Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-01-03
gu Original Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
CELESTINE.
THE STORY OF A MISTAKE
CHAPTER I.

sShouldn't wonder if I did. News is
scarce nowadays"
ssI'n give you ten guesses and bet you
don't guess right"
"Oh, sho! Mary Ann, why do you both
er one so? You know well enough amt
no better at guessin' than aold blind horse.
Can't you say your say out ana De aone
with .5?"
s'Say, are you in hurry?"
ry? It's nothing but drive. drive with
me from nornin' till night. And here you
keep me waitin' to learn this fine news of
yours. hope it'll pay when do learn it."
'Well, I'll tell you, if you want to hear
it so bad. It's just this-Mr. Warrens 60
ing to be married."
"Mr. Warren! Oh, pho. You're Jokln'."
"Not much, ma'am. Well, if you're as
tonished at that, I'll tell you something
that'Il astonish you still more. MIR. war
rem is married, already"
s'Sakes alive Mary Ann; are you crazy?'
t'Just as much in my sober senses as ever,
Sarah It's gospel truth, though you mayn't
believe it. But I amt surprised at your
disbelief. When Miss Latimer told me,
YOU could have knocked me down with
feather, was that taken back: Mr.. War.
rem = says 1, Miss Latimer, it can't be true.'
Says she, 1T is true, Miss Lundy, sure as
you are standing there, for I've got the news
direct.'
"Oh, Miss Latimer told you, did she?"
eyes, and guess she ought to know"
Well she ought, if any body does. Let's
set down here in the shade, Mary Ann, and
you tell me all about it."
And Mrs. Mathewson, apparently forget
ting that she was in hurry, deposited her
self comfortably on a bench, placed for the
convenience of weary pedestrians beneath
the branches of a struggling tree at street
corner, and prepared to be enlighted. Mrs.
Lundy, however, brisk, 1.-the little woman,
preferred to remain standing.
"Oh, land! there amt anything more to
tell, as far as I know. Miss Latimer was
awful shut up about it, or else he hadn't told
her much. She just got letter from him
last night, saying he was married and 60
ing to bring his wife home, and to have
things ready for them; and that's about all
of the matter"
Sand when are they coming?"
"Oh, in day or so, guess. He'll be
here by Sunday"
"That's good; then We'll her at church.
Say, did you hear who she was?"
stSome French name, Miss Latimer men-
tioned-1 can't recollect it, Pm sure"
GA French ,conaan, too! Well, well,
.well!"
'sMind you, Sarah, don't say she is a
French woman" said Mrs Lundy rather Sc
verely, "and don't you go saying did. L
only remarked that her name sounded for
eign-" ....
"French, you said."
ssWell, sounded French. I amt French
scholar, nor scholar of any other foreign
languages, and SO much the better, as far as
nly opinion goes; so I won't be certain even
about her name. But be it French or be it
Portughee, or whatever else, it don't follow
that she amt American born, does it ?''
"Of course not" rejoined Mrs. Mathew
son, meekly.
eThen we won't be sure whether she'sna-
tive or foreign, till we know more about it.
All I can say is, that if Mr.. Warren has
gone and married foreigner, he's got less
sense than thought he had"
$50 say too," answered Mrs. Mathew
son. "I've no opinion of foreigners, more
especially French"
~ think they are a nasty set" said the
emphatic Mrs. Lundy. "And they are all
Roman Catholics"
stWell, Mr.. Warren surely wouldn't mar
ry Catholic, and he Protestant minister"
"Nobody knows what man'll DO II he
once gets taken in. Protestant or Catholic,
it would be all the same. But can't stop
here talking any longer-I've got my iron
ing waiting for me at home, and nobody to
"Good-bye," refectively answered Mrs.
Mathewson, as she picked herself and her
big market-basket up, and prepared to de-
part.
Mrs. Mathewson kept clearinghouse,
where, for moderate amount, clean beds
and good plain food could be obtained by
those whose means did not permit them to
seek the more aristocratic shelter Of the
"Independence Hotel"
Mrs. Lundy took in washing, and had a
mortal antipathy to the Chinese, who had
lately begun to infest Sandville, and whose
'dirty little Wash-houses," as she termed
their laundries, had been the means of de-
priving her of some of her customers, who
found they could get their washing more
cheaply done by celestial hands.
Miss Latimer, a respectable spinster who
had for many years presided over the Rev.
Silas Warren's bachelor establishment,
shared Mrs. Lundy's anti-Chinese senti-
ments, and would not, on any account, have
deprived the latter of her patronage. 1t
was during the process of sorting and count
ing the weeks clothes in the Rectory kitch-
en-, that the information concerning Mr..
Warren's late astounding feat had been
communicated and received.
Mr.. Silas Warren was already Nn the
shady side of forty, and up to this time
had been regarded as confirmed old bach
elor. He was a grave, austere man, OF
such retiring habits that few of his parish
toner's felt on intimate or confidential terms
with him, though all could testify to his
kindness and unselfshness, and many to
acts of special benevolence when special
cases called for his aid. Miss Latimer, who
best knew him, pronounced him saint,
and none cared to contrOvert her statement.
But Miss Latimer's opinion of his saintli-
ness had received shock ; her faith In him
was greatly shaken-unavoidab shaken
by the popularity of his present conduct.
Rejecting upon it, her reflections even
caused her to shed tears; but she wiped
them away in order to read and re-read the
unsatisfactory letter which she already knew
by heart.
Unsatisfactory it was, because so brief and
so bare of explanation. This was all it said.
"MY DEAR MISS LATIMER:
81 desire to communicate to you piece OF in
formation which, no doubt. will cause you some
surprise. was married this morning to young
lady with whom have become acquainted since
my arrival at this place, Miss Celestine Beaupre.
She is very beautiful and accomplished Will
you be kind enough to prepare the south room
for her use and see that everything is in order,
at once, may leave here any day. 1 trust
to you to arrange things suitably for her recep-
ton. We shall be in Sandville by the end of the
week. perhaps sooner. hope everything in the
parish is going on well. With Kind regards,
remain
'Sincerely yours
''SILAs \. WARREN
Every time Miss Latimer perused this
letter-or note, as it might rather be called
she shook her head, and sighed dolorously !;
not once, but several times. Every time
she set about her usual occupations, she be-
gan to cry, because she could not help think
Il 1, ,kp