The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-22

where there IS an illness or death."
Mackenzie lifted his eyebrows inter
negatively. Bella Brown was a very
worthy man, as he remembered him, but
short of speech. and entirely devoid of
imaginative qualities.
If he was comfort to bereaved souls,
it must have been talent which he had
developed very recently. But he made
no comment on the fact.
''Fine wintry weather." he remarked.
"Quite so," said Mary.
"a decided contrast to the climate
have left"
"Yes2' questioningly. 'SIay I ask
where"
"The little coquette! What will she
pretend to be ignorant of next" thought
Mackenzie.
But he only answered, pleasantly:
"Santa Barbara, you know. Under the
Coast Range"
sOh, Santa Barbaram Her pretty,
oval face frightened. 'G've heard so
much about Santa Barbara of late, from
o neighbor of ours!"
''Ah!" said Rolf.
Mary sat down now, and folded her
hands on her lap, with her sweet face
turned away from the fire, and her large,
blue black eyes sparkling with anima
tion.
81 wonder" said she, musingly, ''if
you have ever met Mr. Mackenzie
there?"
Acknowledgements" he repeated,
wondering what the meaning of all this
was.
cit isn't great place, like New York
or Boston, you know" reasoned Mary.
"People do meet each other therea"
"Oh, yes; certainly"
HAnd this Mr.. Mackenzie2 He was
tall and good-looking, with dark eyes
and heavy beard"
well, yes, it does seem to me as if l
had met him once or twice." said Mac
kenzie, grimiy determined to let Mary
carry the Joke as far as she pleased.
"Well," said Mary, smiling roguishly,
s'it seems that Mr.. Mackenzie, of Santa
Barbara, is engaged to our nearest. neigh
bora young woman up toward Cedar
River-only about half mile from here,
if one goes through the woods; and
what is very funny, her name is just the
same as mine--Mary Brown"
" "Eh2' gasped Mr.. Mackenzie.
"She isn't so very pretty" added
Mary. "She's not young, you know, and
her hair is thin, and she wears a frisette,
and somehow it seems to alter the whole
expression of her face. And her sight
has failed, doing fine sowing, and she
has been obliged to take to spectacles.
And she's-oh, so slim, and spare. and
sharp -elbowedw
MIR. Mackenzie sat holding tight on to
the arm of his easy chair, while sensa'
ton akin the .trickling of ice-cold water
down his back took possession Of him.
He comprehended it all now. He had
found the wrong Mary Brown this
Christmas Eve. The right Mary Brown
was still waiting, Gorgon-like, to turn
him to stone.
"But for all that" chirped on this
sweet voiced siren, 'tMr. Thomas Briggs
he keeps the toll-gate just below-has
fallen in love with her. And-they are
married. Father married them, and he
got his fee in cider, apple sauce and
pumpkins" she added, with a laugh.
''And since the wedding she has got a
letter from this very Mr.. Mackenzie
Ralph Mackenzie, of Eueben, or some
such name-that he is coming home this
Christmas to marry her. 1t was an old
engagement, she says; but he hadn't
written very regularly, and she didn't
think Re intended to keep his word.
And Briggs WIS here on the spot"
"Yes-exactly!" said Mr.. Mackenzie,
with some difficulty curbing his extreme
desire to jump up and fling his hat into
the air. "Eriggs was on the spotr'
"But," resumed Mary, ''what will the
poor man say when he gets home and
finds his sweetheart married to some ono
else?"
Ishould think" answered Macken,
zie, "that he would say it was the lucki-
est escape he had ever had in his life"
sBut he was her lover once!"
"Y--ycs; but that was ten years ago.
These long engagements take all the
life out of love affair Mackenzie was
ready and willing to marry her. but
"Oh!" cried Mary, with little rising
infection, "then you did know him
WE'LL"
"Like book. cried the visitor, glee
; fully. "In fact, I'm Mackenzie myself
Rolf Mackenzie! And-I beg thousand
pardons, I am sure, but I fancied you
were Mary Brown, grown younger instead
of older. I might have known that time
never went backward"
"Ohr cried Mary. s'And -
"You've told the TRUTH" said Macken
zie. "It's always the best thing to do
! ''Was it dreadful blow" sympathet
ically murmurcd Mary. Ibid it take
you by surprise3'
"Not blow, at all! Don't tell yor
! it's rclief2 But now, Miss Mary,
suppose I must 60 right on"
Its very cold" said Mary, ''and thi
road is rightfully solitary. And the!
even talk of some ones having seen I
bear somewhere on that mountain ledg'
last week. You-you'd better stay will
father until morning I am sure he would
be happy to entertain you"
"And you, Miss Narya' pleadingly
"Why," she said, with the same arct
sparkle under her eyelashes, II shoulG
like to hear all about MIR. Mackenzie, O.
Santa Barbara. 1t gives one such o new
idea of life, you seef"
"very well, then," said Mackenzie