The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-28
,E@tE'5 IIH 5 NLH
LITTLE !. J ROBBIE

She was tAe WIDOW hanQOlpn Wnen
we first met, and l thought her then.
as think her now, the loveliest woman
in the world" said Mr.. Alexander
Lane. .liawEJG4 Is X
"Aha!'' responded Ford, the senior
partner of Ford & Lane" and so there
was romance. Sly7dog!"
The two men-oid friends, and rather
old fellows-were in that mildly To-
quacious mood t ,at follows good din
ner, and is stimulated by pleasant sur
rounF iIgs. Now there's no cozier spot
than Lanes library, morris there-con-
sidering he is past ffty-a handsomer
or more genial man than Lane himself.
At this NOM meut he sat staring into the
fire, and, ord rep Gated. BY way Sof Jog
to theconyefsation, Sly dogw F'5S& I
During one of my regular trips to
Europe orthe firm. 'ssaid Lane, taking
apparently osthe fire, "I had time to
spare, aDdswas atBayeno, N the north
of Italy.p Then, after pause !; There's
too mpchsaid about the, scenet at the
Italian lakes.,lSS ~, y %Asss's ~ sSj
"WhyY isn'ti it fnep" y
Yes; but happen say, at Bayeno,,
on Maggiore, in the middle OF May, aud
there's something you cant5talk about;
there's fervor and q languor, strength
and o sweetness, in all nature, in the
very Air1 itself, that can't be told-it can
only be feit: The hotel at Baveno was
closeto the lake, and boats lay moored
Just before the door. TT was afternoon,
I remember, that day-late afternoon
and Tran into, Russell, firm ofRussell &
White, you know. 1EA- rH}G l:r-'''.
$50 glad to meet an Americana said
Russell. I'm. doing the lakes with my
wife and sister-in-law, who is a widow.
Come for q boat ride with US this even
ing at. eight ''' ''S
"At eight Russell clapped me on the
shoulder. There was strange influence
abroad that -night-the whole place
seemeds fairy. unreal. / followed to
where boat lay swinging little loose
from, its moorings. On the shore was
Mrs. Russe Il, whom I greeted politely !;
but my eyes We're fixed on that boat.
for ifthe stern, wrapped in something
white, like cloud, sat woman who was
lovely a. q vision. was fairly daZed,
and stood starings VII en- Russell pulled
up the boat and said Jump in. Halo.
Adelaide4 soyo1're seated, The woman
in whitg is my sistersin.law Lame.
Mrs: Randolph Mr.. Lane, of New
York; ~ '&.Sa ea,--- ....-
"She greeted me With, Indeed, Mr..
Lanes its pleasant to meet people from
homeAthnt Is, sometimes, and some
people. SheEwas awornan of the world,
and bit coquettish. yet with q. sober
ness and gentle grace Underlying ALL 3,
How did she, look then ?" asked
Ford. Eg&S %Ta .r.'aa.3
WELL 1t was ten. years ago. She
was gslighter. but that warm -colored
hair was the same; she had those same
grayseycs, with the dark brows that
would lend sternness to any other eyes,
but only frame the sottness of hers; her
cheek.Has ashade paler than now, and
fairer, perhaps. Well. we rowed over
to Tsola Madre. There, under the
shadow of the wooded banks, we heard
the nightingales sing, and, in short" :"
said MIR. Lane, with nervous laugh
" in short, I resolved that very night to
make Mrs: Randolph my wife, or live a
bachelor"
Sudden, wasn't it9" limited Ford.
"Yes. but times nothing in such mat
.os,ss sssy yla it in four letters" Ford sug-
"Well, it's love; and was he artily,
desperatelyain loye.g Youv see. I was
Next morning early I was pacing
Mrs. Randolph She was dainty, fresh,
and tender.hue even in the full morn
ing sunshine. I-breakfasted with, the
Russell family, and bonnie brought to
the. table. the prettiest four-year-oh
boy I ever laid eyes on.
my Robbie! my darling! my bless
ingr exclaimed Mrs. Randolpb gii q
motherly rapture, seating the child on
her lap. melittle chap shook his head
of yellow curl,5 reached with both
hands over the table, and CALCULATED,
'Honey!' .%.--
"Honey is bad for mammals boy,
said Mrs. Randolph, while I, looking at
the picture they made, only desiredTto
call. both mother and child my own.
Why. In fancy, was already father to
the boy, loved him, brought him up,
nut him into the frm-al in the few
minutes sdurin & which the little man
WIS lunging and plunging after the
honey. dish His mother restraining
him, be deIiyeredsa piercing yell. and
grabbing the ttablecloth dragged of
some dishes that broke. Wafer said
Mrs. Randolph. 'take the honey away.
AZ this the boy beat first the air
then bis mothers face. She turned rec
and pale by turns, and I hunted my
pockets. A knife, a pencil-case, loos'
change, a watch { tick, tick ,, and lik'
seductions were displayed in vain