The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-22
TIE WRONG PASSENGER.
AN ENGLISH LOVE STORY.

said Isabel Marsh, DrlSnt Snllle llgut-
ing up the soft, languid beauty OF her
face.
"Colonel st. Albans?" cried Annie
Grey, the young and lovely cousin OF
Miss Marsh. .'How delightful! 1t is
five wears since he went away to that hor-
rid India and l was fifteen then-a mere
school girl-but still, remember that he
was one of the handsomest men IN the
place! How pleased his sister Helen will
bem .
"Certainly. This note is from her,
saving that they-herself and Colonel
St. Albans-willd do themselves the pleas
ure of calling here the day after to-mor-
row." .,.
"Splendid! I'll set my cap at once"
cried the gushing Annie.
Don't be absurd, cousin! Colonel st.
Adams is q, travelled man, and quite
familiar with pretty faces by this time.
Besides, he is an artist of no mean ability.
and his character for gallantry in action
stood very high when he was in the
army" :,
"Heigho! Well, I only wish there had
been a hero in our family! But what
makes you look so grave, Aunt Letitia?"
addressing serene-faced, brown-haired
woman of past thirty, who Was engaged
in sewing.
Miss Letitia lifted her sad brown eyes.
soft and beautiful still, and glanced at
her young relatives from beneath the
long, black lashes.
"Oh. let Aunt Letitia alonem said
Isabel, half pettishly; ''she is working
and dreaming dreams as usual. And She
is too old to care about brave and hand
some gentlemen like Colonel St: Albans." "
Letitias pale cheek flushed red; her
eyes cleaned with fire; for the moment
she was far more beautiful than either
of the girls beside her. She made no re-
ply. but directly gathered up her work
and lett the room.
Annie igazed alter her with open eyes.
Good gracious! What have said !?
She looked like young girl who has
lust met her lover. Did you see that red
on her cheek, Isa? Brighter than the
rouge in my roilet-case! Aunt Letitia
must have been handsome once9
."She was the hearty of the neighbor-
hood. She is elegant now, thong every
body knows that she is passee. There
was some gossip abeut her and this Colo
mel St. Albans once, you kAow. She
saved him from drowning on one oeca-
sion, and he was the prince of devotion
for week; then, man-like, he forgot his
gratitude and sailed for India. Men are
very consistent creatures, my dear"
Meanwhile Letitia Marsh, who was
the sister of Isabel's father, went to her
chamber and laid her work carefully
away in its neat basket; for she was an
old maid, and old maids, you know, 81
ways do everything with care if we may
credit tradition.
She unlocked drawer and took from
thence small escritoire, which opened
to the touch Of key which she wore
always attached to slender gold chain
round her neck.
The lifted lid displayed few letters,
bunch Of faded flowers tied with blue
ribbon, and miniature case of dead
gold. The case she did not Upen-per-
haps even yet she could not trust herself
to look upon the face hidden there, but
she pressed the faded flowers to her lips
and held the yellow letters moment
against her heart.
'Yes." she said, sadly, 81 am toe
old. The girls were right. And I am
so very slow to learn the lesson of grow.
ing away from youth. Too old for love
but not too old for suffering! Heaven
help mem .
She rose and looked in the glass. A
stranger would have pronounced the
filce reflected there fair and sweet and
youthful still; but Letitia Marsh-ster1
critic upon herself-saw only the lines
of care on the white brow and the tran.
sient threads of silver in the dark, bright
hair.
eyes" she said. wearily. turning
away, 1" I am too old. And yet, despite
it all, I love him still! Oh, Gerard
Gerard! why did you win my heart and
then cast it back to me desolate and un.
blessed? Oh, Heaven! why are women
created with these intense longings fol
love. love. always love, and theh suf.
fered to drag out a dull existence, miss
ing always all that can make existence
She paced the floor softly, her eyes
weeping tears bitterer than those which
come to younger eyes. her woman's
heart wrung with a pain fiercer than
anything which comes to her sex ir
careless girlhood. But when the storm
was overland that was soon, for Letiti.
Marsh's. nature was well-disciplinet
nature she went down to the parlol
Just as serene and quiet and self-pos
sess I'd rs usual.
And when. three days later, Colone
St. Albans called and was devoted to th'
young ladies and coldly courteous t
herself. Miss Letitia met him will
stately grace, and no feature of her fac
betrayed that any old, sweet memory o
him lay hidden in her heert.
Nobody minded her, and after tn
first polite greetings St. Albans did no
address her. She was very glad of this
inasmnch as it saved her from the neces
sity OF talking, and she knew that ther
would be suspicious trembling in he
voice, and besides she wanted to sooth
her sore heart with watching St
Alhans.
He bad grown very handsome in thos
five years of absence, but she saw tina
there were wrinkles round MS eyes an,
white hairs among the brown on hi
temples.
o This first visit of his was like all th
others, so far as Letitia was concerned
He was courteous to her, but neve
friendly, and some fine self-conscious