The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-01-28
MISTAKEN.
Thoughtless Words and tho Results They
wrought i'm Two Young Lives.


grasses OH the bank and ran lightly ur
the slope toward the white mansion on
the hillside, tluttering the vines that
fringed the wide piazza where a group
of young girls sat chatting, resting, or
busying themselves with dainty needle
work.
"What q delicious brcczer' exclaimed
Florence Freeman, rising as she spoke.
The slender, ughtful-looking young
man reclining unseen in the depths of a
large easy chair just within ono of the
long windows glanced up from the
pages of q book in when he had been
absorbed, and his dark eyes followed
her graceful figure admiringly.
''lt sets ME wild to be doing some
thing she continued, pacing up and
down the long porch. "Do you know,
girls" pausing abruptly, ''wo're a set
81 slavcspn
80, Florry?" exclaimed laughing
>vec, ''now don't give us lecture on
"oman's rghts!'
''Ncvcr fear; that isn't what l was
r,inking of. We arc hindered by cir
"umstanccs from being and doing what
we feel is within us to be and do"
''Listcn, girls" interrupted another
soicc, "Florry is on her high horse.
Now we shall see some prancing."
'Laugh away" returned Florence.
'Tm in earnest Why must we, be-
cause we happen to have drifted into q
certain channel, or because 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, oven
n3hough we must smother the best there
Is in our natures in doing SOP"
Intense feeling emphasized her words,
land 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 chaos
would result if VIC all followed our own
inclinations, and, worse than that
whatever might for the moment be ou1
ruling passion"
Florence did not answer for mo.
ment; her eyes were rowing across the
wide sweep of the river, where white
sail glimmered in the afternoon sun.
shine.
80, 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
ed? OF course l 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 somo work
she had undertaken in order to be mar
ricd sooner. She only laughed over it.
OF course she wouldn't say anything,
but we can all see she doesn't love him.
How can she, when be has no sympathy
with her on that subject? Now, why
can't she say SO, and be freep"
"She feels her responsibility" said
Amy's soft voice. "Shc knows how de.
voted MIR. Long is to her."
"Sh-h! here she comes," whispered
Edith Stanley as bright-faced girl f1ut-
; tered up from the garden, like a dainty
white butterfly, and perched herself on
the steps. A dead silence fell on the
group for moment, and then Dora
turned her laughing face toward her
cousin: go on, F]oTy. You were Civ
ing lecture, weren't you? / could hear
you 'orating,' but couldn't catch q word
of the DISCOURSE"
"lts ended now," said Florence cool
.ly, mentally resolving never to bo SO
careless again in mentioning "spe cial
cases, land unless some one has taken
notes you can never hope to know any
thing about it, for it was quito inn
ipromptu." And, taking her cousin S
;arm' she marched her up and down the
piazza humming q gay air.
Meanwhile, within the windows the
young man sat motionlcss, his finger
still between the pages that only a 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 trcc-tops and rufIled the
shining bosom of the river. The August
sunshine lay mellow on the grass, but
ne beard nothing, saw nothing.
Ihe tea bell rang suddenly and start
ed him out of his meditations. The
glrls, disappeared with much chatter anG
gay laughter, and he rose mechanically
nnd walked like one in dream down
Snlougn the garden and on into little
SIoxe beyond, his one thought to be
mone where no human eye Could ado
70 ms torment with its uuestionino
glance; There, undor the trees, where5
ne ana Dora played in childhood! he
walked to and fro, one sentence rine. %.
ing, in his ears like sentence Of dnntS
1--WE can all see she doesn't love % b;r, y
1t was hard to come down IRON, tba -,
,nacle where he had imagined hi binipsni, pi
crowned king of one heart
When Dora, only Is then, had o,;vo,,
him her hand 80 contidinoiy as thor
walked together in this very oTovne9 S ,
only it was morning then, and sprino
time, and the air was filed with ne
scent of wild crab-apple blooms, and she
wore them at her throat; how plainly he
could see her now, all in white, and tht
pink of her check so like the daint,
blossoms-he had taken the gift unI
questioningly, and no doubts had eve,
assailed him. He knew her devotion
to art and was proud of her success, but
he had never dreamed that it would bt
his rival in her affections.