeed y he cried.
She left her needle where the i'll news found
it, and folded away all the wedding garments.
And month followed month Of anxious fore
boding and one or two old seamcn struggled
home to their families. battered and destitute,
after many hardslips. but they knew nothing
of Van Everen he had not taken the same
boat; some had been swept away by 4 wave
before the ship was abandoned; and 80 by sad
up.
Itayas, perhaps. three ve,rs and better after
the Flvng Scud had sailed that Lefty weary
of declining invitations and OF being asked if
she meant to sacrifice herself like a Hindoo
widow, joined party of friends going to take
their tea in the sunset at the beach, two hours
steamng down the river. She had understood
that there was to be but 4 handful of people,
but she found o crowd and sitting on the
sand, looking at tho delicate scs-sheil pi:ik of
the eastern sky aboYc the tossing breakers, or
watching the groups OF girls making their
table of a sand leap and spreading it with
daintieS from their baskets, while others
gathered drift wood and lighted picturesque
blaze beneath the coffee. aud clam pots was
pleasant change from the monotony Of her
days. Presently while she gazcd, little boat,
with the sunset rcddcning its sails, "quenchcd
its speed in the slrshy sand. and Tom Long
worthy threw his anchor ashore.
"Lcttyw
"Tom!"
81 wish you had allowed me to bring you
down."
"Iwi,h had :" and then they fell to speak
ing Of the moon-lcd tides, about great storms
and wrecks
sDo YOU know" she confessed, "thcirdrift
wood fire chis me. How do know but it is
a bit of the spar poor Laurence clunS to?'
They are having supper" said Long
worthy. turning away. Let me brlng you
something We have been too gloomy
"No; when am gloomy. am in no danger
of forgetting. Don't you remember Anderson's
story of the poor old maid who used the broken
half of bottle picked mp on the beach for her
canary's drinking vessel, when it was a bit of
the very bottle to which her lost lover had in.
:ruted tender farewell?"
"You don mean to be an old maid, Lefty?
"I? The day of my destiny's over. How
ghostly the lighthouse looks used TO think
I should like to live i'll one, once-espccially in
stormy weather."
They will be lighting up presently; We will
pay them visit if you please" And while
they climbed the lighthouse tower, and saw the
fishing fleet standing out to sea, and watched
the keeper light his lamps, while he told them
of the sea birds that beat their lives out
against the windows, of ships he had seen 60
to pieces in the storm, of the times he had
put out his boat to the rescue, and his wife
keeping the lights bright alone amidst the
gale their friends were gathering up the frag-
mcnts and steaming homeward, each thinking
that Lofty was with the other. When Tom
and Lefty came out under the stars, the beach
had q wild and lonely aspect; some night bird
was screaming overhead, the gypsy fire
smodered amidst some stranded timbers, but
the sands were deserted. Toms little craft
WAS the only one in sight, and with the wind
dead against them and tho tide falling, it
would be useless to start for some hours to
come.
.'We may as we'll make ourselves comforta-
bic" said Tom, bringing fresh fuel for the fire.
81 am to blame for this disaster"
II don't call it a disaster exactly" said Lefty,
"Do you see how much our black log resem