The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10
in my body seems turning to ice.

Alter discovering GlldG Oue Is Wdlluel
with the water up to ones neck, | grasped
the rope and presently find breath to
look around. Blue bathers and gray,
black and red, one hideous orange and
brown striped, swim or float, or wade or
scream in the surrounding bay. They
seem to do more screaming than any
thing else, as the ave fill eyes and
mouths with salt water, or dash COM
pletely over the heads done up in oiled
silk caps and dilapidated straw hats. l
am in q state of semi-comfort at last,
and fall. idly to watching a thin woman
who wades from the beach into about
three feet of water and back again
screaming all the time at the frightful
danger, when l discover that | am alone
The gray and scarlet suit is gone, and
catch a glimpse Of it far out with two or
three others. and the inevitable Mr..
Allen, of course.
What to do. l don't know. lam afraid
to let 20 the rope. / can't make her
hear me, and if l could she might not
come, for l begin to think Miss Kate is
not the meekest of girls, about this at
fair, at least. Fate must intend them for
each other, I believe, and no maiden
aunt, much less q helpless n clingingto
Il rope, comparatively alone in a wilder
ness of waters, can fight against destiny
longer. Then the sneering vision of Mrs.
Ellis floats before my minds eye, and
thoughts of what she and others would
say about the foolish old woman who
allowed such q sacrifice, turn the way
ering scales again, and bring judgment
and prudence to the rescue.
The affair shall go no further, ! say We
hemently to myself. / will call her back
and take her home, or to Europe, or any
where out of Royal Aliens mercenary
clutches. AS l raise my voice in a des-
perate attempt to out-scream the noise
ofgirls and waves, q higher wave than
usual strikes me and fills my mouth and
yves with salt water. Half strangled
by the bitter dose I begin to cough,
. when, alas! alas! something white and
glittering falls from my mouth, and with
Il wild, ~despairing Shrek, l see my
precious upper teeth shrink out of sight
beneath the treachcrous waves, and l
feel that the climax of suffering is
reached. | am lost in a stupor OF grief
and dismay, and stare blandly at the
place where they went down, as though
expecting some mermaid to rise and de-
liver the lost pearls to me.
What shall I do? Hates desertion-
even Royal Aliens baseness-is forgotten
in the calamity that has occurred to me.
No one knows l wear false teeth. not
even my niece, for I had several of them
filled, that they might not appear too
white and too perfect. How can I face
those giggling girls, and the cause of all
my misery-tlIat handsome scamp? |
cant speak without them-1 feel ten
! wears Older rs my mouth sinks into dread
full caves and hollows, and l cannot go
home in such 4 tootlless condition.
Was ever an unfortunate woman in such
aplight before? Deserted by my niece,
sliivering with the cold so that my teeth
would chatter if l hadn't lost half OF
them, I stand vainly gazing at the spot
where I saw them disappear, and just as
vainly CROPPING down in the sand, when
| turn my head and see Mr.. Allen COM
ing toward me alone.
That is the last straw in my burden Of
trouble, and l have determined to tell
him that l cannot and will not endure
his conduct any longer. and to bid him
bring Kate to mt, when / suddenly re-
member my fatal loss, and turn away to
smother my indignation as well as l can.
"Miss Kate sent me-" lie begins,
when my doleful face impresses him,
suppose, and he hastily inquiries if l am
cold or tired, or need any assistance:
He looks so seriously alarmed that |
humble ont that 1 have lost-some-
thing. "Just here? A ring. a brace
let? I'll find it in 4 moment" he an
swers cheerily, and 4 ray of hope comes
back again to my halfdistracted mind.
0, if | should find them, and keep my
secret, l VOW inwardly that l will think
better of him than l have done for an
hour or so. He certainly is handsome,
| muse, and kind and gentlemanly, as he
brings handful after handful Of wet sand
to the surface, laughing, and tossing
back his wet curls:, and looking like Il
young water-god almost. To tell the
truth, I don't blame Kate for her fancy
for him. If he were only as good as he
is handsome-but the "if" died away
from my lips, and I am sure he is the
best of men Us l see my missing treasure
lying in his palm, and note the grave,
courteous look in his dark face us l
awkwardly take them. Any other man
especially a young mar who had found
so unexpectedly a cross old woman's
teeth-would have said something silly,
or laugh at least. And when after Il
moment with half-averted head l turn to
thank him, and see only his vigorous
strokes twenty feet away, l W to my
self that his delicate, chivairous conduct
has won me over to his side in spite of
all the Mrs. Ellises in the city, Indeed
l know nothing wrong of him, now that
| have reflected, save what a spiteful
lady told me, and her motive is clear
when the picture of her three solitary
daughters recur to my mind.
1t is in a reflective mood that / take
myself to my room and don my usual
apparel, leaving my dislike to Mr..
Allen as completely behind me as |
do the dripping heap of blue on the
floor.
And when Kate comes to HE later.
with q roster glow on her fair check
than salt water can give. and the tender
est light in her blue eyes. and whispers:
"Auntic, do try and like Royal-Mr.
Allcn-for my sake" utter a very de-
cided NO." qualifying it a little as her
lip q~uivers and her eyes droop with,
"but 1 intend to like him for his own"
Kate is too wise to ask why, but ac-
cepts the sudden change Of my opinion
rs gracefully rs she does the gentleman
hinlselfa day OF two after.