Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-30
The Stprp Teller.
THREE PEOPLE.

ANA so SIlo Is cOlllluS al loot, DoiSO'
"Oh, yes" excitedly. 'She is coming to-
day, and have fixed up her room so pref
tily, and we-you and I, Harold-will try
and make her contented and not let her miss
her gayeties. And we will take her to all
the pretty places, and get up little parties for
her, and-and-everything?" says Dulce
vaguely, as she pauses for breath and pats
in friendly way, the brown hand resting
beside her whittier one. -,
"And probably get snubbed for our palms,
says the young man, gloomil y: u don't
like eany of it, Du!ce! I shall not like this city
lady who is coming. to spoil with her high
and mighty ways, all our cosy little walks
and talks. She will take you from me, Dulce.
She will tell you l am too big and brown
and rough for tender little girl like you;
She will talk to you about her lily-hngered
tresses, and their divine taste in carpets and
Wallpapers what do I know OF such
things, dear. know every inch of the old
Craigmair Wood by heart. l can row q
boat with the best of them. l can shoot,
ride, and catch more speckled trout in one
day than they ever saw in all their dainty,
perfumed lives; and have loved you so
dearly, Dulce, that you have grown not to
dislike my rough and homely ways, and
YOU have found the little good that there
was in me, dear. And now," still more
gloomily, "Miss Helen Mars, who is crit
ic and woman of the world to her tnger-
tips, is coming, and when you see her slyly
smile and hear her murmur something about
rustic swain, you will be ashamed you
ever said you loved me; and when J. see
that-for you were never good at hiding
things, Dulce-then l shall say that you
knew from the very first how it would be-"
The girl in the sWaying hammock laughs
lightly, but nestles near the detected figure
on the camp stool, and says:
''Nonsense, Harold; how can you paint
such wretched pictures? Now, if l were
easily frightened should just put my, tin-
the first sign of Miss Mars approach-th
to remain and eat berries, if there were
any. and be covered at night by the tradi-
tional birds with the legendary leaves.
Why should she poke fun at you? She
won't ard if she should, do you suppose ia
listen? A rustic swain, indeed" indig--.
nantly. "More likely she will fall head
over ears in love with you. am sure
she never saw any one so handsome, so
strong, and so altogether to be desired"
"Stop, Dulce, stop!' cries the young man,
holding up both nands. 1T is not likely that
Miss Mars will even notice that am pres
erlt. She will quite overlook me. How
cheap l shall feel Indeed, begin to feel
so already. One might have me for almost
nothing-such bargain"
"I don't think you'd be cheap at any
price," says Dulce, at which they both
laugh, and Harold says: "Come my sweet
heart, and walk to the gate with me. 1
must be out of sight before the dragon who
is to spoil our summer, comes. She would
not fancy even such a nonentity as to
fho
stained and dusty. I will come tonight
and make my best bow and utter few po-
lite lies to the effect that am glad to see
her here and hope her health may be i'm
proved by country residence. And she will
look me over and smile at my elephantine
attempts at society nothings-and then
and then-I shall take my hat and say
Goodnight, Miss Mars; good night Miss
Rodney and touch the tips of your fingers
before I go alone here, Dulce, where you
always 60 with me-"
They are walking together now, ever the
soft green grass, under the great oak trees
whose rustling branches seemed to whisper
to each other and laugh at the lovers vows,
breathed beneath, to little side gate half
hidden in the shrubberry that divides Dulce
Roddey's home from the larger, more eX-
tensive Craigmair, the property of this tall,
stalwart young fellow, who strides along,
cutting at the tall grass with his walking
stick, and looking as thoroughly out OF
humor as handsome, care-free bit OF mas
culinity can look.
"It seems to me, Harold, you are making
yourself odious for no reason at ALL" says
Dulce decidedly. "Miss Mars is sure to be
nice and pleasant, and it is unkind and sell
fish, Harold, to make such fidget, when
you might" insinuatingly, "make it so nice
for u.s."
II dare say YOU are right, Duce--you al
ways are. will 60 to the utmost limits of
hospitable possibilities to take that little
wrinkle out of your forehead"
He took her in his arms as he speaks,
and Dulce's nose sinks contentedly into his
coat-collar.
'How is it that mite like you can so
take possession of a great person, as am,
and make him do 50 gladly what he most
hates? I shall be very glad to see Miss
Mars now, and you shall pay me for being
glad-how Pin kisses, Dulce, my darling"
He raises her head and presses his lips to
her soft, warm mouth.
When Dulce is at last in undisputed pos
session of herself she says, with 4 little up
ward glance: "Don't fall in love with her,
Harold She is very lovely, papa says"
he stands, with his arms folded upon the
top, looking down upon her with half
teasing, half-tender smile. Some how
little pang goes through Dulce's heart as
she looks up at the. fond face, with dark,
laughing eyes meeting hers. The mouth
is weak and irresolute-the only fault to be
found in the handsome manly face.
land are you afraid of that horrible pos
sibility, Dulce, my own?" he asks gayly,
drawing her closer to him.
She laughs brightly. "If could not trust
you should be in agonies of despair at the
present moment, instead Of sending you
home so that l may 60 back and dress.
You must go now or shall be late. Good
. by, and come early tonight" and Dulce
goes happily across the lawn, looking back
once, just in time to catch and blush at a
caress thrown from the tips of Harold's
fingers as he fingers, looking after her.
Very fair is Dulce Rodney's home, with
the soft moonlight over it. The low stone
house with the wide verandas, upon which
the long windows open and show within
vista of bright lights and velvet hangings
of dark and glowing tints. Outside, the
wide, low steps running down to the smooth
lawn, dotted here and there with beds of
scarlet flowers, and beyond all the CLINT of
the great ocean perfectly quiet but for the
soft tapping of the waves on the pebbly
shore.
Very quietly and lovely it looks to the
young man coming through the little gate
and into the shadow of the shrubbery: He
looks toward the house, "Can they be so
lost to the beauties of this night as to be
there? Probably" with growing disgust,
"Miss Mars has lively fear of the touch of
Gods dew upon her dainty feet"
But, as he looks toward the group of trees
where swings the many-colored- hammock,