The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-08
RUINED BY HIS HAT.
BY BENJAMIN NORTHRoP.
NEW YORK, March

not. Yes, am. Well, I'll tell you al
about it. and you can judge for yourself
You remember pretty May Spalding-
that dainty little blue eyed, golden-haired
maiden who summered with the Wander
dusens at Newport last season2 Well,
she has been with the st. Georges in
New York, and am head over heels in
love with her. I have been buzzine
around her like moth around candle
ever since snow fell. So has that odious
Jenkins. You remember Jenkins? HI
is the same disayreeable wretch he was
when you knew hin-rich and good
looking, so some foolish women think,
though to save my life cannot see where
it comes in. The St. Georges gave q
party last week. She was there and SO
was I. So also was that miserable
Jenkins. Some people never do know
enough to stay away from where they
are not wanted. About 10 o'clock
asked Miss Spalding to walk with me
into the conservatory. There we found
rustic seat in the shade of a big cactus
plant and sat down. After few minutes
of embarrassing silence I sighed melt
ingly.
"Why do you sigh2" she asked.
"Dont you know?' I replied, mean.
insly.
she thought moment and then re-
Piled: "Yes, I think l do"
My heart gave great bound directly
into my throat. She had noticed my
love! My devotion had touched her
heart and now I was to receive my re-
wardl
TIT was that chicken salad" she an
swered, in heartleSs, cold -blooded tone
of voice. ''Chicken salad is the worst
thing you can possibly eat be- ore retiring,
and I saw you last evening eat four
dishes"
"Only three" interrupted; "but, Miss
May" l added, appealingly, sit isn't the
salad that makes me sigh"
''No?" she replied, IN that same hard
tone that reminded me most forcibly at
this unhappy moment of the silver plated
head of the screw which the undertaken
makes fast in the casket just at the close
of the funeral ceremony. ''Then it must
have been the cream. Salad and cream
never 60 well together"
Don't be cruel" exclaimed, don't
make sport of me, beg you. Indeed, it
was not anything have caten."
mo? Then you must have drank some
thing that didn't agree with you. Really,
Mr.. Bronson, you should he more careful
of yourself. Your are far from strong, you
krow."
"Nliss May" I cried with deep emo
tion, 'it wasn't the tea, the ice-water,
the salad, nor yet the biscuits, the cream,
the cakes, nor even was that sigh
brought out by the coffee. Oh, Miss
May, can't you guess what it is that gives
me such pain?'
II am not good at conundrums.
replied Miss Spalding in a wa
that really did more to derange my
hillary system than if had eaten all there
was on the table the previous evening al
single mouthful. l arose in mute and
touching expostulation.
Speaking of conundrums," she OBJ.
served, iu the same wintry tone, scar
you tell me what time it is, and where
Mr.. Jenkins is2 He promised to call fol
me here in ten minutes. 1t seems to me-
here she placed marked accent upoI
the ':me"-''that have BEEN here a
least an hour and half"
Then she rose to go. put out m.
hand to dctain her-as we'll might I, il
my love-lorn folly, have tried to stop Nj
'agara with tennis racGuet-but just a
nv luck would have it, one of those in
fernal cactus thorns managed, in til
dark, to run itself half way through m.
palm.
'sDeuce take it" exclaimed, before
realized the strength of my language.
mir. Rronson!" she remarked, so frig
idly that the poor, unoffending cactu
shivered as with chill. ''Mr. Bronson
will you be kind enough to stand asid
10 that l may find Mr.. Jenkins!"
followed her instructions withou
even whispering of thei injustice, and sh
sailed into the brilliancy of the ball roo n
growing m ore radiantly beautiful at ever.
step. The door swung back to plac
leaving me alone in the shadow to nurS
my physical suffering and mental agony
A moment later, before had time to de
termine whether life was worth living
even 1Or tue rest VI Cuc evening, au'
as I was about contemplating impaliny
myself on another Of those murderou
thorns, the door opened and closed again
Although my back was turned to it
heard footsteps which I recognized a
hers.
She had corre back, relentingly, full
of sweet renitence to ask my pardon
Would I be backward in giving it
That is not my nature. Almost befor
turning aror"d my arms were extende'
their full " .dth and made plung
through the COON toward the locatio
where fancied she stood.
II forgive you freely-most freely, m
dearest May" I calculated in a singl
breath which had not spent itself beIor
my arms had closed, just little ten
derly, perhaps, around the figure wa
addressing.
s.Your pardon is granted" responde
q deep bass voice ending in q little az
gravating, snorting laugh. l alway
have ha ed a man who snorted as b
laughed, and since that mig bit neve
hear laugh of that sort without havin
red-handed murder in my soul. Afte
the last snort the laugh-owner, who ha
during this short period Of silence bee
struggling to escape my clasp, which b
wicked deception had given, tempors
IS vic