The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-09-07
IN THE DARK.

ct cannot see what possesses you,
IRVINE, to act as you do !" complained
Mrs. Grancy. "You know very we'll that
YOU will never have such another oppor'
tunity to secure a rich husband. Here
is Morgan Ingraham all cut and dried
to your hand, rich and agreeable and
handsome. l must say l never saw q
handsomer man. And not a creditable
rival in the way, for neither your cousin
nor Vashti Short can hold a candle to
you in point of beauty"
"Well mamma, and if l don't want
Mr.. Morgan Ingraham?' said Ervine,
indolently, without raising her eyes
from her novel.
"Don't want Mr.. Morgan %Ingraham?
Then who on earth do you want" IN
accents Of despair.
"I'm not sure that want any one-to
marry. I am only just twenty, and as
strong and healthy as an orthodox
young plebeian should be. I suppose
it is not imperative that 1 should have
a husband !" Irvine answered, calmly,
still, to all appearances, deeply inter
ested in her book.
"Well, I suppose quite differently.
What do you think your aunt invited
you here for but to get a husband?
Certainly not for love of either you or
]. She hates us both. And she con-
siders, as she distinctly told us, that
she will have quite done her duty by
us, now that she has educated you,
when she has given you n season IN
society under her prestige and a chance
to make a match"
"Mamma, I am extremely obliged to
Aunt Jerome for my education, as l
have told her; and I mean to put 1t to
such use as to pay her back every cent
she expended on it, as I have not told
her, but she will find ont some day. AS
for her invitation here, I accepted 1t be-
cause I thought I might as well have
one little taste of life before settling
down to sober realities and hard work;
but to marry at her command, or any
ones else, I have no intention OF do
ing"
"No intention of marrying? Then
what are you intending to do, may I
ask?" questioned Mrs. Grancy, in a
pdSSlOu. L ouppoSC "0 ~ w W
go to the poorhouse =
"Not at all. Your income is the
same as it ever was-sufficiently large
to enable you to live comfortably. I
shall make no demands on it. I intend
to work for my living" Ervine said,
firmly, turning a page slowly and de-
1iberately with her strong white hand.
: "Work for your living" with fine
:: scorn. "And what do you expect to
;do.?"
"Really, mamma, I have not decided.
But Mr.. Ingraham would not be likely
to refuse me, do you think, a position
as saleslady, or, perhaps, cashier, in n
of his numerous establishments, were l
to apply%
"Ervine, You try me beyond all en-
durance! For heavens sake put down
that book and let US talk sense! You
can marry Morgan Ingraham if you try,
and you must!"
Miss Grancy threw aside her novel
now, and stood up, revealing her strong,
shapely young figure at it's best.
"Mamma," she commenced, proudly,
81 am quite willing to talk sense! l
have talked sense from the first. Don't
you suppose Mr.. Ingraham knows that
I am poor and have been asked here to
entrap him because he is rich-into q
marriage? Has Aunt jerome lost any
opportunity of letting him know the
true state of affairs? Have you lost any
opportunity O. throwing me at his head2
Let me tell YOU C for all-that I
will not marry him That I hate him
That I will not marry any man, just be-
cause he is rich, and you and Aunt Jer-
ONE desire it. | will not so lower my
selfp And with this violent outbreak
Miss IRVINE Grancy walked out of the
room assigned to herself during her stay
atJerome Lakes, and out into the coolest,
shadiest, most secluded depths of the
great park that inclosed the noble old
mansion.
eft is a shame" she or ed, throwing
herself back downward upon the yield
ing moss, and folding her white round
arms across her flushed face, "that 1
should be flung at Morgan Ingraham as
Morgan Ingraham filings bis bait at the
fishes in Aunt Jerome's lakes! But
GQ0u -alIST u pauoC- ~ 10 NY W
fault. I had no business to come here
and let myself be placed in this hu-
initiating position. If I had only gone
to work Immediately I would never have
seer Morgan Ingraham, and he would
never have had a chance to despise me.
Despise me! Yes, despise me, who am
ten times more beautiful and more in.
telligent than Vashti Short and Adella
Jerome, who may yet smile OF him and
force their society upon him as they
please, since they are rich and cannot
be accused of fortune-hunting! Well
g will rectify my mistake-I will 60
away to morrow. No one shall prevent
me-"
Having made this rash, but, perhaps,
not quite unwise resolve, Miss Grancy
fell to musing; and she was just on the
borders Of Sunderland when voices
aroused her. She had not been aware
of her proximity to one of her "Aunt
Jerome's Lakes" but, in fact, among
the evergreens not twenty feet away,
lay one of the deepest and most seclu-
ded of the pretty sheets of water which
gave its name to the fine old estate.
And, evidently, ONE one was robbing
it of fish.
diamonds I should say so !" ex-
claimed one Of the voices, energetically.
"But, then, it shows the old mans
sense to invest in those. You see, dia-
monds can always be disposed of to adj
vantage. Juet take them out of their
setting and thcre is nothing to betray
49,. fo,1onr MN pr fho{ fhau hora
been used, and you can get full value
for them"
"That's a fact ! I'd rather-By Jove
there's a fish for you! What fun this
isl"
"Poachers!" thought Miss Grancy.
"TIl walk back. 1t must be near
archery time"
But there was not much excitement
in archery that afternoon. The fair
contestants had no audience. Presently
two carriages full of new guests rolled
up to the great porch, and Adella and
Miss Short threw down their bows.
Ervine put a few more arrows in the
gold, without half-trying, aid then COM
menced to gather together her equip
ments.
"Why stop 80 soon, Miss Grancy ?"
asked Mr.. I~ngraham, making his ap-
pearance. 50.
"Because I am tired of it, and it is
time to dress for dinner. You know
that there has been quite an accession
of guests p i
"Yes; the carriages passed me as 1
came in the park gates. I had been
down to the village. I have a friend
stopping at the hotel there"
"Yes?" said Miss Grancy, indifer-
entity, as they reached the rose-terrace
at the LETT of the old mansion, and broke
off q spray OF ~blood-colored roses and
-J b1mpoino O oav little fune |