The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-07-28

Wnell he was gone. IL snail tell him
all tomorrow"
NO." said Mrs. Margaret, "wait a
week. Promise me you'll wait week,
Sybella?''
So Sybella waited, and Aunt Marga-
ret, watching, saw the signs she waited
for, though this loving woman had as
yet no suspicion of the truth.
-Four days had passed.
| 1t was bright day, and there was to
be Il pleasant picnic party that after
noon. Sybclla and her bethrothed were
among them. They were all old friends
and Mrs. Ruthvcn was III her gayest
mood, and chatted merrily with all
perhaps little more with a shy young
fellow of eighteen, who was in the COM
pany, than with any other, because of
his youth and shyness.
Arthur Austin had begun the day in
his usual good spirits; hut as it went on
he grew gloomier and gloomier, and at
last relapscd into perfect silence. In
vain did his betrOthcd endeavor to cheer
him. lie scarcely spoke or looked at
her, and at last his manner began to
have effect upon the whole party. One
after tile other grew dismal, and the
return home was as solemn as Il funeral
procession.
at Sybella's door Austin lifted his
hat coldly and babe her good evening
without even Il pressure of the hand.
You are coming in, Arthur?' she
said, softly.
"No," lie answered.
care you ill.,"
At that he turned sharply upon her
and said aloud: "No, I am not ill. |
am not blind-that is all Nor deaf,
| either. l have watched and listened
to-day to my cost. Good eveningn'
"What did he mean, aunt?n cried
| Sybella, when the door had closed,
"What has been done? 1 saw nothing. y
'1Ie is pretending to be jealous of
young Mordaunt, said Aunt Margaret,
quietly. "Sybella, have courage. lie
means to quarrel and break it off with
you, now that he thinks you penniless.
Tell him the truth, and lie will soon re-
cover from his jealousy. Keep it to
yourself, and you will never be able to
mollfy him."
And this time Sybela only sighed.
But she went to her room and wrote IL
pretty letter to her lover, begging him
to come to her, and when he came she
met him with an offer of her lips, which
he shocked her by rejecting.
You know how have been offended,
Sybella," he said. "You know you
flirtcd with that boy Mordaunt all dayn'
II did nothing of the kind! l never
tiirted in my life; why should l begin
to do SO now? No woman was ever
truer than have been to you!"
ae"l doubt it!' said he. 81 have seen
mn"h, and suspect more; and, since
your conduct has alienatcd my heart
fltlI 1t. n I1I nIf
only one way of managing these things.n
Sybella looked earnestly at him. She
saw no jealous madness there; only Il
cool determination to set aside his en-
gagemcnt with Il woman whom he had
never loved, and whose fortune had
been his only object from the first.
And she knew that Aunt Margaret
had been right; but she loved him SO
well, and trusted him so entirely, that
it seemed to her as if the knowledge
would rend soul from body. She tried
to hide her tears, but III vain,
Slowly she drew her engagement ring
from her finger and put it into his hand
and turned away. At the doora strong
hand grasped hers. 1t was Aunt Mar
garet's. She led her niece to her room,
and returned to the parlor before Arthur
Austin had left it.
Standing before him, locking straight
at mm, she said: $50, sir, you have
been tried in the furnace and found
wanting! You know that my niece's
loss Of fortune is at the bottom of this.
DON'T prevaricate; you know it is true.
L nave seen through you from the first"
vt is not your affair, believe" Ar
thur answered, sulliily. 'Of course,
when man expects to marry money, he
isn't pleased to find himself Saddlcd with
q poor wife and her beggarly relations.
But of course was jealous. I've broken
it all off with Sybella on that account,
and iG's her own fault"
"She has had Il lucky escape, Mr..
Austin," said Aunt Margaret; "but be-
fore you go, let me tell you little Sc
cret. Sybella has not lost her money.
The bank that failed had not penny
OF hers in it. And as for the beggarly
relatiOn-yOu mean me, you know
poor Aunt Margaret is worth her $50.
900, and every shilling of it is to be LEI
to her dear niece Sybella Ruthven.
warned her that you did not love her. }
forced her against her will to put you
to the test. And now see that was
right, and you may go, Mr.. Arthur
Austin.n
Mr.. Austin departed. A month after
ward he wrote penitent letter to Sy-
bella, telling her that he believed him
self to have been causelessly jealous, and
quoting good deal from Byron and
Shakespeare on the subject. But the
woman who is fooled twice by the same
individual must be a hopeless idiot, and
Mrs. Ruthven will remain Mrs. Ruth
ven until some better man asks her to
change her name.