The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-07-02

Laura Beamis!" uttered Free, with q
laugh, and glancing at Jack, who looked
trife conscious. "You had firt-'
EYES," interrupted his mother; land
they do say she's been Tilted by some
town young man to degree that's
made her a poor, broken-hearted con-
sumptive."
Dear mel" exclaimed Free. Heart
and lungs gone at one fell swoop! That
is going into the dying business whole
sale"
This irreverent comment was received
by Auntie Trib with much reproachful
indignation; but Sallie sat mute, with a
wild beating heart. Gossip had car
ried to her ears the tale that Laura
Beamis had claimed a former acquaint-
anceship with Jack Arnold. The un-
fortunate girl had gone to live with her
aunt in L., and had returned in
serious ill-health, the result, it was said,
of disappointment in love. Frees look
was peculiar. Could it be-
My grief it's an awful thing" con-
tinued Auntie Trib. "She was engaged
to him, I think, and lie went off some
where's and came back engaged to some
other girl. Ny! the poor thing looks rs
if she had one foot in the grave already.
It's really dretful, amt it, ohn?"-with
a sudden appeal to the silent listener.
yery-very, indeed" said Arnold.
"I-I knew her."
"You did? Well, I want to know"
said Auntie Trib. "Why didn't you
say so before? Wasn't she pretty, poor
thing. before she got so low-spirited?"
"Who was the man." asked Sallie.
suddenly.
VERY pretty, ] think" said Jack,
answering Mrs. Hills question. lie
did not mean to ignore Sallie's. but Free
broke in with Il torrent of lively non
, sense, and the conversation drifted away
from Laura Beamis and her troubles.
S;.llie was slightly uncomfortable, but
, she had confidence in her lover, and did
not allow herself to indulge, rs yet, in
causelcss suspicion. Auntie Trib, how
ever, recurred to the former subject,
/ which had distressed her simple, senti-
mental old heart. She exclaimed, medi-
tatively:
MY! amt it dishonorable for man
to behave SOP
"IfI knew him." said Sallie, looking
! like youthful prophecies, in her sweet
austerity, II would never touch his
hand again-no, not if he had been my
best friend"
"What! so severe?" asked Jack, with
half-amused remcnstrance.
"Whew! Look out, Jack" cried
Free. "You never did anything dis
honorable, did you?"
Never" answered Jack, readily and
quietly enough.
! This was irresistible.
| "'What! never?'" asked Free, with
intense significance.
"Well, hardly ever returned Jack,
nervously rubbing his chin, apparently
the very embodiment of guilty con-
fusion. Then they both uttered cold
little evasive laughs, and Free changed
the subject.
The truth was, they had both heard
the joke so often that it could no longer
raise a hearty laugh, and they did not
reflect that the quotation wasfentirely
new to their hearers. They talked on,
ignorant of the overwhelming effect
which their words had produced. For
.Auntie Trib was seriously alarmed, and
began to think that she ought to have
inquired more closely into the young
mans antecedents. She resolved to
question Free at The earliest opportunity
but how could this be accomplished,
since the two friends intended to leave
Rockville at an early hour on the follow
ing morning? She decided to write a
most urgent letter, and sift the matter to
the bottom. But how was it with
Sallie? The little incident was, to her
narrow and innocent mind, q "cOn-
firmation strong us proofs of holy writ. y
Jack was evidently ashamed of some
thing in the past; he had been confused
and silent when Laura Beamis was dis
cusSed; the events tailed; yes, the cir
cumstantial evidence was strong. Free
had said, ''You had a hirt-"-" a
Irritation with her." lie had intended to
continue, when his mother interrupted
him. But what if Jack were innocent
in the case of Laura and her broken
heart? At least he had openly con-
tradicted his first denial of having COM
mitted 4 dishonorable action. Hardly
ever" indeed! Did he think she-she-
would marry man who had ever COM
mitted the faintest shadow of dis.
honorable action? Never! not though
her own heart broke. like Laura's.
Al! night long poor Sallie lay tossing
on her bed, working her foolish little
brain into state bordering upon frenzy.
She rcvolved the matter in her mind
until she lost all power of correct and
tranquil judgment. The more violently
she excited herself, the lnore conclusive,
to her thinking, became the proofs of
poor Jacks basenesS. At length she
could lie there no longer; she rose. and
By the faint light of the winter dawn she
wrote brief but decisive letter to Jack,
slipped her engagement ring into the
same inclosure. sealed the envelope, and
wrote his name upon it. Faint and
weary with her long conflict, she was
about to lie down again, when she re-
membered that it was near the early
breakfast hour appointed for the two
young men. and that she had promised
to assist Jerusha in her preparations; SO
she dressed hastily, with trembling
fingers. and crept down to the kitchen.
Had she obtained an hours sleep she
would have awakened with Il clearer
sense of things. and the unfortunate note
would probably have been destroyed.
But now her wearied and overstimulated
brain continued to ponder upon the
cause of her distress, and magnify it to
gigantic proportions.
"For the. lands sake, child" ex-
claimed Jerusha, "you do look power
full bad"
II couldn't Sleep" said Sallie, shortly.
"There. Jerusha, the tables set, and
there's plenty of time for me to 60 and
rest while now" And quietly laying
the note beside Jacks plate, she hurried
back to her room.
Her lover glanced around with rest
less eyes when he met Free and Auntie
Trib at the breakfast table. He had not
believed that Sallie would elude him
this morning. He seated himself, with
anxiously drawn brows.
"What? why, here's a letter." he eX-
claimed. Then. examining it, he read the
word" Private" beneath his own name,
and flushing hotly, he slipped it into
his breast pocket. From Sallie," lie
said. quietly. .
"What ever does the child mean?"
cried Auntie Tnb. "Ain't she up? Je-
rushy. 60 right up and get her"
"She said as how she'd ben layin'
awake" said Jerusha, and she went to
rest spell"
"Well, you 60 along and tell her to
come" said Mrs. Hill.
But Jack called out: Don't disturb
her fishes asleep"
Jerusha went up, and presently came
gathering down again. "She'S asleep
she said as she entered.
Poor Sallie had indeed dropped into a
trouhlad slumher and Lark would NOT