The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-07-05
AUNT SOPHIE'S STORY.

AUNT S0PHIE'S STORY.
DO you know, Aunt Sophie, that you
have never told me the romance of your
long ago? / came i'll just to hear it this
evening" And grave look came into
Georgia's merry blue eyes. Miss Chester
turned her glance from the far-off dream
lard of the opal sunset to the little
beauty who was knecling daiutily before
her.
GLOW can you imagine that any
romance is connected with my past,
Georgia p
The young lady glanced up at her
cunts deep, liquid brown eyes, and the
heavy folds of satiuy dark hair that the
last sunbeams had changed to golden
just then, and exclaimed, with her usual
candor:
ooh, I know it very well, Amt
Sophie. Beautiful as you are-thcrc,
don't deny it would give--wel, j
would give my diamond set just to have
such glorious eyes. Now, tell me why
yon didn't marry.
every we'll, Georgia, if it will CRAFTY
you, you shall have those pages from my
heart-bool1 read. You may profit by the
lesson it teaches.
"My father died when I was still n
child, leaving me to the care of my
brother and two elder sisters. My father
had all his children educated Mt home.
and would have followed the same. plan
regarding myself if he had lived. for he
did not fancy the idea of sending girls
away from home to be educated. But
my brother thought differently, and
xtrl,n / l,1 II 4
boarding school in another State"
"Four years passed, and among my
friends at school there was one to whom
I was bound by the warmcst ties of
friendship-Bertha Grey. At last the
vacation came when she must return TO
her distant home, and she cntreated me
to accompany her. Ny brothers con-
sent was gained, and Bertha and were
happy rs possible.
He came for us--Bcrtha's brother
Elroyd Grey. 1t would be IMPOSSIBLE
Georgia, to describe him. His rale
charm was something indclinablc. In
the seclusion in which had always lived
L had mingled =, but slightly with the
world. Every Sunday, in the ST.
Berthold church, to which we were
marshalco by our prcceptress, faint
vision came to my eyes of the splendor
and magnifcencc of life outside the
college walls, but among Ill the faces
had scanned SO curiously there had never
been one to compare with his. was
but foolish child, perhaps, but when
his deep voice came to me, rich,
melodious, modulated, my verv heart
would pause i'll its throbbing. 1 have
thought since that he understood and
eXerted his strange power at will.
But L was quiet and reserved, and
resisted all his attempts to establish n
friendly intimacy with pcrtinacity of
which [ was ashamed even then. Bertha
was my friend, and to her alone did
cling, wishing not for others. Wa
arrived at Bertha's home, and / was m
troduccd to Mrs. Grcy--a tall, pale lady,
who greeted Inc with such kindness that
the tears came mbidien to my eyes.
81 can hardly tell how the next two
months passed. Swiftly, like an hour of
golden, glowing dreams, that we remem-
ber afterward with q strange thrill of
pain. EIroyd, Bertha and IA pleasant
little trio--rode, walked, talked. had
boating excursions out over the CLASSY
little lake, sat on the gallery in the beau
tlful, calm, moonlit night and sung sweet
old songs that thrilled all the chords of
the heart with their exquisite pathos
and when every other amusement was
exhausted III the long, glowing summer
DAYS, we sought the library. ] do not
know when the consciousness came to
'ae HrSt OF my love for EIroyd Grey. it
was almost overpowering in it's depth and
intensity. L concealed it so sedulously
That even Bertha, to whom I had COM
mumcated every secret for the past few
years, never suspected the truth. We
rode, wal liked and talked ns usual we
hoated out over the mirror ike surface of
the lake in the jubilant summer evenings,
and still | kept my hearts idol-worship
enshrlncd sacrcdly in my heart.
we stood one evening at the gate,
Bertha, ElrOyd and ]. 1t was a peaceful
scene upon which VIC were looking. The
sky, with its cleaning stars, was re-
hected in the motionless lake. Even the
mocking bird hushed its juhilant chorus,
as if to listen to the silence.
I "What calm and peaceful night
What rest, what quiet Would that it
might continue forever, murmured FL
royd, turning his eyes upon mo with O
took that always rendered me restless and
uneasy.
"'You arc insatiable,' I said with a
laugh.
eyes. [ want this glorious night to
stay, with its deep rest and peace. But
] know that the peace / sec now will van.
ish almost as quickly as the night.