The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-20
CLAUDIA'S LOVERS,

Low EkS.
''Marry her? No, SIR" And Mr..
Marshall Amberg, handsome. wealthy.
thirty-two and bachelor, shook his
dark head with a deliberate and pro.
nounced decision.
"Why rot?" questioned young DR..
Lane, perseyeringly. "She's a nice,
amiable, light-hearted little girl, though
proud us princess and pretty as a
picture"
The two friends were leisurely Duff.
ing st their cigarettes in Marshall AM
berg's own particular sanctum, a COSY,
delightful room upholstered in dark red
leather and cardinal cloth. A fire
sparkled in the steel CRATE, for the late
May evening was chilly. and it's CHEEKY
rays fell on well-stocked book cases.
darkly bright Turkish rugs, and the
thousand and one elegant trifies that in
our modern fashion make perfection.
On the crimsou-cOVercd centre table
bronZed Mercury held Il globe of light
aloft over the latest and most tempting
OF magazines and periodicals.
Lane" came a drowsy murmur
from the reccSses of the hosts loung-
ing chair. "a pair of bright eyes play
the mischief with you young fellows. /
y
than pretty, well-dreSscd doll for q
life companion"
This" warmly, "Claudia Demarks
is not!"
"Pshaw! the girl is Il walking fash
lon-plate. Why take her lifeI Calls,
driving, shopping, the opera and balli
crowd all these into one day and you
have it. She'd make Il blessed lireside
companion"
There was an unpleasantnessin the
that take ner III lei wUIsl, q uGCI5fiiy
of fashion, he still cured a good deal
more for her than all the logic of his
well-regulated masculine mind could
reason away.
''By Jove, but you are bat, Marsh!
because Il girl fresh from school, IL
beauty and heireSS at that, enjoys with
the keen, unblunted ze~t OF child the
pleasures 81 novel, you immediately
oh, hang it, mol Pm not sentimental''
as the elder man muttered word be-
tween his teeth, "but do think there's
good deal of gentle, genuine woman
illness underlying that light, sunshiny
manner Of hers. Well" jumping up
and tlinging his cigarette into the CRATE,
good night, Marsh! Pleasant dreams
Of your ideal womanl"
a swift, questioning fear shot
through Marshall Amberg's heart us
his friend stood before him in the
mellow gaslight.
Such handsome, erect young fell
low, with his easy, soldierly bearing
and his earnest, resolute face. Hair Of
chestnut brown curled away from
broad, white brow; dauntless blue eyes
looked the world cheerilY in the face, a
dark mustache shadowed lips curved
and sweet as u WOman's.
''Could it be?' thought Mr.. AM
berg.
LANCE" with a swift penetrating
slde.long glance, 81 wonder you don't
go in for the fair Claudia YOURSELF"
I'll" IL sudden Wistfulness darkening
the frank face. "Why, 1 daren't as
pire Marsh. A pretty figure I'd cut,
fellow with little more than his prac-
tice kneeling at the shrine of your
black-eyed heiress If the case was re-
versed-well," abruptly, 'by-by, old
boy!" and Lance was out of the glow
lrg luxury OF his friends royal bach
elor quarters and jolting citywarls in
the street car to his own uncomfortable
lodgings
June came, and with it heat intense
even for the month. The breath as of
II furnace, blasting through the dusty
city streets, was sitting, uncomfortable.
SO the annual fitting began and Eu-
rope, the CatsklIls, Saratoga and the
thousand minor Summer resorts grew
thrOnged with their fashionable merry
city patrons.
Marshall Amberg, lying lazily back
in the cool green gloom OF the Vene-
tians, slipping sherry and seltZer and
carelcssly cleaning the latest London
"Graphic" with half-shut eyes, issued
orders to his valet for a speedy depart
ure.
''Just as we'll, perhaps, Pm not going
to Saratoga this SUMNER" laughingly
sighed this modern philosopher. II
might. in some rash moment propose to
the lovely Claudia before l was posi-.
lively sure that it would be wholly ad.
Visable to make her Mrs Marshall
Amberg. When return-by George
wish | could forget the saucy little
beauty"
Miss Dcmars went too, and with hel
the sunshine of Lance Lanes life. All
through the hot, sweltering Summe,
weeks he worked necessarily.
'ln labor is forgetfulness, and he
prayed for forgetfulness. But wher
August neared it's end and a valiant
battle had been fought with disease and
city misery, with his own heart sick
ness, he was but a shadow of his right
Stawart self. .
''Take a rest, lad, or order you cof
fin," said old Doctor Walker, tersely
land when you come back you can have
my practice"
His practical That meant cool fouI
thousand per annumi SO scarcely know
ing what he did, he packed his vaiise
replenished his pocket book and bough
ticket for Saratoga.