The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-07-05
"'Why ?" I asked half unconsciously.

ocChoSo lHe star tnat Is lllUmlDg
everything without and within will flash
meteor-like from the horizon he said,
softly.
81 tried hard to control my emotion,
and succeeded, think. for never had
met his gaze moro calmly. Just then
Mrs: Grey called Bertha, and, very glad
OF the interruption, [ turned and went
with my friend, calling back to him
laughingiy:
"Iou may stay and watch your favor
ite night, Mr.. Grey, while its beauty
"It has lost both already" he returned,
porntedly, and feltmy face burning with
bushes. All, Georgia, the dreams that
haunted my sleep that night
But the early morning mail brought
sad news to me of my brothers death,
and our sudden descent from wealth to
poverty. He was fond of speculation.
and had been remarkably successful un-
til lately, when fortune turned from him
in an enterprise in which he had staked
also he lost all. / must stay where T
was for the present, my sister wrote, m
til we could find home.
81 told them of it all after awhile.
Bertha and Mrs. Grey sympathized with
me kindly and sincerely. But through
it all Elroyd Grey was silent
: "From that time | perceived a cold
ness m his manner, and he gradually
drew away from all his old habits. Ber-
tina and l were alone in all our walks
and rides, and we propelled our own
boat over the CLASSY lake, leaving Mr.
Grey to attend to the important business
that cngrossed so much of his attention.
Whatever grief | might have felt at dis
covering that I had been worshiping
clay IDOL, none Of them knew.
81 was reSolute and determined, and
before the month was half out all nv
plans were settled. / knew that my
sisters would be compelled to labor for
a maintenance, and / resolved from the
first that | would bear my part of the
burden. Without asking advice from
any one, [ answered an advertisement
for govcrncSs that | had seen and in
two weeks received a letter of accept.
ancc.
''Whcn / wrote to my sisters and ap,
priscd them of the step had taken. they
warmly opposed it, and declared that
they were more than able to support me-
but I was firm and would not yield. At
! this time my friends were utterly igno-
! rant Of my intentions. A week before
my departure [ was standing at the gate
waiting for Bertha to join me in ride,
when Elroyd came up and asked little
! anXiously:
"'Will you not tell me now what yol
intend doing, Miss Chester? You know
we are all anxious TO know
81 told him without hesitation. He
listened until [ had finished, and after
awhile said, with an anxiety which he
Strovc to conceal:
"Thanks for your confidence. And,
| since you are going away so soon, per
haps you would like to take with you
this remembrance of my happiness. ]
am going to be married to Miss vii.
loughby.'
81 was conscious Of n heart throb that
startled me, aud of some intense gric1
which I could not explain. But 1 met
his waverin8 glance steadily, and re,
piled:
"I hope that you may be very hap,
py.'
"Bcrtha came just then, and ] went
with her, thanking heaven in my heart
that my wealth had been suddenly
snatchcd away, since it had been the
mcans of proving to me that Elroyd
Grey bowed down with the thousands OF
! others in his Worship of mammon
"Thrcc years passed away. My elder
sister married Mr.. Arnold. Her hus,
band died, and she soon followed him
leaving her little Georgia to my care
Then came another change, that seemed
like some beautiful vision from fairy
land to myself and sister An uncle
whom we had long supposed to he dead
camc back from Australia, wealthy an(
tired of wandering. He took us botl
under his care, and we were at rest and
! peace at last.
"Elroyd Grey came again and tried t,
weave the old. subtle web around me
But J. had broken its mcshcs once, ant
they were pOwcrlcsS DOW.
81 turned away heart sick from all hi
VOWS and protcstat1ons, ana told him l
could nevcrhc. And So Georgia, it al
| ended. He went away, and ] never saV
| him aftcrwarl. My life has been Quic
and peaceful, but there is n wound il
my heart that blCcds afrcsh when / hca
of the vain worship of worthless idols.
In the gathering gloom Georgia WEI