The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-08

uloll lcdtIllllS lllHl W snip StulltS, Will
he, mill he. Sudden scarlet cclipsed
cheek peach blossoms, and she began
to stanmer apologies.
"What will YOU think of me?" she
began. Indeed l am not bold and
improper, although | know that
must have seemed 50 this afternoon.
You may ask any n ut Fort Raynor
if l am" And then, rccollecting that
she was speaking to some M who had
probably never seen Fort Raynor, she
added, hastily, "Or l will give YOU the
address of my minister and my Bible
class teacher, and you may write and
ask them.'
Traitor looked at her with smiling
dark eyes as she stood, in wild anxiety,
to clear herself from all suspicion OF
being an improper person. Then, as
she concluded, he said, rcassuringly:
"There is no necessity for writing.
1 am fully convinced that YOU are the
very pink and pinnacle Of propriety.
Why, any young lady who had a spark
of the missionary spirit in her compo-
sition would feel it an imperative duty
to hasten to the instruction of a be-
nighted heather, who was struggling,
unaided and alone, to make some pro-
gress in the noble art of skipping
stones"
"You really were doing very badly"
said the pratty missionary, candidly.
"Still, if you really insist upon it,"
continued Traitor, looking at her quiz
ideally, "when 1 return to Fort Ray
nor l will question your pastor and
teacher with regard to you, Miss
Travis"
The tables of surprise were COM
pletely turned upon Loye. She re-
peated, blankly, Fort Raynor. Miss
Pravis!" then recovering herself
Slightly, said: " l know that it is not
polite to stare at you 50, and repeat
your words IS if l was a parrot; but
you have completely petrified me.
Please turn me to flesh and blood as
quickly as possible, by explaining
what you meant by exploding these
names upon me like two Fourth Of
July tirecrackers."
Every well, Miss Galatea. I live
at Fort Raynor. l I'm Donald Traf-
ton, of the firm of Traitor & bet
wiler, hardware merchants. l have
seen you in church, and learned your
name, although I have never CHANGED
to meet you anywhere until to-day"
"Wehave only livedin Fort Raynor
for two months" explained Loye, land
we have been busy settling, and
mothers health is poor, SO that I've
been almost nowhere as yet, except
to church and the confectioner's," she
added, with a whimsical .retlectiveness.
"Sometimes, when l feel us il l were
absolutely rolling in gold-that is,
have a dime to spare-1 treat myself
to some chocolates. Now, if you had
only chosen to sell candy instead of
stoves and nails, this double surprise
might have been avoided. But you
would have learned what a temper l
have if you had sold me stale choco-
late"
"Never would / have been guiltyof
such baseness p returned Trafton, fer
vently. "But have l dissolved the
stony spell which bound you?"
Eyes, 1 believe So" said Loye, CIV
ing herself a playful little shake. "But
1 am turned to flesh only to fly, for it's
a quarter past five" she announced,
glancing at her watch and returning it
to her girdle of dark-green velvet.
Then, before Traitor could carry out
his intention of looking at his time
piece, and declaring that hers was alb
surdly fast, she had hidden him good
afternoon and sped away.
He hurried after her to express a
wish that they might meet often. She
never paused, but merely tossed over
her shoulder a cool, ut isn't likely, for
l am SO busy"
"What can she be SO busy about"
Trafton pondered, struggling his
shoulders in annoyance. "For what
fancy work Cor fancy idleness) she has
thrown me over, 1 wonder? Probably,
like the rest of womankind, she has
fallen under the baleful influence of
suntiowers and ~cat-tails. But she is
carrying her devotions to extremes, if,
even for their aesthetic sake. she es-
chews the society of her kind"
Trafton felt amazed, as well rs net
tied, by Loye's cavalier dismissal of
his request. He was by no means
vain ; still, he could not but be con-
scious that lie had a we'll knit, athletic
figure and a remarkably handsome
face; and he knew there were few
young ladies who would not prefer his
society to seclusion, ven when bright
ened by the yellow charms of the most
gorgeous suntlower that eve lit a
Kansas prairie or doomed upon Il
chair-back. He reelected, however,
that Miss Travis apparent check upon
his advances might be only a coquet-
fish thorn, intended to sting and slim
ulate him into seeking the rose, her
self. And then he fell to wondering
if he would see her at the lawn social
that evening.
He had told her that he had seen her
sometimes at church, but he had not
informed her that, after his first sight
of her there, he had attended it's ser
vices regularly for the sole purpose of
looking at her.
He had strOlled' into the Episcopal
church at Fort Raynor, and his atten-
ton had been attracted by a very
pretty girl who looked, as she listened
to the sermon, like Il child listening to
an absorbing fairy story. Her eyes
were wide and attentive, her head
thrown a little back and her lips
slightly parted. Love never posed for
effect, but she had Il way Of doing
heartily whatever she did, which habit
included even listening to Il rather poor
sermon.
Traitor came again and again, max
ing the lovely face, with it's fascinating
combination of carnestneSs and pi-
quancy, his prayer-book, ermon and
song. lie had never been able to OBJ
tain an introduction to its owner, for
the reason which she herself had given
that afternoon. Then the time for
his annual hay-fever coming around,
he had run away from it to this north
ern retreat, trusting to find Miss
Travis in her usual place on his re-
turn.
She was not at the lawn social, nor
did he meet any n who knew her, 50
he vas forced to fall back upon the
hope of another chance encounter.
1t came three days later. He found
her seated on Il camp stool trying to
sketch a bit of river scenery. lie was
as familiar with paint brush and pen
ell as she WAS with skipping stones,
and under his instructions and finish
ing touches the sketch was much more
satisfactory than it would have been
otherwise.