Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-08-06
The Stnrp Teller.
A MOMENT OF TERROR.

Rena Grange was the prettiest girl in Boil
ton, and the biggest firt.
All girls flirt, you say? Well, perhaps,
but T think I know several who do not.
Rena certainly did. She could never see
man without making eyes at him, and very
handsome eyes hers were, and eloquent; she
could make them say anything.
think Rena was so much in the habit OF
flirting, that she tried her hand on the wo-
men sometimes. Certainly they were al
most as much in love with her as their sons, ~
which proves that, Notwithstanding the
story am going to tell you, Rena must have
had kind and generous heart, and a great
many other good qualities, or the women
whose sons she fooled would not have been
so ready to forgive her and take her to their
arms.
I am not making any excuse for flirting.
I consider it one of the meanest devices
Satan has ever invented for the beguiling OF
man. But I knew the. girl 1 call Rena
Grange we'll; and I confess 1 could never
see that she had but that one fault. She was
the most truthful girl ever knew, and the
most unselfsh. She must have been born
firt. I cannot account for her being one in
any other way. After all, it only amounted
to this:
She had what she thought was an inno-
cent fashion of laughing and jestlng with
young fellows, of lifting her small roseoud
of them with eyes whose expressiveness,
perhaps, she did not herself know.
Among Rena's married friends there was
one, much older than she, of whom she was
especially fond. Her name was Mercer.
She was widow, havinglost her husband
under peculiarly painful circumstances,
when they had been married only two years;
She had never married again. and seemed
to live only in her son, her only child, who
was in California, where ne had oeen i Ior n'e
wears past. Rena had never seen him.
Mrs. Mercer thought Rena the sweetest,
loveliest girl that ever was made. She did
not think she had one fault. Even that
foolish habit she had of trifling with gentle
men quite amused her, till her son Fred
wrote that he was coming home.
Then, indeed, the mothers heart misgaVe
She knew that Rena's parents would nev-
er consent to her marrying even a young
man with Fred's perfections without money:
She was one of those women VINO tell all
their thoughts, except now and then, when
thew keep a secret that destroys them.
"Rena dear" she said frankly, the first
time she saw her favorite after her sons let
ter, 81 want you to promise me that you
won't f1irt with Fred"
Rena laughed, and then made face.
Snow, Mrs. Mercer, you are as bad as the
rest. You know never fiirt."
"I.know you do, my darling, dreadfully,
and I don't suppose, in general way, it
matters much. Most men have tough
hearts. But now and then there is one
whose nature is so infiammable, that for a
pretty girl like you to smile and look sweet
at him is like spark to gunpowder."
"Really, you quite Aatter me-" said Rena,
gaily. ~ had no idea that was so dan
gerous."
The elder lady looked distressed.
"Dear Rena," she said, "you know how
love YOU, and how dearly if such thing
were possible, should like you for daugh-
ter. But even if you liked Fred, which is
impossible, you know that your parents
would never consent, and so, dear, l wish
YOU wouldn't firt with him. Now, that is
frank, is it not?"
There was look of trouble in Mrs. Mer-
GERS face, which Rena was quick to see,
but not to fully interpret, not having the
kew. If her friend had told her all, it might
have made difference, and it might not.
Who knows?
AS it was, she really did mean to be care
full about Fred Mercer. She had already
one or two unpleasant "reminiscences con-
nected with young gentlemen to whom
Sne naO DSeu COO kllu, dll SIG ulu uoo
wish to add to the list.
Still, she had heard so much of him from
his mother, his good looks, his manliness,
intelligence, his affectionate disposition, his
passionate temper, that she was very curl
Gus to see him.
She was disappointed in him. Instead of
the gay, eager and impulsive young fell
low she had expected, she saw tall, cold,
naughty reserved man who looked much
older than he really was, and in place Of ap-
pearing at all dazzled by her charms, show
ed her only marked GOODNESS and avoidance.
Rena's vanity was piqued.
"He shall at least treat me decently," she
resolved and set to work, as only woman
can, to make him do so.
The result any one could have foreseen.
In week he was at her feet, not as others
had been though.
s'I did not want to love you," he said
simply; "my mother told me you had no
heart, but you love me, Rena. If you do
not, Heaven help mew
Rena hung her head. The agony of his
voice, his looks, pierced her like knife.
She had led him on she knew that she had
enticed him with every sweet word and
look.
81 am a wicked girl" she said to herself.
II deserve anything-and after what dear
Mrs. Mercer said to me, too"
"You do love me, Rena? was sure of
it," he said. "My mother told me no, that
you looked at every one the same way, but
I would not believe it. You will be my
wife, darling?'
Lower, lower went the bright head.
"No," she said; "no."
But she could not look at him.
He turned cold.
''You don't mean it-you can't mean it !"
he cried passionately ''no woman could do
by man as you have done by me, and not
love him."
GAS long as I live," Rena thought, 81 will
never flirt with anyone again."
Fred Mercer fell on his knees before her.
Her handsome face was white. The de-
spair and entreaty of his looks were fright
full to see.
"You do-you must love me" he said
once more.
Rena turned away her head.
"No," she answered again; mo. If mar
rying you would right the wrong l have
done you, would be your wife. But you
know as we'll as l do that no woman could
wrong man more than by marrying him
when she did not love him."
"But I will teach you to love me-"
"Oh, no, no; forgive me-"
He rose to his feet.
81 will never forgive you" he said bit
terly; "you have done me a wrong for
which you can make no atonement except
the one of becoming my wife. You Will not
do that-very we'll. You have ruined my
life, and you did it deliberately. You tried
to do it. If ever the time comes when L, can
make you suffer as you have me, l will 40
it,"
And then he was gone. Rena Grange
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