Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-18
tempt on the part of her father to take her

SOluG6ly Wllu WlGn eHCllciuouV. 4>O'oh Do.oAo
had Mr.. Peyton been so devoted never Deiore
had she been so sure that he loved her, nor nad
she realized what it WAS to be so loved. -.
81 shall see you on Tuesday at the Grays,"
he said as they stood waiting for the car
rage, looking down with more tenderness
than he perhaps knew into the flushed, happy
face.
1t brightaned, if that were possible.
"But thought you said you were on duty
that day."
martial sooner than miss seeing YOU"
"That would be wrong" she said graVeiy,
with her earnest eyes fixed on his 1ace.
hope you would not neglect your duty on any
consideration. l am sure you would not, !"
she added in a tone of deep conviction.
81 never will after that, " he said in very
low voice. ......
"Do you know that this dance has begun
ever so long ago ?"' she said presently, land L
know that you are enged to Miss Talbot for
it,"
ssOh, Miss Talbot is so inundated with
partners that am sure she won't have waited
for me,' he answered carelessly. NeVerthe-
less, he found that she had waited for him,
though there were several gentlemen eager to
supply his place.
When he apologized she gave him bril-
forgave him.
Meantime the Darleys drove home. The
moon shone down on the father DOING in his
corner; on the mother, silent, with anxious
hopes and fears regarding her darling, and on
that darling, sitting upright and Wldea"ake,
gazing into the clear fosty sky, and nurmnr-
ing over again and again to herself, 81 am so
happy, am so happy"
1t was siX months later, one hot night III
June, that Florence barley followed her moth
er into another ball room. Only SIX months:
But a great deal of experience can be acquired
in that time, and Florrie had acquired rather
more than her share.
An ndescribable change had come over her
whole face and manner. Something of her
sweet freshness and happy content were gone:
A touch of restlessness, even fretfulness had
taken their place. She was profoundly indlf-
ferent to most Of her acquaintance as she
had been on former occasion, but she made
an effort to conceal it, and when she looked
round the room it was with haSty, furtlVe
gances.
No one rushed eagerly up to her now to
express delight at her arrival and to claim
half dozen dances. But Florrie had not
been in the room minute before she knew
that Mr. PeytOn was there. He was standing
by Alice Talbot who looked more brilliant
slowing her brightest smiles and all her pow
ers of fascination upon him. With miserable,
bitter humility, Florrie owned that it was no
wonder he had neither eyes nor ears tor any
one else But the acknowledgment did not
make it less hard to bear.
''She has so many admirers she might have
left him alone" said the poor little thing to
herself But she held herself bravely to out
ward appearance. A hundred times she check
ed herself in the act of letting her eyes wander
in search Of him. She laughed and talked SO
gayly that one of her partners remarked AFTER
wards that she never knew Miss barley had
so much fun in her." Once, when he ana
Alice passed close to her, she was apparently
50 deeply interested in her conversation that
she did not seem to see them. She might
have spared herself that small piece of .hypoc-
risy, for by him it passed unnoticed, and only
brought smile of derisiOn to Alice's face.
Florrie herself spent the rest of the night in
regretting For after all, a smile or bow
from him would have been better than moth
ing.
Mrs. barley looked anxiously in the girls
pale face and eyes that had SO deep a look of
pain in them, though the lips smiled so inces-
sanity.
II think, my darlng," she said at last,
"that it is time to CO."
ut is quite early" Florrie said wistfully.
She could not voluntarily give up the last
chance.
But the mother knew how vain it was to
wait, and that the sooner they went the better
it would be for Florrie's peace.
81 am tired, DEAR" she said gently, 'and
it is later than you think"
Then Floriie acquiesced at once. 1t was
over, then, this evening that she had looked
forward to with such feverish hope and fear;
and what had it brought only the establish
ment of the miserable conviction that she had
fought against for weeks past. He was in
deed lost to her. Yet with the inconsistency
of human nature, she began at once to con-
slider when and where she might have another
opportunity of seeing him. She thought that
even an occasional glimpse of his face, word
or SMILE would satisfy her. And she had it.
At the top of the stairs they met him and
Alice.
"Going already % said the latter gaily.
"Have you enjoyed yourself, Florrie %
Every much, said Florrie, promptly, and
was about to pass on, for her mother was al
ready at the foot of the stairs, when Mr.. Pey-
ton checked her by saying, with slight ex-
preston of uneasiness on his handsome lace:
II was SO sorry you were out when called
yesterday. l came to say good bye. am on
to Southampton tomorrow, thence to India
u,
eyes off the girls sensitive face, could not
detect by the qnver of a muscle that this was
the first intimation Florrie had had of the
fact. She looked with cold composure at the
young man as she said quietly
II am very sorry we missed YOU"
''And you will not stay and give me one
dance ?' he said.
81 am afraid can't. My mother is tired"
"Well, you must keep one for me at the
first ball we meet at on my return from
India.''
''Oh, certainly, if you are not eaten by
tiger in the meanwhile" she answered, laugh
ing ''Good bye bon voyage" And with
a nod and a smile she ran lightly down the
staircase.
He turned to Alice
~ won't let myself be eaten by tiger as
long as know you, my darling, are waiting
for me-"
''IIush !" she said glancng round uneasily.
"You must make fortune before you can
have the right to call me that. My father
will never consent otherwise"
''Trust me. Only say you will be true to
me.n
She raised her lovely eyes to his face for
moment, and he did not notice that she SAID
nothing.
lie walked home in the early morning smok
a cigar and building catles in the air. Of which
Alice Talbot was always queen while Flor
rie, still in her ball dress, knelt in her little
room at the top of the house beside the open
window, looking over the wide expanse OF
London chimney tops, and SobDlng:
IL am SO miserable-1 am so miserable"
1t was eighteen years since that memora-
BILE hunt ball. which Florence barley had
marked as white-letter day in her life, when
ebo onca moro fOuud herself within these