The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-12
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'ksN0RK OF R|E1lIRIbUElON.
CHAPTER III.

lime snleS, IaSk IN ID 2ttpleas@AesCouu"y
, house full Of gay young people, and Sans.
Souci was one of the pleasantest OF
houses, its owners the most charming of
hosts. What with rides and drives,
music, visits, and boating, time flew
almost too fast for some of the inmates
for those. whose stay was limited, for
those who found that long rides in green
woods and sYoluptuous summer nights
among the roses led to results more
serious than Irritation, The number
of matches which had been made at
Sans -Souci was a source of great pride to
Mrs. Jennings, who was confirmed 3,
match.msker.. AL men of marrlagea6ie
age and marriageable means who fell
into her hands she regarded with an eye
to matrimoIy, and she never. failed to
offer them excellent opportunities to ex-
change the single for the welded state.
It was not likely that, under these cir
cumstances, she would neglect the inter;
.ests Of. the cousin who, in what she felt
TO be truly spathetic condition OF loner
illness. had drifted into her hands. On
the dayc after his arrival she informed
him, with significance which was al
together wasted on his obtuseness, that
Mary Herbert was one of the most charm!
ing girls in the world, (the number OF
charming girls that Mrs. Jennings knew
spoke volumes for her belief in her own
sex,Y and would make the best of wives
for any man who was fortunate enough
to. secure her. 80 .ss5.
To this Thurston cheerfully assented,
though the idea of becoming that happy
Benedict did notsfor a moment occur to
him; but he did nottrebel when he found
himself constantly in Miss Herberts
company during the next few days.
She was a pretty, pleasant, well-bred glrl,
who, entertained him sufficiently to keep
emma; at bay, and who taught him (the
dulless of pupils the abstruse science
called croquet. a,;r...
Being in the same house with Miss
Loring, and sitting at the same table
with her three times day, not TO- speak
of other occasions of meeting, it was lm-
possible that he could altogether ignore
her presence. In fact, that presence was
not one which could readily be ignored.
Whether ior good or i'll, for pleasure or
pain, Agatha Loring was Q person who,
under all circumstances and at all times,
commandedsastention at least. Bitterly
as Thurstof1 1hated her -Ahe found his
glance following the motions of her
graceful figure; he found his ear attract
edbySthe full, sweet music.m her zones
lie found bis eye resting, with mixture
ofreIuctant admiration and repulsion, on
the perfect outlines other heady with its
dark braids. He could not fail topper
ceiyeit that there was a distinctive Charm
about, her which marked her out and set
herapart from other women. That can
We call this charm, which Isl finethat
itieludes analysis in words ?s NJ hateyer
weicanA it, personal magnetism, taselna-
ton, ,lor aughti else the fact remains that
itissa special gift, a crowning grace OF
some women, land that too often 1T is
ruthlessly used for purposes of harm
only ..gi f1s,G 80
IET IS impossible for Agatha Loring's
best fsIends to deny that she had used, 1T
With a ;cruel ifecklessness which some
times seemed like the iwanton mischief OF
aechiId while dark were the tales her
enemies told of the lives she had wrecked,
the hearts She had broken. After the
manner of most women of her class, she
wassgery capricious in her fancies, and
mans best fortune often lay IN not pos
sessing interest enough insher eyes to
make 1t worth her while to fascinate
him. Let his social rank, wealth, or
power, be- what it would, ifhe did not
possess this interest, she paid no regard
to- him. IF, on the contrary, she con-
cciyed caprice in his favor, nothing
satisfied her save his comp etesubjection.
sAsfancy of this description she had
taken 30 Thurston at once, and when she
saw his deliberate intention to avoid her
when she read accurately enough the
scarcely-yeiled dislike and contempt he
felt for her-pique came to the aid of
caprice, and she determined to bring
such a stout rebel to her feet.
sfMy DEAR" she said one afternoon,
when Mrs. Jennings sought her room
during the siesta hour, "what is the rea-
son that your Egyptian cousin dlslikes
me so much?"
seI-really 1 don't know what you
mean,n, answered Mrs. Jennings, sur
prised and little confused. "Why
should you imagine that Colonel Thurs
toni suppose it IS he whom you mean
-dislikes you@
"Hypocrisy is not at all your partic-
ular talent. Lucy,o. was, the quiet re-
sponse!!S @ II donos imagine' that Colonel
Thurston dislikes lne-I kno1o it, DO
you remember when you introduced him
to me? Before we had either of US ut.
tered a word, his eyes told me what his
sentiments toward me were. Have / in
iured him IN any past state of existence,
or what is the reason of his dislike?"
sI suppose he has heard of all your
wicked coauetries, and disapproves of
them--aswellshe may, said Mrs. Jen-
nings, who had by this time recovered
her selfspussession. HE is wise man
not to give you. q chance to win his heart,
for if he didshe. would fare better than
Others have doae.
Miss Loring laughed softly. -
eve shall see!" she said. ga chal-
lenge is something I could never brook,
and have taken fancy to his face and
manner. He seems SO frank, so honest,,
so braye-I should like him for afriend."
ga friend r Mrs. Jennings scornfully
repeated. aAgatha, / am ashamed OF
you! Why not call spade spade, and
say at once that you want to make fool
of him ?" .a :
.Because that is not what l want. /
am tired of making fools of men-oh,
you may raise your hands if you like;
I am tired of all such folly. I don't say
could live without it-I don't say |
shall not be a coquette till | debut !
do say that sometimes ] would like to feel
that had one honest, genuine friend in
the world, and such q friend this man q;
could be. I can see in his face that he
would go through. fire and water for any
one for whom he-cared." ~
sI think he would" said Mrs. Jcn-
nings, "but he will never go through fire IL 2
and water for you, andsthe sooner you
put such ideas out of your head the bet
ter. He is not the kind of man whom