The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-12-12
LOUIE'S

CT can't see whatever we will do with
her. She's a delicate. sickly little thing,
and hasn't either the strength or the de-
sire to earn her living as the rest of US
do-eh, Louie ?"
Motherly old Mrs. Simmonds smiled
! alf approvingly, half indulgently down
in the pale, wistful face of the girl who
sat so quietly beside her, listening to the
conversation going on between MIR. Sim
monds and her guest-Farmer Alwyn's
wife, who had just run over with her
knitting for an afternoons visit and to
"stay to tea."
They were the very ideals of comforta-
BILE, contented, well-to-do farmers wives;
they we're portly, rosy and bright-eyed-
such a contrast, physically, to the slim,
sallow, hollow-eyed girl who spoke never
a word unless specially addressed.
Her name was Louie Harland, and she
had been a member of the thrifty Sim
monds family for years-ever since a bit
ter cold December day, thirteen years
ago, when q f~orlorn, half-clothed baby
of three years, she had come to the
kitchen door crying, shivering, and in
barely Ineligible words told them she
had lost "father," and was so cold and
hungry.
Mrs. Simmonds' big, warm heart had
been stirred to the very depths by the
sight of the forlorn little waif, and in
mingled indignation against the cruel
wretch who would permit such a baby to
become so ragged, suffering and neg
lected, and great, tender pity, took the
little one in, resolving to keep it in
warmth and plenty until "father "
should search for it, and it had now
been fourteen years, and Louie Harland
had come to be almost regarded as a
genuine Simmonds by father and moth
er and the half-dozen rosy, plump chill
dren who loved Louie so dearly.
For she was loveable. and although,
os Mrs. Simmonds tenderly declared, the
child was fit for nothing-not even COM
petent to earn her salt, yet she was a
favorite with them all for her sweet,
gentle ways, and her patience and will
ineness to do what little she could.
Only Louie could not work. 1t seemed
to her that of all terrible things the
routine Of homework was the most ter
rible, and yet she never hesitated an in
slant to obediently perform whatever lay
within her power, however dlstasteful
the task was.
But-there was one thing Louie loved
to do, one thing that made the Simmonds
girls and boys sometimes laugh, and
sometimes cry, and sometimes feel awe
struck; that made farmer Simmonds
often lay down his pipe in rapt amazed
interest, that made Mrs. Simmonds wipe
her eyes and sob audibly-and that was
when Louie would read aloud of winter
evenings, or recite some exquisite poem
she had memorized, or render some
side-splitting moroccan from some hui
morist.
Then Louie would seem to lost her
identity. Shewould flush with excite
ment, and her fresh, sweetly-intoned
young voice would fairly vibrate with
the intensity of the enthusiasm ; her
fragile form would seem to dilate with
intensest interest; her dark, intelligent
eyes would shine with inspiration, or
melt with pathos or glow with humor,
and from farmer Simmonds down to little
Nell they all considered Louie's reading
q genuine treat.
Only hat they never dreamed of ap-
preciating it as they ought-none of them
except William Dayton, Mrs. Simmonds'
younger brother, who would hang OF
Louie's enraptured words with interest
scarcely less intense than her own.
He came gradually to care very much
for her until, one day, when she went
to him with all her heart in her big black
eyes, and told him, breathlessly, that
Mrs. Lecount, the great lady who was
staying at the hotel, had heard her re-
citing one day when she was driving by,
and had instantly come in, and had q
long, long talk with her, and the result
was she was to 60 back to London with
her-When William Dayton heard that
he knew for sure that he cared, very,
very much for Louie-that she had com.
pletely filed his heart, and that without
her life would lose very many, if not all,
its charms. And right then and, there
he told her how he loved her, how he
should miss her, and begged her to be
true in heart to him when she should be
way among people who would no doubt
be more congenial to her than her old
associates. And Louie had confessed
her love and promised to be true to him;
and not long after that she went away
from the quiet country side with Mrs.
Lecount, and although letters frequently
came saying she was we'll and happy,
and had found occupation that was easy
and delightful to her, still the old farm
house seemed. lonesome without her,
and William found it hard work to do
without seeing her thin, intelligent,
sallow face that to him was so fair and
lovely. .E-" ~ ..a'-...'E
The late summer days went on, and
winter followed, and another summer
came, and in all those weary days Louie
never came home, and, good old Mrs.
Simmonds used to complain and fret
that Louie had forgotten them, that
Louie had found other friends to take
their places ; while only William Dayton
would not have it that the one
woman he loved was not true. to her
pure Instincts of gratitude and principle.
Hut even William, 81 loyal, loving, and
true began to doubt at last when into
Louie's letters, dated here and there
and everywhere, there began to appear
very often Claude Hamilton's name
never in n way that would have aroused
any jealousy, yet in q way that aroused
his wonder, his suspicion that perhaps
Louie had discovered she. loved this
fancy-named fellow better than she did
himself.
Those were dark days for poor Will
liam, lightened only by Louie's letters,
which were themselves not the light
some messages it seemed to William
they should have been. At least, al
though they were cheerful, hopeful and
kindly affectionate, still, the recurrence
of Claude Hamilton's name spoiled all
else for William.
With that feeling of suspicion against
this Mr.. Hamilton, the feeling that was
near akin to jealousy of Louie, there
came to William another new source OF
trouble, and that was a dawning, rest
less discomfort that he did not under
stand the nature of Louie's business.
She had kept it secret from them all
at the farm, merrily promising to let
them know when her future prospects OF
fame and success were assured beyond
the shadow of a doubt. 4
On that brave, loving promise William