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

likely to freeze into respectful indiffer
ence Tomorrow; yesterday he was 81
near her that they were almost ont
in thought ana wish and purpose; to
day, perhaps, he was as far away Is tht
farthest star. She could not translate
such alterations Of temperature.
One afternoon the gentlemen had gone
trouting or cunning, and a handful O.
the guests lounged on t G piazzas or in
the hammocks, and gossiped over theil
tancy-work. Ada Clema:t was teach
ing Pauline a new stitch, when she
presently remarked: "Oh, do you
know, girls, something happened to me
yesterday, and l must tell it. Nothing
ever does happen me, you know, and ]
consider this a special g%odserd."
"1s it q ghost story?" asked Mel
Daight.
"Oh, very like a ghost story" said
Ada. EDO you know, yesterday after
noon I went out with my pony alone on
an exploring expedition, and it grew
very warm, and the pony began to limp,
and presently found that we were on 8
cliff overhanging the river, with great
pine trees shaking their plumes above,
and coral MOSES spreading under-foot
and along its ragged edges, and black
crows cawing overhead, and a sail
stealing up the river as silently rs a
phantom" .
ada got that out of a book, l know"
Don't break the thread of my dis
course, child. Where was Ip Oh, at
the sail-boat. Yes, and some oars were
dipping in and out the water somewhere
invisible oars, Piled by Nereids, ]
guess-and somebody whistled an air
from Traviata. 1t came on the wind
like horns of elfand family blowing
from heaven knows where-but I found
out afterward. l just tied the pony to a
tree and took out my pencil; but, good
couldn't get tue sounds in anyway, and
presently they crystallized into words,
and somebody was saying, And 80 you
elopea together, Ell" on, you've
dropped a stitch, Polly"
Bother the stitches!' said Nell.
"Do 90 on. I'm worked up to concert
pitch"
And ever the practical Anna Rich
mond remarked, How romantic"
"'And so you eloped together?'" re.
peated Ada, delighted with herself and
her audience. 1.-The voice made my
heart stand still, it seemed so near, and
yet nobody in sight. l held my breath.
Polly, you are making & mess OF your
work"
"And what did the lady replyP" asked
Polly.
II never said there was a lady in the
case"
Il don't see how there could have
been an elopement without one," per-
sisted Nell.
Don't pump a story-teller, Nell.
I'VE were both very young the other
person answered. The night was too
| splendid to waste over German verbs.
We had driven fast for an hour, having
| eluded the teachers and the servants and
the watchdog at the Lambert semin-
ary-"
"That's where you graduated, Miss
Pauline, isn't it," drawled Mrs. Daight.
81 never graduated anywhere. Twas
a Ounce"
"sWe never dreamed of pursuit, you
Know" repeated Ada, picking up the
thread again; "sin fact, we had no
definite object in view but the moments
happiness. | stopped to bait the horse.
In the mean time we strolled into a
shabby old church where a wedding
was going OLA simple affair. When
the bride turned away from the altar
we stepped forward: it was the inspira-
ton of the moment. The clergyman
began the service. "Iforbid the banns,"
some one cried from the doorway, and
the principals, male and female, con-
fronted us. 1t ended there. Her uncle
sent her to a nunnery in Quebec. l &C.
copied q situation as civil engineer in
California. Unless she cares for your
dark friend, it is my duty to propose,
don't YOU Think"
ga pleasant DUTY indeed, replied the
first speaker. DUTY? No, not unless
you love her. She has probably recov-
ered.'"
and what did the other-person
answerp' asked Polly, very deliberately,
ard stopping to pi k up a stitch.
"'You think 50" he asked, as if tho
idea was new to him."
And them"
"That was all. One of them began to
whistle from Traviata again. They
spoke about the fishing and the tides,
and I came away, hugging my romance.
Wasn't it nice and Dad, Polly?"
"Kut why were you not discovered at
your eavesdroppingP"
why? Just because it was regular
eavesdropping. you know. The speakers
were under the cliffs in z boat"
"Yes," said Nell naight, IL know
the place. Clarence took me there once.
1t is the Cliff cave, where they fish; it
runs under the ledge the length of this
piazza; and there's a assure IN the rock
overhead through which you q see a
strip of blue sky and birds wheeling
across it. To n sitting above, voices
would reach easily from below"
81 barely escaped falling through the
assure once" said Anna Richmond.
"Some day the whole mass will crumble
away, and plunge into the river. l hope
l shan't be there"
That night, when Vaughn met Pau
line in the garden, she asked: HAS the
fishing been GOOD to-day?"
"We went shooting" he replied; Eve
fshed yesterday"
Ill laC Slln SiSC.
Eyes, but we had no luck. Werested
on u oars, lighted Jul pipes"
But Clarence was with you? Wasn't
he voluble? What did you talk about?"
About auld lang syne, Pauline"
ooh, that is too stupid. Aud lang
syne is q bore. There is nothing in the
past / care to remember"
Nothing, Pauline?-nothing? Then
/ will resign you to the present and Mr..
Gildersleeve,' as that gentleman joined
them; and Mr.. Vaughn lighted his
cigarette and strolled toward the river
bank. Mr.. Vaughn would have left the
terrace behind him, as well as the girl
he loved, on the following day, buC Mrs.
Richmond's horses took fright on the
way to the station, and while the coach
man broke his arm, Vaughn came off
witha bad sprain of the ankle. Could
anything be commonplace and less
romantic? he asked himself. Reclining
on Mrs. Richmond's piazza and watch
ing Gildersleeve and Pauline together
was discipline enough to prepare him
for the seventh heaven. Such a trivial
thing as q sprained ankle to defeat him
thus! But sometimes lovers, as well as
common folks, mistake success for de-
feat. Mrs. Richmond's red-shirted
mowers in the hot fields yonder might
envy him his luck in being able to lie
in the shadow with his banda nod anklo