The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-11


among the dark frs, which are such an
addition to tho beauty of the coast near
Sandcombe, belongs to Mr.. Darlington,
and he and his pretty wife are never
more pleased than when they can in
duce as many as possible of their mum.
! erous friends to visit them; and they
are particularly happy i'll the selection
OF their guests, and are never tired of
devising some pleasant plan OF amuse-
ment-ltavenswo house is almost al
ways gay and lively with pleasant
laughter and merry chatter.
Mrs. Darlington wasa Miss Grey, and
Dora is her pet sister, so she often stays
! at tavensWoOd for months together.
Frank Carelton has only been down
from London q fortnight. lie is ris-
ing young barrister, with good private
| income Of his own; but this has not
prevented his oVerworking himself /,
little, and he has accepted Oscar Bar
| rington'S pressing invitation to recruit
his strength in the bracing air OF Sand
combe.
There are not so many guests as usual
at RavenswOod house just now, 80 Dora
and Frank have been thrown together
a good deal: and Mr. Carelton is too
fond of the society of pretty girls not to
think it II very pleasant arrangement
altogether.
The day following the little talk on
the beach there is a large influx of Wis.,
itors; but Dora finds, to Iler satisfaction,
that i'll walks or drives Frank seems
ever at her side, as usual.
One day she laughingly remarks the
fact, but he merely says, quietly:
81 prefer friends to acquaintance,
Dora. If you are tired already of our
bargain, say SO; but it is only natural
that, under the circumstances, should
clouSe your society rather than that Of
anyone else.'
So the two wander about together
contentedly, though not unnoticed, for
many are the glances and little innu-
Gndoes they have to encounter, much to
Dora's expressed disgust as she freely
discusses the matter with Frank.
"ltis too utterly ridiculous" she says
angrily, as they were one day walking
through the woods; as if we were bound
TO be talking lot of nonsense about
love just because we are alone together.
'ltidiculous, indeed" calmly asserts
Frank; ''wait until Mr.. and Miss Right
appear, and we 60 off with them re-
spectively; then these clever people will
see the ditterence-eh, Dora?"
Dora's heart gave a sudden jump, but
she answers in her usual gentle voice,
though she is rather silent during the
remainder Of the walk.
81 am expecting Miss Bruce down
here tomorrow, SO | warn all those Of
you gentlemen who still possess that
useful article. heart, to guard it well,
for Nelly is fascinating pussy.n
So says Mrs. Darlington at the lunch
con table one day; and to those who
know the young lady spoken Of, the
announcement appears to give aniver-
sal satisfaction.
''And who is Miss Bruce?" asks
Frank Of Dora Grey, by whose side he
Is sitting.
Zone Of the loveliest girls you ever
saw III your life,' puts in Mr.. Barring
ton, before Dora can reply; ";lnd just
your style, old man, should imagine. -
Frank Carelton looks at Dora, and
repeats, i'll a low voice, meant for her
ear alone.
''Just my style. Can my fate be ap-
preaching already?"
'Perhaps," is the only reply, given III
equally low tones. "Do you hope it
may he so?''
81 don'tquite know" said the young
man, gently. IL have my friend, you
know, Dora"
But, Notwithstanding, Mr.. Frank
appears to find the charming, fair-hair-
ell girl, who is told off TO his care the
next evening at dinner, very attractive;
and when the gentlemen rejoin the la
dies he makes his way straight to the
ottoman upon which Miss Bruce is Sit
ting.
''lIow selfish am, " m,lrmured Dora
to herself, as she watches FRANKS tall,
handsome figure crossing the room in
order to turn over Miss Bruce's music;
and somehow everything seems little
dull and uninteresting to the girls
mind, and heartache accompanied
her to bed that night.
But it is gone by the morrow, and
Dora is her own sweet self, and as days
60 Oh she resumes her rather neglected
sketching, though by degrees she finds
how Often she is without her faithful
friend, and she misses his cheerful chat
ter and genial laugh more than she will
acknowledge. For Frank Carelton's
JeSting words seem to have come true,
and lie shows no signs of his evident
admiration tor pretty Nellie subsitling,
torlt IS at her side he fingers And
there is evidently a very good under
standing between them, for it necessi-
tates much low talk and apparent per-
suasive eloquence on Frank 3 part; and
somehow the thought Of those two will
persist in obtrudlng itself on Dora's
mind, no matter what she is doing.
AT last matters came to a crisis. A
picnic is arranged to be held in soma
woods few miles inland, and during a
luncheon on the grass Frank and Nellie
are, as usual, together, and the girl is
III such merry mood that it is evident
she fells very happy. Dora feels more
than ever the foolish position into which
her girlish ignorance has led her re-
specting Frank, for more than one re-
mark reaches her, referring in no very
tlattering terms TO his conduct. But
she defends him on every occasion, and
i'll such a sweet, unconscious manner
that suspicion is at once dlstlrmed re.
specting the state of her heart.
But the effort to dissemble her disap-
pointment in FRANKS sudden avoidance
is too great to-day, and she manages,
after luncheon, to steal away entirely
alone, intending to sketch q pretty little
glade she had often visited,
- Rut when sl,a raachea fha opnf ala