The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-24
RACHEL,

love, and she had reached the age of ~
before she met him-quite an old maid !;
and vet at that age woman knows her
own mind, and her love is much more
likely to be lasting and true than the
ardent passion of is.
Rachel's life had been such that she
had never any chance for what is called
falling in love. Her mother had died
when she was very young, and the care of
an old and sickly father had come upon
Rachel. She had fulfilled the trust faith
fully. She had borne all the old mans
querulous fault-fnding with gentle
patience; she had submitted without a
murmur to being kept in the sick room
while her young acquaintances were
gathered together enjoying themselves;
and though Mr.. Heath might have spared
her as we'll as not, she never called him
selfish even in her thoughts. He was her
father and to him she owed every duty.
So her sweet youth wore away, and
woman's crowning blessing was denied
her; and its cheek lost its sea shell bloom,
and her dark eyes gathered shadows of
thought and sadness which should never
come to young eyes.
At last old Mr. Heath died at the age
of cichty-nine, and Rachel was left all
alone.
It was then that Royal Moore came into
her life. He was physician, and had
attended her father for the last weeks of
his existence.
Something about the girls calm,
quiet something in the self
reliant strength of her character-touched
DR.. Moorc's interest before he had even
noticed that she had clearly cut face,
rather pale and little sad, with large
hazel eyes and wealth Of curling brown
hair.
After Mr.. Heath died and Rachael was
left in the house with only her Aunt Edith
for a companion, DR.. Moore applied to
Miss Heath for rooms and board. Ra-
chel would hardly have taken him, so
accustomed had she become to loneliness,
and so much did she dread any breaking
up of old habits, but Aunt Edith was
strongly in his favor, and so it happened
that fortnight after Mr.. Heath's death,
DR.. Moore was comfortably established
in the south chamber of Rachel's house
and was taking his meals opposite her at
tsble.
A couple of months they had been en-
gagged when Laura Sayres, distant
consir of Rachel's, took it into her head
that she needed the sea air. Rachel
lived in the little seagirt town of Beau
view, and to "Dear Cousin Rachel Laura
wrote she was coming.
Rachel remembered her as a child
haired, blue-eyed and waxen-
faced-and of late years she had heard
something of her wonderful beauty, which
had made her the belle of Washington the
past season, for her father held an impor-
tant Office at the Capital, and during the
winter his family were with him.
DR.. Moore was not over-pleased at the
prospect, for he detested fashionable
ladies, he said, and he had no doubt my
Lady Laura was frivolous and vain as the
majority of them were. He had so much
rather have his little Rachel all to him
self. Then he kissed her forehead and
slid his arm around her waist and drew
her to his side, and they stood silently to-
gether and heard the sea waves beat on
the shore and the crickets chirp in the
grass, aud neither of them dreamed of
the cloud which was even then gathering
in the calm sky of their felicity.
The next day Laura Sayres came. Just
twenty-a slight, graceful girl, with
hands like sculptured marble and an arch
rosebud of face, framed in mass of
erinkly golden hair, tied up with azure
ribbon and falling in a shower of curls
down her shoulders. Yes, there was no
gainsaying the fact that Laura Sayres was
q beauty, and DR.. Moore, being man,
could not help admiring her.
She played and sang finely, too, and
he was fond of music. Rachel foresaw
that which was to come, but she bore up
bravely against it, and was always kind
and sweet to Laura and gentle with
Royal Moore.
Laura, accustomed as she was to being
admired and fattered, appropriated DR..
Moore without hesitation. Aunt Edith
had mentioned his engagement with
Rachel to her, but Laura had lived in the
world where engagements are formed and
broken to suit the convenience of the
parties, and she attached no importance
to the communication. She had only
said:
"Why, Aunt Edith! engaged to that
old maid! It is too bad! Why, DR..
Moore is one of the most splendid men I
ever met"
''Laura," said Aunt Edith, severely,
ssno man can be too good for Rachel
Heath. She is the noblest and truest
woman ever met"
"Oh, yes, auntie," returned Laura, II
know she is a perfect saint; but then she
is so grave and old and she wears her hair
in such horrid style! Not puff, nor a
friz, and, I'll venture to say, not thread
of false hairw
'sNo," said Aunt Edith, "Rachel's
head is too full of good sense to allow her.
self to be done up in hair from the scalp
of any lunatic or criminal"
Laura founced out of the room IN pet,
and revenged herself by hunting up DR..
Moore and coaxing him to take her out
in his boat. Itwas twilight when they
returned, and Rachel sat on the piazza
and watched them come up the she'll
paved walk with an odd pain in her
heart. She did not understand DR..
Moore Suddenly something seemed to
have come between them and to have