The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-11-16
TWO SECRETS.
uYon don't mean II. Hetty ?"

She shrauk from meeting his eye as
she answered:
am not accustomed to saying what
I don't mean"
He made no answer. Hctty scratched
industriously with a bit Of wild-rose
stem upon the tlunk of the beech tree
which overshadowed them. Suddenly
she discovered that she was uncon-
~sciously tracing over the initials LIS"
and al. W."-the latter her own-cut
in the beech bark. She hastily with
drew her hand and threw away the rose
stem.
"Do YOU remember what you said to
me, Hetty, the day I cut those letters ?"
asked the young man.
"Somethipg foolish, I dare say" she
answered, with affected care)essness.
"You told me you loved me-" he
said, in a low voice.
Hetty stopped and plucked q sprig Of
clover.
, "Perhaps I thought so, then" she
sad, intently examining the blossoms.
"Ard only discovered your mistake
when this rich popinjay from tue city
made his appearance said Lloyd, bit
terly.
She looked up with a fash of her
dark eyes. She knew very we'll that she
was doing something unworthy of her,
and lowering herself in Loyd's opinion,
as we'll as causing him pain, and his re-
proach stung her.
"I have a right to like or dislike
whom I please," she said, haughtily.
He seized an nnlucky grasshopper
which at that moment lighted near his
hand and savagely crushed it to death.
Hetty looked at him in surprise. 1t
was 80 unlike Lloyd to deliberately hurt
anything.
"You are cruel" she said, indig-
nantly.
mot half so cluel as you. Hetty, I
had no idea you were so heartless and
mercenary."
Tue word escaped him unawares.
Hetty flushed holly.
eff that is your opinion Of me you
ought to be glad to haze found me out
in time," she said.
"Perhsps i ought" he retorsed, bit
terly.
"Then I hope you will be satisfied
as I am"
She gathered up the skirt Of her blue
lawn dress and turned away. Lloyd
passed through the gate and walked by
her side along the grassy meadow-path.
~ didn't mean to offend you, Het-
IT," he said, in a more subdued tone.
"I am not offended. don't in the
least care for your opinion Of me-" re-
Piled Hetty, biting her lip and turning
sway her face that he might not see the
tears in her eyes.
They had reached q point where the
pathway branched right aud left, and
coming along the latter was a portly,
acknowledgement, middle aged man,
twirling Q cane, with which he was de-
CAPTIVATING the tall weeds aud field
daisies. On catching sight of Hetty he
qaickened his pace.
"Mr. Frisbee will sec me home. I
won't trouble you further, MI. Sutton"
said Hetty, with an air Of great dignity,
as she took a step to the left.
Now, this lett-hand track was the
most direct and f%reauented way to
Hetty's home; but the right hand path
Way, leading along the little stream and
alder hedge, had ever been the ~favorite
with herself and Lloyd.
The young nan paused now, and
standing just where the two diverged,
said, in low tone, agitated, yet full of
decision:
"Hetty, decide now, once for all
Will you keep Oh with me down this
path, or will you so with Mr.. Frisbee on
the other? Cboose"
She hesitated, and her color went
and came.
"You have no right to speak to ne
So.
"I have a right" he replied, firmly
"the right to know whether the girl I
love is false or true"
Hetty, like Lloyd, was high-spirited,
and his look and tone angered her.
$50 your own way, and I will 60
mine |" she said, proudly.
And without another word she turned
down the pathway by which Mr.. Frisbee
was approaching.
Lloyd, as he reached the gate, turned
back to look at the two figures slowly
sauntering along the green meadow.
81 could never have dreamed it Of
her" he thought. 81 believed sheloved
me. And to cast me off for q fellow
like that, whose greatest recommended
,ion is his wealth On, Hetty, that l
should have been so mistaken in you!
And Mr.. Frisbee, rs he walked by
Hetty'sside, admiring her giriish beauty
and her pretty, coquettish ways, and
thinking how he would "show off" his
young wife among his friends-did the
thought never occur to him, asto Lloyd,
that this girl, young enough to he his
daughter, could not possibly fiad in him
any attraction save his wealth?
But poor Hetty, since her father died
bankrupt, had experienced enough OF
poverty's ills, and heard enough from
her mother and sisters to learn to look
upon riches a. the key that could open
to her the golden store of life's pleas.
ures.
Lloyd could give her comfortand com.
petence, but as Mrs. Trisbee she could
have an elegant city residence, carriage
and servants, balls in winter and water
ing-places in summer, with everything
else that she might desire.
Not that she was light and frivolous,
or longtd for more worldly pleasures;
but for the time being the picture had
dazzled her, and in her present angry
and resentful mood against Lloyd, what
wonder that she listened to all that Mr..
Frisbee had to FAY, and before she
reached home had accepted the rich
widower's proposal?
And vet somehow Hetty felt in her
own heart that this was the most miser-
able evening she had ever spent.
As the days went by Hesty grew no
happier in the contemplation of her
brilliant prospects. She turned with O
species OF loathing from the man she
had promised to wed, and her heart
went out more and more to the lover
whom she had discarded.
They sometimes met, but he was dis
iant and proud, aud it was not for her
70 make advances. So she decided to
let her engagement become publicly
known, and one day went over to Mrs.
Sutton's and asked Sue Sutton, Boyd's
cousin, to be her bridemaid.
"You ought hardly to expect it OF
me, Hetty," Sue said, with some spirit.
sci think you have treated Lloyd badly"
"How SOP" :
"Because I know he loved you, and
/ used to think you loved him. You
certainly did behave in a manner to en-
courage him"
aPerhaps we were mistaken in fancy
that we loved each other"
You were mistaken, Lloyd wasn't.