Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-18

appointment in view for you. He wanted
me to come up here on purpose to hear you
! preach, and he was very curious for me to
! give him my opinion Of you. He seemed to
think that you were still an invalid, and he
will be glad to know that you are so strong
| suppose it was your seq voyage and foreign
travel that benefited you" .f
A deadly certainty grew upon Halsey's
mind. He had never heard Orient's family
name mentioned but he was sure now that
this was Dr. Corcoran's daughter, and that he
had supplanted his friend. He was not pre-
pared for this and he tried to put the convic-
+ tion from him-to believe that it was not so.
"Orient," he said, as the clock struck, ''can
! you believe that we have actually been ac-
| quainted only twenty-five hours and about
! the same number Of minutesm
'Oh, it cannot be possible" she exclaimed;
"what an imprudently short acquaintance to
! become engaged upon. But I know your
| whole life from the time you were black
! smiths boy to the present, and all your wan
! derings in Palestine" Halsey WINGED, but
! did not interrupt her. "And father knows
| you so thoroughly and respects you so highly,
| and both he and mother have talked to Inc so
! much about you. When I came back to my
I room vt was full of reminders of your pres
ence. That explanation of the unpardonable
! sin which you left on my desk was mastery
I piece Of reasoning. And all the notes which
! you made in my books were interesting to
; me, though I confess that Twas indignant
! enough at first to think that you had read
| my silly jottings I was not so prim as I
seemed to be when declined corresponding
! with You, for was secretly pleased that you
, had learned to care for me in such an odd
way. OH indeed assure YOU that would
! never have fallen in love with you in this
disgracefully precipitate way without that
! long mental preparation"
Clearly it was no time now for Halsey to
| explain that he had no connection with the
! past she treasured. He accepted the situa-
, tion recklessly, with all the advantages
! which it conferred upon him. $50 the ac-
! tual does not come up to your. idcal!' he
! asked.
"You are very different, she replied, mu-
! singly, mot a bit as had imagined YOU
! You are very worldly looking. l never
! would have thought you minister if had
met you anywhere else; but then you are
/ handsomer than I expected, and so wonder
fully talented. I am proud to think you
| should care for little me. And I, no doubt,
am very different from what you imagined.
| Are you greatly disappointedr'
Of course Halsey protested that he was
not, and he parted from her at the parson-
age gate with many assurances Of his devo-
! ton; and, however false their relations to
each other, these at least were genuine.
III. '...
o1 ip1, Gov ;,to In
night He reviewed every possible plan for
avoiding confession and for keeping up his
assumed character, but he saw that this was
impossible. Orient had told him that she
was to return home upon the morrow, and he
had agreed to accompany her. On the jour-
ney the explanation must be made. Every
moment of delay made it moro difficult, and
he bitterly regretted that he had not been
more honest with her. However, to have
firmly made up his mind to throw off the
mask was something of relief and he awoke
the next morning with hopeful feeling, and
his usual confidence that some way things
would come out right. -
As he was not to lay aside his role
during the morning, he determined to
deepen the good impression which he had
made upon Orient, and to select tho sermon
which he was to preach before the fellowship
meeting solely with reference to her tastes.
He hesitated some time between "Buddha
and his Philosophy of Despair" discourse
Of DR.. Newman's, and 1.-THE PARALLELS Of the
Talmud," by the Rev. Charles Eaton, but
finally settled upon the first as more compi-
mentary to her intellect. He lwas a little dis
bHfb that orient ws taSG oG Ii ks the e6of ths tie
eldest Miss Pearce occupying her place at
the organ. All through the sermon he kept
his eyes fixed upon the door, hoping to see
her enter, but only to be disappointed He
knew, too, from the strong stare with which
his hearers confronted him, that his audience
did not care penny for Buddla or the re-
ligion of India Only Miss Pearce seemed in
in the least interested, for she had just read
''Mr Isaacs," and had, beside, her reputation
as philosopher at stake. The business meet
ing was called Immediately after the sermon,
and Halsey, leaving it to its deliberations as
to his eligibility, hurried over to the parson-
age He was informed by the servant that
Miss Corcoran had left town on the noon
train. He was struck with sudden apprehen-
sion.
II understood that she was going on the af-
ternoon train"
The servant believed that she did intend to
do so, but had changed her mind. Halsey
next asked after the doctor. He had driven
his niece over to the station and had not yet
returned; he would come soon; would not the
gentleman wait? Halsey concluded that he
would do so and was shown into the doctors
study. A volume Of sermons by Henry Ward
Beccher lay upon the desk, open to the very
one which he had abridged for his prayer
meeting talk. The doctor had evidently
looked it up from a haunting suspicion that
its resemblance to Beecher's style was not en-
tirely accidental. Orlents sudden leave tax
ing was explained; sheshad found this, and it
was enough She did not wish to see him
again. He rose quickly and left the house, not
caring to face the doctor now He walked
across the fields to the deacon's house. It
was deserted, for the discussion over his case
was very warm and the meeting not yet
over. He sat down and wrote an impas-
stoned Lotto" to Orient, making clean breast
of everything and begging her mercy. AS
lie sealed it lie noticed that the congregation
were dispensing, and the deacon soon after
entered the room.
'"Tm powerful sorry" he said, but there
| was = good deal of feelin', and the motion to
| give you call was lost. You see your SER
mon Yesterday evenin' wasn't considered
quite orthodox"
Halsey wrote the doctor an explanation
! for the sake of his friends good name, but he
did not feel obliged to confess to the deacon,
who conveyed him to the station, and was
profuse in his regret over the vote Of the
church. At the station he mailed his'letter
70 Orient, and returned to his friend Steele,
whom he found in a much more hopeful
state. The fever had been broken, but he
was very weak sYou must help us keep
his mind in a,cheerful,. a calm condition."
the local doctor said to Halsey,
before he went up to his room, When An
drew Steele inquired about his friends OK
perience at. Ramoth Gilead, Halsey told him
that he had explained the state of affairs to
The pastor and had simply read three SER
mons; chat of course under the circumstances
there could be no call to the pastorate, nor
did he see how his interests could be affected
very much even though DR.. Corcoran must
understand that his health was not in so favor
| able a state Us he could wish.