The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-02-03
MISTAKEN.
Thoughtlesa Words and tho ResuIts They
Wrought In Two Young Lives.

Az Pi"JSN bhohS INC TccuS ana Tall
grasses on che bank and ran lightly up
the slope toward the white mansion on
the hillside, fluttering the vines that
fringed the wide piazza where group
OF young girls sat chatting, resting, or
busying themselves with dainty needle
work
'Whst delicious brcezcw exclaimed
Florence Freeman, rising as sho spoke.
The slender, thoughtful-looking young
man reclining unseen in the depths of a
large easy chair just within one of tho
long windows glanced up from the
pages Of book in which he had been
absorbed, and his dark eyes followed
her graceful figure admiringly.
ut sets ME wild to be doing some
thing" she continued, pacing up and
down the long porch. ''Do you know,
girls" pausing abruptly, "wc'rc set
81 slavcsp"
30. FlorryP" exclaimed u laughing
',occ, ''now don't give us n lecture on
~oman's rights"
Never fear that isn't what was
sinking OF. We are hindcrcd by cir
;umstances from being and doing what
NC feel is within Ills to be and do'
Listen, girls" interrupted another
socc, "Florry is on her high horse.
Laugh away" returned Florence.
sauSe we happen to have driftcd into q
certain channel, or because n 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, even
though we must smother the best there
is in our natures in doing sop'
Intense feeling emphasized her words,
and 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 q chaos
would result If we all followed our own
inclinations, and, worse than that,
whatever might for the moment be our
ruling passion"
Florence did not answer for a mo-
ment; her eyes were rowing across the
wide sweep of the river, where white
sail glimmercd in the afternoon sun
shine.
30, 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 mere
child, and didn't know what she want
edp OF course / 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 some work
she had undertaken in order to be mar
ried 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 he has no sympathy
with her on that subjectP Now, why
can't she say so, and be frccp"
''Shc feels her responsibility, said
Amy's soft voice. "She knows how de-
voted MIR. Long is to her"
"Sh-h here she comes" whispered
tered up from the garden, like dainty
white butterfly, and perched herself on
tho steps. A dead silence fell on the
group for moment, and then Dora
turned her laughing face toward her
cousin: "Go on, Florry. You were Civ
ing lecture, weren't youp / could hear
you Grating but couldn't catch word
Of tho discourse"
''It's ended now" said Florence cool
ly, mentally resolving never to be so
careless again in mentioning especial
cases" "and unless some one has taken
notes you can never hope to know any
thing about it, for it was quite inn
promptu." And, taking her cousins
arm, she marched her up and down the
piazza humming gay air.
Meanwhile, within tho windows the
young man sat motionless, his finger
still between tho pages that only 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 tho tree-tops and ruffled the
shining bosom Of the river. The August
sunshine lay mellow on the grass, but
he heard nothing, saw nothing.
The tea bell rang suddenly and start
ed him out of his meditations. The
girls disappeared with much chatter and
gay laughter, and ho rose mechanically
and walked like one in a dream down
through the garden and on into little
grove beyond, his one thought to be
alone where no human eye could add
to his torment with its questioning
RluuC6, IneFe, unuoE tuo ucSS, WucTo
he and Dora played in childhood, he
walked to and fro. one sentence ring
Ing In his ears like sentence of doom:
I'VE can all SEQ she doesn't love HIM"
It was hard 70 como down from the pin
naclo where he had imagined himself
crowned king Of one heart
When Dora, only ID then, had given
him her hand so conildingly as they
walked together In this very grove
only it was morning then, and spring
time, and the air was filed with the
scent Of Wild crab-apple blooms, and she
wore them ct her throat; how plainly he
could see her now, all In white, and tho
pink Of her check so like tho dainty
blossoms -he had taken tho gift un-
qaestioningiy, and no doubts had over
nssailed him. He knew her devotion
% art and was proud OF her succpss, but
hp had nevsr dreamed that it would b0
bis rival ~ her affections