The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-24
ANNIE'S HUSBAND.

ANNIE'S HUSBAND.
Godfrey Prime was very rich and
successful merchant.
He had no wife, and but one child, a
daughter. whom he loved, and upon
whom it was his delight to laXish every
thing she asked for, if money would
uyit.
Annie Prime was beautiful, and she
was girl of considerable sense, too
much 80, indeed, to be easily suited in
her choice of husband.
SHE had many suitors, but none OF
them suited her.
One day the merchant came home to
his splendid mansion, looking like u
ghost he was 80 pale. His hair seemed
to have grown several degrees whittier
since he went away in the morning.
Going to his private room he locked
the door and loaded pistol.
"If I kill myself" he said, "Annie
will be obliged to marry some one of
her rich admirers, because she will
have no home without. could never
endure to live and see her suffer the mis-
cries of poverty which her rearing has
i'll fitted her 10 bear"
Then he took the pistol in his hand
and looked at it calmly.
"You will do neither il YOU please,
papa" said Annie herself, coming for
ward from behind the curtain of q win
dow in which she had been sitting since
he entered the room. "What il the
mattere Why do you wish to kill your
selfP"
"Annie," seid the merchant, sadly,
lever since your mother died have
lived only for you. But of late I have
been unfortunate. l stand to-day on
the verge of bankruptcy.
well, am sure that is bad enough,
without your killing yourself" said
Annie. do you imagine, oh, foolish
papa, that all the riches of the world
could make up to me the loss of you?"
The merchant started and looked
down as if ashamed. Then he opened
wide his arms and his daughter flew
into them.
Promise me this moment, papa" !"
she said, THAT you will never think OF
such a wicked, cruel thing again."
my darling" answered the mer-
chant, with emotion, 'Inever will.
can stem the tide a menth longer-possi.
bly, six weeks. I should not care my
self how soon the crash came, if could
see you provided for. Will you not, in
that time, choose yourself husband
from among the many who are so anx-
ious to marry you?"
Annie, seeing how earnestly her
father looked, said:
"I'll honestly try, papa. But whoever
i choose must know the truth about
your affairs before shall marry him. -
Certainly" said her father, "but
am sure it will make no difference. You
are too sweet and beautiful to be loved
for anything but yourself"
Upon the following evening, when
Annie received company, she made q
careful toilet.
She was brown-eyed blonde, and she
wore pale green tissue of silk, looped
with water lilies, in her floating hair.
She looked siren; but no siren was
ever so indifferent to thehomage lavished
at her feet.
One after another they came-the tall,
the short, the fair, the dark. She looked
in the blue eyes. and she looked in black
but not heart beat quickened, not even
when the handsomest man in the room
bent low before her, and murmured flat.
tering words in honeyed tones.
All would not do. She felt a positive
aversion to some of them, and having
everything she wanted, because of her
fathers indulgence. she could not bring
herself to the idea of marrying a man
whom she did not care half so much for
as she did for pet canary.
When the month was nearly up, dur
ing which the merchant, while he
waited anxiously, said nothing, Annie
spoke:
Papa" she said, "you are worth a
dozen of them. 1 would rather live in
poverty with you than in aff1uence with
any one of them"
You don't know what poverty is,'
said her father, g!oomily.
but have curiosity to know, "said
the daughter. bravely. Il am sure you
can save enough from the wreck to fur
nish two rooms, and the cook has been
giving nae lessons. Won't it be fun?"
The ruined merchant sighed, but he
was not altogether displeased.
The girl had such a sweet and coaxine
voice-she looked at him so lovingly
and he was in the habit of giving hel
everything she wanted. So the end was
he let her do as she liked in this.
Godfrey Prime saved nothing from the
wreck. He was an honorable man ant
gave up everything to his creditors
even his daughters many costly orna
ments-with her consent, too.
But even then, all was not paid, anC
humble rs was the home to which they
betook themselves, tie saddest though
was that dollar remained unpaic
against the name of Prime.
1T must be paid, somehow" sale
Annie. "Oh, is there anything great
anything grand that I could do! 1t is 1
shame there is not, after all you hav'
laid out for me, papa. Why, am tn
worst investment you ever made, be
lieve. Help me to think if there is NJ
way in which can earn money to maxi
you even with the world again. coult
not be All artist, for though you pait
my drawing master such fabulous sums
] lam sure if l were to sketch an animal
yru would be able to distinguish that i
ial four legs and head, and that woult
9 all. I never could make any differ
ence between 4 horses head and dog
Lend. don't think l ever should sue
rocd rs an actress, and though I have ,
terrible voice, should beaso frightened
if l tried TO sing in public, that I coult
not utter note"
"Ah, my child" said the father. "il
you had only married some one of thos
ri:li admirers of yours"
Anne laughed.
What is the use of saying that
papap Not one Of them has been nea