The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-09

Terrible strengthening "a IEe purpose
he has IN view.
But if you should Ge seen-be
marked" heSitateS Dora family.
"Pshaw-am one to lay my plans so
clumsily as to court discovery on even
the minutest point?" he interrupts i'm
patiently. When you meet me YOU
will-but enough of this; | shall be
there to meet you in the lime-walk,
and after that you will take your cue
from me-"
"That is all you have to say" asks
Dora, anxious to quit his hated pres
ence.
For the present-yes. Follow my
instructions to the letter. or dread the
consequences. Any blunder in the per-
formance Of this arrangement shall
lay to your charge"
You threaten. sir" she eXclaims
angrily. though she TEMPLES.
Let it be your care to see that l
do not carry out my threats he re-
torts, with an inSolent shrug.
The next day, directly after lunch
con. as Florence is sitting IN her own
room. touching up an unfinished water
color sketch Of part of the ground
round the castle-which have. alas,
grown only too dear to her.-Dora en-
fers her room. 1t is an embarrassed
and significantly smiling Dora that
trips up to her, and says with pretty
hesitation in her tone
Dearest Florence. l want your ad-
vice about something"
"Mine?:" exclaims Florence. laying
down her brush, and looking, as she
feels, astoniShed. As rule, the gentle
Dora does not seek for wisdom from
her friends.
Yes, dear. If yosl can spare me the
time. Just five minutes will do, and
then you can return to your charming
sketch. Oh"-glaNcing at it-"how ex-
actly like it is-So perfect; what a sun
set, and what frs! One could imagine
ones self in the Fairies Glen by just
looking at it"
at is not the Fairies Glen at all; it
is that bit down by Coughs farm" says
Florence coldly. Of late she has not
been so blind to Dora's artifcialness as
she used to be.
"Ah, so it is.' agrees Dora airily, not
in the least discomposed at her mis-
take. and SO like it too. You are a
genius, dearest, you are really, and
might make your fortune only that
YOU have one made already for you,
fortunate girl.'
"You want my advice" suggests
Florence quietly.
"Ah, true; and about something i'm
portant too" She throws into her
whole air so much coquetry mingled
with assumed baShfulneSs that Flor
ence knows by instinct that the some
thing" has Sir Adrian for its theme,
and she grows pale and miserable ac-
cordingly.
LET me hear it then" she urges,
leaning back with weary sigh,
Il have Just received this letter" says
Mrs. Talbot. taking from her pocket
the letter Arthur had given her, and
holding it out to Florence, Il want to
know how | shall answer it. Would
vou-would you honestly advise me;
Flo. to so and meet him as he desires"
"As who desires?"
"Ah, true; you do not know, Of
course! am so selfshly full Of myself
and my own concerns, that / seem to
think every one else must be full OF
them too. Forgive me, dearest, and
read his sweet little letter, will you"
"Of whom are you speaking to
whose letter do you refer?" asks Flor
ence, little sharply, in the agony OF
her heart.
Florence, Whose letter would I cali
sweet except Sir Adrian answers
her cousin, with gentle reproach.
But it is meant for you, not me"
says Miss Delmaine, holding the letter
in her hand, and glancing at it with
great distaste. "He probably intended
no other eyes but yours to look upon
it."
But must obtain advice from some
one, and who so natural to expect it
from as you, my nearest relative? If,
howeyer"-putting her handkerchief to
her eyes-"you object to help me, Flor
ence, or if it distresses you to read"
@Distresses- -me: interrupts Florence
h21SySily. why should it distress me?
If you have no objection to my reading
your-lover's-letter, why should | hes
itate about doing so? Pray sit down
while I run through it."
Dora having seated herself, Florence
hastily reads the false note from be-
ginning to end. Her heart beats fu-
riously as she does so, and her color
comes and goes; but her voice IS quite
steady when she speaks again:
well" she says, putting the paper
from her as though glad to get rid OF
it, ''it seems that Sir Adrian wishes to
speak to you on some subject interest
ing to you and him alone, and that
he has chosen the privacy OF the, lime
walk as the spot in which to hold your
tete-a-tete. 1t is quite simple affair, IS
it not? Though really, why he could
not arrange to talk privately to you IN
some room in the castle, which IS sure
ly large enough for the purpose, I can
not understand"
Dear Sir Adrian is so romantic =
says Dora coyly.
lis he?" responds her cousin dryly.
aHe has always seemed to me the san
est of men. Well, on what matter do
you wish to consult mey
Dear Florence. how terribly prosaic
and unsympathetic you are to-day"
says Dora reproachfully; "and I came
to YOU so sure Of offers ct laEe and
- .s101Ishlp. l. want you 20 Tell me II
you think I ought to meet him or not"
"Why not?"
II don't know"-with a little simper.
~Is it perhaps humoring him too much?
I have always dreaded letting a man
imagine cared for him, unless fully,
utterly, assured of his affection for
me-"
Florence colors again, and then grows
deadly pale, as this poisoned barb pier
ces her bosom.
Il should think" she says slowly,
after reading the letter you have Just
ahown me, you ought to feel assured"
"You believe ought, really%-wlth
a fine show of eagerness. NOW, you
are not saying this to please me-to
crafty me-"
Il should not please OF crafty any
one at the expense of truth"
mo, of course not. You are such
high-principled girl, so different from
many others. Then you think might
go and meet him this evening without
Sacrificing my dignity in any way?"
Certainly"
"Oh. I'm so glad" exclaimed little
Mrs. Talbot rapturoUsly. nodding her
honorable" head with beaming
In ca to yy,aat