The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-06-09
THE PAINTED FAN.

J THE PAINTED FAN. 9:
"You won't forget me, little one ?'
said Earl Lysle, in his softest accents,
looking down with earnest eyes into the
sweet fower-face, 30 trustflllly uplifted
to his own. 5
the girl.
And the blue eyes grew moist, and the
red lips trembled The promise broke
down the last remnant of her strength
the next moment she had burst into
passionate, bitter weeping, .,.. NJ. ,
1t seemed as though the branches in
the tree above them bent pityingly down
upon them; as though the sun fingered
moment in its tenderest sympathy, ere
breathing his good night to the world;
Gnough the robin checked his notes to
listen to the sobs which echoed through
the silence of the wood, and stirred Earl
Lysle's heart as, it 5hadsnot been stirred
before for many long year. ~ 'fJF -
He had won the love Of many women
won 1T often for the mere pleasure of
winning; sometimes he had won and
worn 1t until it wearied him, but always
believing that had the condition been re-
versed, the woman would have done even
as he did. In this case he knew differ
entity. When he first met Lena Man
ming she had been child It had been
his hand which had guided her waverino
steps across the boundary line from
childhood to womanhood; he who had
wakened her child heart from its slun-
ber For what? For this! 1t had been
in his life summer-idy1, passing folly;
IN hers, the one spot from which ali
things henceforth must date. He was a
man OF the world; shea child of nature
whose world henceforth was bounded by
the horizon of his presence.
flush, Lena-hush!" he entreated
passing his arm about her waist. ,s'tDo
you really care for me like this ?"
=. A passing pride stirred at his ques-
; q "Do. you care for me so little that vol Won
o can not understand it?" she answered. :
MAY! love you very 6earlv-so
dearly, Lena, that, might l carve out nv
own desires, and forget my duties, T
would never go back to the great citv
and the life which has grown wearisome''
AS 1t Is, l must go; but, Lena, if may,
dear-t L can so shape my DESTINY
some day L will leave it all behind, me-
and come again, this time to pluck and
wear my sweet woodland rose next to nv
heart forever" HJ
Pretty words were very natural to
Earl Lysle; yet even as he spoke these
words, he knew that ere another veor
had run its course, he was destined to
lead to the altar his heiress- coussin-a
tall, naughty brunette-whose letter Of
recall now lay in the breast-pocket of his
"But-but if things should 90 amiss
not as you fancy?"
There was absolute terror in the GIRLS
tttones-terror SO great that, to the man,
IL seemed cruelty not to quiet it; and
ipesldes, his heart was stirring within
MN TO nobler, better purposes. - -
ferchance he might avow to his be-
Iro6hed the truth, that, instead of a mar
r!age Oh convenience, he sought a mar
rrla8e OF love, and ask her to free him
trom aI'o a chalns which already began to gall
ere they were fully forged. 0.
30 ne only drew closer to him the
girls slender figure, until the blonde
mead lay on his shoulder, as he stopped
ana pressed his lips to its golden crown
aaVe no fear, my little one. will
come back with the first snow"
You promise, Earlp" lA+t
promise" ....-..
Lena had always loved the summer
rather than winter. sTbeleafy trees, the
birds. the flowers, the blu " sRy-ell had
been to her as welcome; friends, to be
greeted rapturcuslys ] e. is ~ Ted with
almost teaffplly: f h she coaId @
scarcely wait for the Stufnino Of fbe
foliage, or the Isoilt1 lefl9 flight of the
birds. 'S~S&g&3 & aErslsg 81
She smiled from her window, as she
looked out one bright morning upon the
first frost. She laughed when people
said that it would be an early winter.
All her painting--for she possessed
great talent with her brush--depicted
winter scenes--snow and ioess .Iu.sa
:, Bnt just at the Thanksgiving season
ner father, sturdy farmer, was borne
senseless, one day, to his home, and
died before he recovered consciousness.
1t was her first real grief, She had
lost her mother when an infant. It
seemed to her that she could not have.
had strength to live through it. Btit that,
as they lowered the coffin into the grave
9 few fakes of snow came wbirlino down
tom the gray sky, and she welcomed
them as heaYen-sent naessenRersof hone.
When she came back TO- the duiet