The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-07
Phe Deacon's Daughter.

of pretty girls, just as naturally as it did
big rocks, shaded roads, cool glens, and
picturesque and highly dangerous water
falls.
Everyone liked Dora! The young men,
because she was handsome end unaffected !;
the girls, because she was amiable, and
always had the pretticst patterns of any
one in the village, and was quite ready
to lend them; and the mammas, on ac-
count of her substantial charms such
broad meadows, such goodly cattle, such
stores of linen made up by the hands of
tic thrifty Dora, such wealth of massive
silver and old-faShioned china as be-
loag,d to Deacon Maxwell, and goodly
portion of which must 60 to his eldest
and handsomest daughter, would have
made even squint, red hair, and bad
temper endurable in their eyes.
So all the village regarded her as a sort
q personal property, and every mother
who had q manageable son watched
over her with vigilance and interest
truy surprising, and which ought
utterly to confound those who
don't believe In the natural goodness and
purity of human nature. Spite of which,
in her twenty third year, Dora was Dora
Maxwell still-a fact which she didn't
take at all to heart, though some of the
envious had commenced to whisper,
''old maid"
1t was the first Sunday in June, a warm,
balmy, smiling, fragrant morning, just
deepening into noon, as the deacon and
his family came home from church. Mrs.
Maxwell had on her loose dress, and was
fanning herself by the window, while
Dora and her two sisters, having laid
away their hats and parasols, were getting
dinner, when their mother exclaimed:
I'D, ar me, if there amt Eph Schenck
comm up the wax" The girls giggled,
and Dora Redeemed.
Eph Schenck was long, tall, sham
bling, freckled, red-haired youth, who
had a disagreeab!e way of driving over
to church from his fathers farm ten
miles distaut, and then concluding to
take dinner with Deacon Maxwell. She
knew Just how it would be. He would
sit there, in that corner, by the eight-day
clock, his chair tipped back, his huge
mouth open and his eyes fastened on her
in stupid admiration. He would choke
himself at dinner, and break out in
perspiration, trying to say something
tender in her ear. He would go with
them to church, and tumble up tie
steps; he would tread on her dress and
tear it; he would insist on singing out of
the same book with her, and to dole
full tune of his own imagining; be would
stare at her during the sermon, and wipe
his shining forehead, alternately, till he
had all the younger portion of the con-
gregation engaged in doing their best
not to giggle. He would 60 back and
choke him self again at tea, and after
tea father would 60 out to look at the
chickens, and mother and the girls to
see about the work, and then who could
tell if he wouldn't take it into his stupid
head to ask her to be Mrs. Eph Schenck.
Down went the cloth from Dora's hand
as this last dreadful possibility presented
itself to her mind, and away she ran,
like 8 artled deer, across the garden
and out OF little back gate into the
broad meadow, where in her haste she
almost rushed into the arms of James
Van Bu<kirk, the clear headed son of q
good -for-n nothing father, who badc fair to
retrieve the position which his father had
lost, but being only half way up the hill,
was only partially countenanced by all
those prudent and worthy people who will
nearly shake your hand off when you are
safely at the top.
Dora was about to pass him with a
h,,t ha ruhn
dark eyes were dancing with mischief,
stopped her, by gravely inquiring: If she
had the dyspepsia, and was running for
exercis04
''No, sir, I am in hurry" tartly
answered Dora, who thought that it was
none OF his business.
s'Ohm indie d, don't let me detain you
then," and turning, he coolly walked on
beside her.
Dora bit her lip. James Van Buskirk
was the smartest, the worthiest, and the
most agreeable young man of her
acquaintance; but she was a Maxwell
She would not be uncivil to Mr.. Van
Buskirk, but of course she could not en-
courage him; and holding her head at a
much lot.er angle than usual, she
marched on erect, and in silence.
~ think I saw Mr.. Schenck drive by
few minutes ago. remarked James,
Ibid not!"
ut is quite likely, but what of it,"
"Nothing, only it struck me as little
extraordinary, that according to my cal
culation you must have gone out the back
door precisely as he entered the front
one"
This was too much for Doras gravety,
and she burst into hearty laugh.
"You may think it does not concern
me-" proceeded the young man, with the
same imperturbablc gravity, ''but 1 am
only in pursuit Of information. Am I to
understand, Miss Maxwell, that when
wish to see you, my best way will be to
knock at your fathers door, and then
take the shortest cut for the meadow"
Dora could scarcely credit her senses.
James Van Buskirk visit her2 Wish to
see here In doubt whe her to give him a
saucy, or a coldly-scornful answer, she
looked up; but, in spite of herself, her
cheek glowed with bushes, and her eyes
fell before the kindling glance that met
her own. James smiled to himself.
"You have not answered me, he said,
after short pause.
IL don't know what you mean," she
stammered. ''My fathers house is open
to ALL"
The young man shook his head.