Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-22

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seem bat boys idle dream? Shall eve
/ forgetf'
CHAPTER III.
/ Mrs. Abbot drove home in her stately
/ carriage, thinking deeply. Her mind wa,
/ tolerably easy. She knew there was little
/ chance Of a young mans love Twins
/ through Yeas Of absence and silence
/ Frank would 90 into the great world anC
/ gaze on many fair face during that time,
1 till the beautiful face of Millicent Keene
for even Mrs. Abbot could not gain
say the girls beauty-wOuld gradu
ally fade from his thoughts. He
would taste the cup of ambition; he would
| see what power and station meant in the
world, and would soon laugh to scorn his
boyish dream. He would very quickly
realize the difference between Abbot, OF
ChewtOn Hall, and plain Frank Abbot
who had to earn the bread to keep wife
be she ever so charming. In fact, the
thoughts of Mrs. Abbot in her carriage
and Miss keene on her sofa were almost
identical, although the words which ex.
pressed them differed.
Save for one thing, Mrs. Abbots reflec.
ti0ns were very comforting. The draw
back was that she felt lowered in her own
eyes. She had made a mistake, and had
been treated with cOntumely. The vic.
herself. Il was not her cleverness. but
the girls right-mindedness which would
bring about the separation. She blamed
herself for having misread the girls char
acter, aud found her honest Indignation at
the imputation that her love for Frank
was Influenced by his possessions, morti-
flying to think Of. Still, matters had
turned out well. She would have the
satisfaction of telling her husband that
q mr. ho nj 4l,s,& . h.,
hope of the Abbots would not marry no
body's daughter. So busy was she with
these thoughts that she did not notice
when some three miles outside the smoky
town of Bristol, hOrseman approaching.
Upon seeing him, her cOachman gathered
up the reins preparatory to stopping his
horses; but, as the rider made a negative
gesture, he simply touched his hat and
drove on, while Frank Abbot and his
mother passed, neither apparently MOTTO
ing the other.
He was a handsome young fellow, and
without a cent to his name might have
given many wealthy competitor long
odds in the race for girls heart. Tall
and broad shouldered, clever face, with
deep-set eyes, large chin and firm lips.
He sat his horse gracefully, looking every
inch gentleman and an Englishman.
Not, one would say, the man to win a
woman's love and throw it aside at the
bidding of father or mother. Not the man
to do thing hastily and repent the deed
at his leisure. Rather a man who when
once engaged in pursuit would follow it
steadfastly to the end, whatever that end
might be.
1t was scarcely right that MilIicent
Keene should allow fear to mingle with
her grief at the approaching long separa-
ton from her lover. She should have
looked into that handsome, powerful face
and understood that years would only
mould the boys intention into the mans
determination.
Naturally he was at the present moment
rather down hearted. His mother having
learned his secret, had refused him SYM
pathy or aid Too well he knew she was
to be swayed neither by entreaty nor ar
gument.
He was now riding over to Clifton to
reiterate his love TO Millicent and to con-
suit as to future steps. AS he passed the
carriage he wondered what had brought
his mother in that direction. She had not
mentioned her intention of going to the
town, nor had she asked for his escort as
usual. Could it be possible that she had
driven over to visit Millicent? If so, he
knew it BODIED i'll; so, pricking on as fast
as he could, he reached Clifton just as the
girl had grown more calm and had
washed away the traces of her recent
tears.
Frank was terribly upset by her recital
of the events of the morning. Although
she did not repeat the whole cOnversa-
ton, he knew his mother well enough to
be able to supply what Millicent passed
lightly over. The proposed separation
was thunderstroke to him. In vain he
entreated the girl to reconsider her deter
mination. The promise was made. and
her pride alone would insure her keeping
it. OF course Frank vowed, after the
usual manner OF lovers, that love would
grow stronger in absence; and as he
thoroughly believed what he vowed, his
vows were very cOns0ling to the girl. He
declared he also would go to Australia,
marry Millicent, and take to sheep-farm-
ing, leaving the paternal acres to shift for
themselves. All this and many other
wild things the young fellow said; but
the end was a sOrrowful acquiescence in
the separation, tempered by the firm re-
solve of claiming her in four years time
in spite Of any home opposition. Having
settled this the heir of the Abbots rode
home in open rebellion against his par
ents.
This they were quite prepared for, and
had, like sensible people, made up their
minds to endure his onslaught passively.
His mother made no reply to his re-
proaches; his father took no notice of his
implied threats; but both longed for the
time to come when Miss Keene would SAIL
to distant shores and the work of sup
planting her might begin.
About one thing Frank was firm, and
Millicent, perhaps, did not try to dissuade
him from it. Until they were bound to
part, he would see her every day. Mr..
and Mrs. Abbot knew why his horse was
ordered every morning, and whence that
horse bore him at eve; but they said
nothing.
The fatal day came soon enough. Frank
went down to Plymouth to see the very
last of his love; and the mighty steam
ship Chimborazo bore away across the
deep seas one of the sweetest and truest
girls that ever won mans heart. A week
after she sailed Frank Abbot started on
his continental tour.
81 don't care much about it." he said to
himself dolefully enough; but it may
help to make some of the time pass
quicker. Four years, my darling. How
long it seems"
''He will see the world,'' said Mrs. Alb
bot. land learn that pretty face is not
everything
''He viii fall in and out of love with a
dozen girls before he returns said Mr..
Abbot, cynically.
years there had been little change in either
the possessions. or the position Of the Alb
bots Of Chewton Abbot; but, like other
people, they had occasional windfalls.
Some years after Mr.. Abbot succeeded to
the estate q new branch Of large rail-
way passed through an outlaying part of
his land, and he who made it boast of
never selling or mortgaging a single acre
was compelled by the demands Of public
convenience and commerce to part with
what the railway wanted. OF course he
obtained good round sum as compensa-
ton. This lay for a long time at his
bankers, waiting for any contiguous land
which might come into the market. After
a while, as no fields which he wished to
add to his own were open to buyers, at his
wife's suggestion he sought for another
and more profitable investment, and in an
evil hour became the proprietor of fifty
shares in a bank whose failure has now
become historical. He bought these shares
at premium; while he held them, they
went to a much higher premium, but no
doubt the same tenacity which led him to
cling to his acres made him keep to the