The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-08-16
the Df0ad stair :

tsistible impulse
To see my fair Glen Mary, albeit she
frownel at me. To see-Jack, with
rapture in his face, lending down to
the little girl from Chillingworth,
while she upturned the same sweet,
tricksy face I had that day come to
worship!
Never again would it so look at me!
The thought might have frenzied any
man, so suddenly, so madly in love as
I. But, instead, l grew more rational;
the sweet face loomed up to calm me,
as I went back to my room. She
would surely pardon me when she
understood; a written explanation
would make matters right between us,
and then-I had as good a chance as
Jack! Because he was in love with
her it did not at all follow that she
was in love with him. All jubilant, l
wrote to Rebah Wayne, airing Jack
with an impunity ! only regretted was
essential to the case. For what was
Jack to me that moment ?-that bliss
full moment I lived and breathed in
her.
Early on the morrow l sent my
letter, and then-I kept away from
her, through the day, impatient as 1
was, for I felt that I must give her
time. But, toward evening, all con-
fidence, stlolled into the saloon. 1
had caught glimpse of her from
sitting with Jack again! 1t
was all one; Jack, either way. did not
trouble me. I cared not whether the
precious sign she would profTer were
an open hand-stretch in his presence,
or the smile too faint for him to note ;
1 only thought to g:t it. I strolled
slowly up and past her, gazing eagerly
in her face. She
She-regarded me as she would
have the veriest stranger in the city's
streets.
There was naught for me but to
return to my room-and write again.
Three successive days did this, always
with the same result. And yet I was
not dismayed l ordered a huge box
of the rarest jacqueminots and sent
them to her with a fourth pleading
note. They came back within an hour,
with the scathing line:
From stranger to stranger such conduct
is quite unpardonable.
Then I began to realize. I was not
acting the part of gentleman l was
making myself ridiculous. Moreover,
there was daily growing desire in
my heart to decoy Jack down to Glen
Mary, and drown him in a convenient
pool. The one thing for me was to
relieve the neighborhood of my mad
self. And one near morning l arose
determinedly and slipped away in the
early stage.
Harmless, but madder still; this was
my bitter thought as 1 stepped from
the train in the hot city. Madder, in
deed, for, in a days time, l was quite
eager to 60 back and try again 1 was
planning iteven when this bit of wrath
burst on me:
az have heard of that affair in Glen Mary,
Mordaunt; it slipped from her lips after you
ran away. She did not tell me all, know
but you knew her name, and that is enough
for me. You hirted with her, you mAde love
to her, and you are in love ith her now, I'm
bound. And so, as I warned you, am for,
ever Your enemy, oAch'
A bit of wrath at which only
laughed, which but gave strength to
determination that needed none, and
which aroused stronger one. Did
Rebah Wayne love this boy? l would
know; at least, she should never
marry him till she had listened to my
fond story, looked deep in my throb,
bing soul, and vouched some sort OF
answer. How, under the circumstan,
ces, to achieve this, pondered not;
only planned to get back to the noun
tains that very night.
But the same mail brought business
even a mailman might not ignore;
week passed ere I travelled again W
the mountain road. The train s,a(
been ali too slow for me; the stag
was uncomfortable, and, at the entrance
to the south pass dropped, by an ire
sistible impulse, from the box.