The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-02-03
MISTAKEN.
T~houghtless Words and tho Results They
Wrought In Two Young Lives.

AZ PiaJeN bihong the rcCuS and tall
grasses on che bank and ran lightly up
the slope toward the white mansion on
the hillside, futtering the vines that
1rlnged the wide piazza where q group
OF young girls sat chatting, resting, or
pusyrlg themselves with dainty needle
work.
Whist . delicious brcczcr' exclaimed
Florence Freeman, rising as sho spoke.
The slender, thoughtful-looking young
man reclining unseen in the depths of q
large easy chair just within one of tho
long windows glanced up from tho
pages Of a book in which he had been
absorbed, and his dark eyes followed
her graceful figure admiringly.
ut sets me wild to be doing some
thing" she continued, pacing up and
down the long porch. 'Do you know,
girls" pausing abruptly, "wc'rc n set
81 slavcsP
30, FlorryP" exclaimed u laughing
$500, "now don't give us u lecture on
"oman's rights!"
Never fear; hat isn't what l was
ninking of. We are hindcrcd by cir
cumstances from being and doing what
NC feel is within us to be and do"
Listen, girls" interrupted another
dice, "Florry is on her high horse.
Now we shall sec some rancing."
Laugh away" returned Florence.
I'm in earnest. Why must we, be-
aause VIC happen to have driftcd into a
certain channel, or because a particular
course is marked Out for us by friends,
drift on down the stream or keep on in
the same course to the bitter end, even
though we must smother the best there
Is in our natures in doing SOP"
Intense feeling emphasized her words,
and her unseen listener found himself
wondering what personal experience
had prompted them. Amy Gray lifted
her eyes.
DUTY is often unpleasant" she said,
but it is best, after all, to have a settled
plan and purpose and cling to them
through everything. Think what q chaos
would result il we all followed our own
inclinations, and, worse than that,
whatever might for the moment be our
ruling passion"
Florence did not answer for a mo-
ment; her eyes were rowing across tho
wide sweep Of the river, where n white
snil glimmered in the afternoon sun
shine.
20, yes; there must be plans, Of
course, and they must be carried out, or
nothing would be accomplished. But
take special cases. There is cousin Dora,
for instance. Why must she give up
her painting to marry Fred Long, mere
ly because she promised to when n mere
child, and didn't know what she want
edp OF course / don't say anything
against Fred. He is good as gold, but
he can't appreciate her talents. Why,
he has begun to interfere with her plans
already. Says she works too steadily,
and wants her to give up some work
she had undertaken in order to be mar
ried sooner. She only laughed over it.
OF course she wouldn't say anything,
but we can all sec sho doesn't love him.
How can she, when lie has no sympathy
with her on that subject Now, why
cant she say SO, and be frcep"
'Sho feels her responsibility" said
Amy's soft voice. "She knows how de-
voted MIR. Long is to her."
"Sh-h! here she comes" whispered
Edith Stanley as a bright-faccd girl hut-
tered up from the garden. like a dainty
white butterfly, and perched herself on
the steps. A dead silence fell on the
group for q moment, and then Dora
turned her laughing face toward her
cousin: $50 on, FlorTy. You were Civ
ing a lecture, weren't youp | could hear
you Grating but couldn't catch o word
Of the discourse"
'.It's ended now" said Florence cool
ly, mentally resolving never to be SO
careless again in mentioning special
cases." ''and unless some one has taken
notes you can never hope to know any
thing about 1t, for it was quite inn
promptu." And, taking her cousins
arm, she marched her up and down the
piazza humming a gay air.
Meanwhile, within the windows the
young man sat m~otionless, his finger
still between the pages that only q few
moments ago held him spellbound, al
though his world had fallen In ruin
around him since Florence began her
lecture" Outside the breeze rang
among the tree-tops and rufled the
shining bosom Of the river. The August
sunshine lay mellow on the grass, but
he heard nothing, saw nothing.
The tea bell rang suddenly and start
ed him out of his m~editations. The
girls disappeared with much chatter and
gay laughter. and he rose mechanically
and walked like one in n dream down
through the garden and on into q little
grove beyond, his one thought to be
alone where no human eye could add
to his torment with its questioning
glance. There, under the trees, where
he and Dora played in childhood, he
walked to and fro. one sentence ring
ing In his ears like n sentence Of doom;
1--WE can all SEQ she doesn't love him."
1t was hard to come down from the PIN
nacle whore he had imagined himself
crowned king Of one heart.
When Dora, only is then, had given
him her hand SO confidingly as they
walked together In this very grove
only IL was morning then, and spring
time, and the air was filed with the
scent Of wild crab.apple blooms, and she
wore them ut her throat; how plainly he
could SEQ her now, all in white, and tho
pink Of her cheek SO like tho dainty
blossoms he had taken tho gift M
quest5oningly, and no doubts had ever
assaile6 him. He knew her devotion
80 art and was proud Of her success, but
10 he'd never dreamed that it would DO
his rival " her e0actIonR