The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-11

Mary Ann was not a Lad business
agent, and the circulating library bust
ness prospered in q small way.
And between whiles, Lois did law
copying and mendcd the already twice
darncd house linen. Anything-any.
thing to escape the pitilcss demons OF
thought and memory!
"'Clarissa Harlowc,' eho That's mum
Der foul ltccn," said Mary Ann to Betsey
Roper, o round checked, English serving
maid, who had stepped around with her
apron over her head and bright silver
dime tied in the corner of her pocket
handkerchief. 'It's ttc first call we've
Lid for 'Ciarissa Harlowc.'
81 don't know much about 'un," said
Betsey. blushing a vivid plum color;
''Lut my old uncle in iorrukshire. he
always toald mo to be sure and read 'un
when gotten chance. He said there
we're no such books writ these days as
'uu. l can keep 'un in the dresser
drawer, and read 'un at night when the
back O. my work Is broken"
Betsey Roper went away chuckling:
with the first volume of "Clarissa llar-
lowe" under her arm, done up in brown
paper, and neatly packthreadcd."
But in her desire to cultivate literary
taste, Betscy had calculated without her
mistress.
;'ClariSsa" had not lain under the nap.
kins in the dresser drawer two hours
when Miss Minerva Dorr triumphantly
possessed he. self of it, in the course of
a search after missing Japanned tray:
"Ah." said Miss Minerva, "novcls, ch2
In nv Kitchen. Not if know it,
And sue carried "Clarissa" up to her
brothers Office. without loss OF time.
"Just sec l"lc, David, if you please"
said she. qHitcring all over with right
cous Indignation. ''And that English
girl. too, who came so highly recon-
mended, hiding novels away in your
kitcieu! What is this world coming
to:'
roctor Dorr glanced up from his writ
ing with smile.
"Why," said he, 81 suppose house
maids like to read rs well as other
people"
"Likcm repeated Miss Minerya-''a
silly novel like thiSt"
AN old English classic, Minerva"
gently corrected her brothor. "Not that
It is my style of reading, but I see no
harm in it"
81 shall talk to Betscy when she gets
ba k with the yeast said Mis- Dorr,
rigldly. 'In the mcantime, you will
please keep the book here"
Miss Dorr descended once moro into
the subterr,nean regions, determined to
''sec the thing through"
Doctor Dorr took up the book, ana
slowly turned the leaves over.
sHello" he said to himself, "here's
two leaves pasted together, with some
thing between them"
He separated the sealed leaves deftly
with his ivory paper cutter.
A letter lay there, directed, in deli
cate wolnan's handwriting, to doctor
David Dorr."
lie opened it, with a strange, .giddy
feeling in his head.
1t was letter that Lois Verney had
written to HIM five years ago-the letter
that said, so nnocently, so frankly:
81 love you. will be your wife"
Ma or Yerncy had put the letter there.
1t required more moral courage than he
possessed to destroy it out and out; so
he had compromised matters by hiding
it between the leaves of "Clarissa
book Which nobody cared
to read in this generation. And Major
Nerncy had died and made no sign
rocior rorr rose up hurriedly. He
could guess how it al was. His heart
l.arcl joyfully in his breast; all the
world seemed coM Il H.. rose to him.
-lla took the letter in his hand. aud
carried it st:aightway to the little, old
house in Pensacola Street.
Lois was at the window, watering her
gcranums. She herself admitted him,
with grave, inguiring face.
"Lois- my little Lois!"
David"
The old words came back to their lips
as if all the past five. years were blotted
out. lie took her in his arms, and she
let her hcnd fall on his shoulder.
"I.ook, love" he said, holding up the
letter. "I have never seen it until to-
day. found it, hidden away with the
seal unbroken, between the leaves of your
unce's old Clarissa Harlowc"
"Oh, David! Then you never knew"
THAT you had accepted me2 Not un.
til this hour, Lois. oh, my darling, my
swcethcart! what must you have
thought"
Her head dropped; the bright drops
sparklcd into her eyes.
81 thought" she whispered, that
life was very hard. But-but I don't
Lh;ak SO now. can understand it all.
ncle Vcrney never liked you. He
wanted me to marry old Judge Versi-
rov,e. But hc is dead now. Well for
ret it all, David-won't VIC Z"
"For your sake, darling-ycs.'
And in the general tidal wave Of hap.
piness, no one once thought Of Betscy
Roper, cryiu" her eye, out behind the
big kitchen towel in Doctor DORIS
kitchen.
"[ never had no chance to read Tin
before" said she. "And now un's
gone. An I doan't know what Uncle
Ey,a, in Iorrukshirc, will say when he
hears how 'uu disappeared"
Bat Betsy was not Discharged. Doctor
Dorr saw 10 that. --.Stiurti"y Night.
Costly Halls In New York Houses.