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

and as gazed up into kate's face l saw her
eyes close and sort Of spasm twitch her lips !;
but the next minute she was quite calm, and
then with the leaves whispering round us, and
the twittering of the birds coming now and
again from the distance, she said in low,
sweet, musical voice:
"Once upon a time in the days Of long ago,
when people we're very, very happy on this earth,
there lived prince who was young and hand
some and true. Nearly every one y loVeo him'
he was SO manly. and yet so gentle.
"And he loved beautiful princess, put in
Cissy.
saw the spasm cross Cousin Hates face
again but it was calm directly after, and she
mo, dear" she said, "he did not love a
beautiful princess, but poor, simple girl, VINO
loved him, with all her heart, and they were SO,
80 happy. When the flowers blossomed they
seemed to blossom only for them, and the birds
sang their sweetest songs for them IN the sun
shine" :, =,
"Yes, and they were married, and hved
happy ever after" cried Cissy. "Go on"
There was once more that piteous look
upon Cousin Kate S face seen only by me put
it passed off, and she went on.
"No, Cissy, they were not for the poor,
handsome young prince had cnemles-cruel,
bitter encmies-who slandered him, and SAID
that he had made false keys, and opened the
treasure chest of a great mau, and stolen away
his gold and precious stones.
"Oh !" whispered Cissy, now deeply inter-
ested.
and" continued Kate, "they took the
poor prince, and there was great trial, and
though he declared he v as innocent the wicked
people s. no sandered him and bolc false wit
ness against him prevailed; and the great
Judge said that he was to be cast into prison,
and wear heavy chains, and be kept there for
twenty-one long years.
"Oh !" cried Lii.
eyes" said Cissy, ~ know; and then the
simple Young girl. who loved him, went and
unlocked the Heison gates, and struck of his
chains and set him free.
"No-no," cried Cousin Kate, and her voice
altered terribly, so that l vas alarmed, though
could do nothing but gaze up in the wild face
before me, for now q change came over 1t
"No," she cried, "the poor girl could do moth
ing but sit and weep, and feel her broken heart
beat-beat- beat. i'll its n.prison, wearing
itself out till-till she died, and-Oh Frank
Frank what have We done that we should
suffer this?'
leaped up to throw my arms round her,
while nv sisters shrank away alarmed; for
Cousin Kate turned away from Us with bitter
wall, buried her face in her hands, and threw
herself half over the arm of the old garden
seat, sobbing III wild hystcrical way, such al
I had never seen. kate dear Cousin Kate,
| sobbed; but even as l spoke there was q
hasty step on the gravel, the bushes were dashed
aside and the shadow Of tall man was cast
over us.
Kate-darling he cried, catching her III
his arms, as was thrush rudely aside. 81 am
innocent and free"
She did not hear him, for she gave faint
gasp and sunk back insensiblc.
We three girls were almost stunned ; but we
saw the tall, thin, pale looking stranger hastily
lift poor Kate from the seat, and literally run
with her to the house, while we followed moro
slowly.
As sc reached the porch it was to meet pal o
running out, and in short time he returned
with the DOCTOR But this doctor was the
wrong one the right one had come to us at
the garden seat, and it was lis words that
brought dear Cousin Kate back to life, and i'll
the course of few months to health.
For Frank Roberts vas reinStated IN the gov
ernment offices from which he fell--in higher
post, one which gave him the confidence OF the
higher officials while the man, through whose
treachery poor Frank had suffered a year and
a half before, died confessine that he had
been the guilty party alone:
Oh those happy lays when the roses were
coming back day by day into Cousin Kate 5
check, and when Frank, who was down at the
old place every Satu, day to stay till Monday,
used to be sent to play and romp with lis girls.
I san hardly believe that thirty years have
glded by since them but so it is and to this day
VI call dear old grey whiskered Frank Kate >
Prince"