The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-23

house for washing bill; but III place Oh IL
there were fragments of paper lying Oh the
floor sufficient for tho manufacture of six
full-sized paper pillows With aching head,
vet little consoled withal, the rector stum-
bled up stairs to his weary pillow.
If he used a thousand sheets for his letter it
may be safely computed that one thousand
and one was all that was required for the en-
tire correspondence Small was the paper
and few the lines of Mrs Barbara Temples
answer.
"Dear Mr. Brent"-thus it rali-"I have
received your letter of apology, and cannot
say that it is at all more than the occasion re-
uuired. At the sama time, as you are sensible
Of the ;mpropricty of your behavior, l hope
YOU will now forget it, as shall. One stlpu-
lation only make. The subject of marriage
or, indeed, aay al!usion to what passed be-
tween us yesterday-must never be made.
On these terms you are free to resume your
intercourse with my daughters and myself.
Truly yours, BAKBARA TEMPLE"
"a very handsome letter." Mr.. Brent said.
"I shall take her Mt her word" and after
lunch he drove over to the house with O
splendid present Of fruit and flowers, and be-
ing received in the usual friendly way by
mother and daughters, and his character be-
ing slight one, not permanently lmpressi-
bic, he half forgot the misery of his exit from
the place yesterday. Only when he first
spoke to Mrs. Temple there was trepidation
in his voice and manner; but she was SO OBJ
yiously determined to keep her promise that
he gradually grew composed. Once only his
courace quite failed him. Caroline, the
student, was reading history, and with that
slight affectation of intellectual pursuits, from
which not even her mothers lectures could
p11ard her, she tried to call the rector's atten
ton to her lofty employment. The question
she asked him was an unfortunate one. She
was an ardent Liberal, and inquired, in
pause in the conversation, if he did not think
that great good had arisen from the French
revolution. The rector was SO confounded by
this inapposite Interrogation that he nearly
tumbled off his chair
The next day his thoughts were driven into
another channel At breakfast he got a letter
from his son announcing his arrival in Lon
don, and saying that he would be in Kettle
well at half-past four that afternoon. Amidst
the vexation of the last two days, this was
prospect full of relief, and the young fellow
was received with more than paternal well
come Before dinner was over, between the
influence of meat and wine and the society of
his son, all acting on trivial nature, easily
moved, the rector was quite comfoltcd Now
he. could have faced Mrs Barbara Temple
with Jest and look Of pleasantly At least,
so he fancied.
Brent junior was good-looking young fel-
low of three and twenty, with trunk, SIM
ple manner we'll suited to his years. Men
tally he was much superior &C his father, and
every sentence showed it; but he behaved
with filial Difference which was pleasant to
see.' All through the dinner there was
touch OF rreoccupation and even sadness
about him, and upon this his father remarked
as soon as they were alone.
~ hope you have not left any one behindi"
the father asked humorously.
"No," tie son answered, with blush and
laugh. "You don't think me quite simple
ton in this matter, do you!"
.'Well, Percy, you are young" the sage
father replied "At my time of life if man
fell in love with picture, l think he would
be bit of an ass. But then am forty-nine.
have age and experience, and knowledge of
the world" ..
"You are very kind to take it in that way"
the son answered. II really don't want to be
laughed at"
as this wonderful picture in your posses
sion." Brent senior inquired next.
.aYes," the young fellow answered eagerly;
and ho was dartmg up stairs to fetch it.
Pausing on his way, he said: 81 had better
tell you the story Of it first"
He made no bad picture himself, leaning
carelcssly against the Sideboard, his face and
eyes kindling rs he spoke with the delight of
the subject. Little Mr.. Brent regarded him
with no small pride; and the young fellow,
with light bashfulness which made the
little narrative the more interesting, told his
story.
N met all artist out there, and he and be.
came great friends. He fell i'll. and l nursed
him, and when no was getting bettar, one
day, to pass the time, he asked mo to look
over 1is portfolio There was great deal in
it for which I cared nothing; but just at the
end he drew out little sketch of q girl
head and shoulders-with border OF simple
white dress, and, as ! thought, the loveliest
face I ever saw. I was quite dumb as l
looked at it, and there and then, father, l
fell in love; and declare to you felt that
even if this woman were only painters
ideal, still, so had she captivated me, that 1
could never give my heart to any living
woman. The memory of this picture would
possess me, and would hang, as it were,
above the living face and rebuke its imper-
fections. You are not laughing"
81 am forty-nine, Percy" the father said,
with the calmness of wisdom "You arc
twenty-four."
"Well, shall not trouble you with long
story" the young fellow continued. Luckily
for me, my friend was lying on couch, and
did not perceive my agitation, or he might
have laughed me out of the dream. l found
the sketch represented real living girl-a
real living girl, father!-unmarried, English,
and best of all, living not far from here. L
asked for the picture, which he gave me
readily. Curiously enough, he did not seem
to see in it the supcrlative beauty which [
saw. Oh. how hung over that picture! How
| idolzcd it, 1t WIS near me night and day,
and ut every glance my love for the original
increased. Father, that is the woman l shall
marry, if ever marry at all"
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