The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-12-15
IN THE CLIFF CAVE.

"This is my friend Mr.. Vaughn, Mis-:
Belmont" said Clarence Richmond, a:
the VERY ran her PROV between the
rocks, into anchorage, almost at Miss
Belmont's feet, where she sat sketching
She had known that Vaughn was ex.
pected, but she had not dreamed of be-
ing thus taken unawares, and she gave
the least little start, dropping her eyes
till they met his, waiting below.
Good afternoon, Mr.. Vaughn" she
said, almost, you might have thought,
as if they had only parted in the morn.
ing. "Have the skies fallen. that We
catch larks"
"No, but the tide has," he returned,
his gaze still commanding hers. 1--WE
had intended to keep on down the river,
and join General Fogg's yachting party
but with this dead wind against US, they
would be out on the Atlantic before we
could overtake them" Mr.. Vaughn had
the air Of Offering IN apology for intrud-
ing as he spoke.
"Oh, 1 thought that had been given
up" said Pauline.
Eyes" replied Clarence, "we gave it
up last night; but as we came down the
river Vaughn was suddenly attacked
with a longing for a wet sheet and a
flowing SAIL"
And now you have a.wct blanket
instead?'
"This maritime interest only struck
him, I'm free to confess, after I had given
him the names of our guests, and be
found tina, the great heiress wasn't
among them"
ooh, indeed! Not complimentary to
the rest Of US, Mr.. Vaughn"
"You have heard of seamen's yarns.
Clarence is a veritable jacky tar in thai
respect. What is an heiress to me, or ]
to an heiress?"
They had climbed the rocks by this
time, and walked up the lawn together,
still chatting, to the piazza.
"She takes to him as a fish takes tc
water" thought Clarence. "Jove! one
would think she had known him since
the flood. She's almost too self.pos
sessed and civil to strangers"
They had tea under the apple trees
that night at Mrs. Richmond's, and the
moon came up behind tibet Il sycamore!
and mapped the scene in q tender at
mosphere, which was half dusky anC
half luminous; and later they al
strolled down to the rocky shore and tool
the tide to the beach, lighted a drift
wood fire and forgot the hour. Mr.
Vaughn had spoken OF leaving on tn
following day, but the days rounded
into weeks, ana still he delayed. 81
might be going tomorrow OF the da'
after; IL the meantime he was at tn
Terrace, and the Terrace vas simply
suburb of Eden. He could leave at
moments notice; what was the use o
wasting such weather thinking abou
itp EdenP Well, yes, till Gildersleev
came Gilders.eeve with his debonai
assurance. his eyes like lights whicl
do mislead the morn," and that voice c
his ringig out on their moonlight ex
cursions, with its flexible tenor, pa
thetic as the cry Of the whip-poor-wil.
sweet rs the breath Of honeysuckles i
June, as sad as death, as sweet a
heaven Pauline used to sit wrappe
in a cloud of melody, so to speak, o
those still summer nights. She wa
trying to make up her mind abou
Gildersleeve; to make believe with hel
self that she already belonged to hir
heart and soul, and had no eyes, {
thoughts, or regrets, for another; nc
that She was bound by any promises
and perhaps, if Vaughn had gcne o
General Fogg's party, Gildersleev
might have found the course Of his tru
love somewhat smoother. Thong
Vaughn sang never q note, and had n
lapguishing dark eyes with which to il
veigle hearts, yet when she met b
glance. Gildersleeve's chances wake
beautifully less. Promise to love an
obey him, indeed! AS long as this mar
very look commanded her whole beini
how could she SO perjure herself? Viii
Gildersleeve battered himself that h
affair was drawing toward a conclusion
that Pauline was sure to surrender b
fore the season ended, she was begil
ming to say to herself that such a thir
had not only beenimpossible. but wou
remain 80, as long as Ralph Vaughn e:
listed, in this world or the other.
In the meantime Vaughn was more
less impenetrable; II he hung ove b
tonight, tender as a lover, he was qui