The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-16

bo1n," the dentist replied, little thinking how
dreadful were his words, ~ made front
tooth for Mrs Temple-not Mrs. Temple
then. She was a remarkably handsome
woman, something over forty-just a tint OF
gray in her hair. Twas not surprised when
heard, few months after, that young Cap
tain Temple was going to marry her. But
,cas little surprised when I heard subse-
auently that his wife was going to present
him with child; and when I heard that this
child was followed by a second, and that by
third. was, I confess, surprised not a
little"
"But Mrs. Temple was only about two-and-
twenty when she married the second time,"
the rector said, still unable to credit what he
heard.
ANY dear sir" the dentist said, laughing,
u have known Mrs. Barbara Temple as
woman for fve-and-forty years at the least.
Let me see"-he went through some half-audi-
bic calculation--"I remember her jilting o
man in 1I95.
"Then,7 the rector cried, leaping from the
chair and shifting hand against hand till the
room rang, II shall never believe anything in
this world again except the three creeds and
the Ten Commandments. Nothing is to be
| trlsted-not eyes nor ears nor the human req
son. Forty-fve- e-seventy-tlve! Tilted man
in seventeen hundred and ninety-five! Why,
then, she must remember the French Revolu-
ton! dear, O dear, how very hot it has be-
come"
| The reader who is observant and a student
Of bis kind must have remarked that nature
DOW and then fashions q weakly sort of brain,
which q single glass of small beer will bemud-
die. In similar way does that by no means
| infalliblc workman sometimes turn out q
brain which cannot stand the shock Of strange
or disagrecable tidings. Rector Brent was for
practical purposes tipsy that afternoon. The
disclosure had got into his head 1t is true
that his legs did not stagser but his reason
did, He did not know his right hand
from his left, and wus prepared to
commit any blunder. While his mind
was in chaos OF ideas that whirlcd round
and about like leaves in OIL autumnnl storm,
he said to himself that something must be
done. An insane something it was which he
| fixed upon. Flo Toull 80 straight to Mrs.
| Temple and tax her with discrimination. The
excited little gentleman never considered that
the lady had not made any statement of her
age with which she could be confronted. Nor
| ulQ nls pTcp'IutlOl " iiilpcLulil, dDSululty
stop here Fully resolved as 10 had been to
propose to the widow, and assured as he had
| felt that she both knew his intention and fav-
orably regarded it, he quite forgot in his
hurry Of mind that he had never addressed
hor in the way of marriage. So he actually
cane before her III the posture Of betrayed
suitor, and, as will be seen, be- used language
proper only to that particular part i'll the hui
man comedy.
But this is leaping from chapter to chapter.
As wee close this one let us simply mark our
parson stepping out Of his carriage Mt Mrs.
Barbara Temples door. His breath is hur-
ried, his face is red, his manner is disordered
And we mny be sure TINT these outward
marks Of confusion and annoyance convey
only very inadequate picture of the state Of
his reasoning faculties. These were, indeed,
in that state of riot and darkness which in
most cases is the acknowledged preliminary
to bedlam. ...
TO BE CONTINUED.