The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-30

GDGGl III dtitl, tip!l, 49, ii!s NS.tI ISEs,
she filings her brushes asiuc. and goes
to the niorlinc-rooiN, Nvrcse she knows
sae viii find nj tAc ot;Icr5 assembled.
There is nobody here JGst now how
ever, except Sir -lav;l:l. ~;i.o IS locking
rather tired and bored. and Ethe! ! III
iers. The latter, seeing Florence enter,
gladly gathers up her work and runs
sway to have q turn IL tbs garden With
Captain RiGgwood.
Florence, though sorry for .ais tre-C
tete that has been forced upon her, sits
down ca!nlv enough, anG, taking up u
book, prepares to re;td aloud o Sir sd
rian.
But Re stops her. Putting out his
hand, be quietly bat S7miy closes tie
book. and then saws:
Not to-day, Florence; I want to
speak TO You instead.
Anything you wish. responds Flor
ence steadily, tnoU33E L :'ec nsars Is beat
tns hastily.
py cousin proved 50 G!lHoItay: lie
ASKS aS last, touching upon ta:S SUBJECT
with good deal q nc"foUsncSs. 10
can not forget jha; ouce she had l0"od
this miserable man.
"One must naturally feel sorry thai
ANYTHING AUnla;l G>rHl;i he guilty ot
such an awful inten!i@a.' she r"tarGs
gently, ont With the 1;.2GSc UncnnCelii.
Sir Adrian starcs Has hs mistaken
then? DID si1e never really care f0r
the fellow, or = THIS S@,Ee CO what airs.
Talbot has Ges!gH.tod as EicrenCe>s S
~slvness"3: Ne, @aca tor all he would
not believe that the pure, sweet, true
face looking SO steadily into his could
be guilty Of snything underhano OF
base.
1T wss false :hst you loved him
then?" he questions. following eat tho
train q his o12 thoughts rather thsn
the meaning Of her last words.
THAT I loved Iii. Gyaecourt. she
repeats in amazea2c2t, aa5 color rising.
What an eHscacrdinars idea 20 come
into your head. No: il anything. con
fess felt for your coC.l2 nothing but
contcEp: a!lG dislike
.Thcn, Florence, Nh#t has come bo-
t:-eon u5:' he cza;ai1H, seiGiaS her
hand. ~Yoa ni>;a; ?2ss.@s known that I
loved you many wccts rso. Nay, long
before las: season cane % q close; and
then I helievs-fGiEjve my presuGp-
tion-that you too iuva,; ne
Year belief ~as :: ;I1e Qnc,' he re-
turns calmly, tears standing in her
beautiful eyes. But 7on, hg yoH7 own
act. severed Us"
I did,
sYes. Nay. Sir Adrian, be honest in
your dealings with me as am with
YOU, snd confess tho truth
y don't knox Esat you mean de-
cIareS Adrian. in utter hcvi!derment;
sycu would tell mo that ycu think it
vas some act o. ciine that-that ruined
my chance with Eou:
you know; 1t was"-rep1oachfully.
q know nothing OF the kird7-hocly:
= only know that have always loved
you and only you. and that ! shall
never love another
ayou tosset-Do1s Talbot says
Florence, in very low tone. II think,
Sir Adrian. your late coldneSs 10 her
Les besl uc:tLcc kind nor lust
Z have never been either ooiSer or
warmer 70 Dora Talbot than I have
sss2 se aay eshsT e,dinax1 esggaias-
slcs Of nlins," returns Stc Adrian
with considerable sxciteuens. Thers
is surely terrible mistake some-
where
30 you mean 70 tell me-" says Flor
e1ce, rising in her agitation, that you
never spoke Of love TO Dora?'
Certainly Tspoke Of loYe-of M love
for YOU ne declares vehemently.
That ycu shall suppose ever felt any
thing for Mrs. Talbot but the most Or
diaary friendship seems incredible to
ne. Toyou, and yoU alone, NY heart
has been given many day. Not the
Taguest tenderness for any other Wo-
man has como between my thoughts
and your image since first We met"
Yet there was your loye-!etser to
her-I read It with my own eyes" de-
clares Florenee iailtly.
y lsver wrote Mrs. Talbot Inc IN
says Sir Adrian, more and
more puzzled.
You will tell me next I did not see
you kissing her hand in the iiIne-waik
last September" DUrSyes Florence,
flushing hotiy with Shame and indigna-
tion,
"You did not" he declares vehement
". Il swear it. OF what else are you
going to accuse me? never wrote to
her. and never kissed her hand
1T is better for us not 70 discuss this
matter any longer" sa;sMiss Deimaine,
rising from her seat. And for the
future can not-will not-rsad to you
here in the morning. Let Is make an
end Of this false friendship now at
once and forever"
She moves toward the door as she
speaks, but he. closely following, over
takes her, and, putting his back"ogainst
the door, so bars her egres5.
lie has been forbidden exertion Of
any kind. and now this unusual excite
nent has brought a color to his wan
cheeks and brilliancy to his eyes.
Both these changes in his appearance
however only serve to betray the actu-
81 T-eakness to which, ever since his
cruel Imprisonment, he has been VIC
tim.
Miss Delmsine's heart smites her.
She would have reasoned with him,
and ent-eated him to go back again to
bis lounge, but he interrupts her.
"Florencs do not leave me like this"
ne plsa1s II an 1mpasSIoned tone.
You are laboring under dalUsioD.
Awake Icc.n 1G!s cream, .npio-e you,
End ses things sss they really s1c."
Il em awake. snd do see things as
they are" she ropl>s sadly.
"Iy darling, rho can hsve poisoned
your mind against mo- STE says, in
deep agitation.
&t this moment, So If IN ansver to
bis question the door leading into the
conservatory st the other side Of the
roou is pushed open, and Dora Talbot
enters.
-Ah. here is Mrs. Talbot ezclaims
Sir Adrian esserly; "she VIII e1onerate
me-"
He speaks with such full assurance
Of being able to bring Dora forward SIS
a witness in his defense that Florence,
for the first time, feels q strong doubt
thrown upon the belief she has formed
Of his being a monster Of fckleness.
what IS it I can do for you?" asks
Dora, in some confusion. Of late she
has grown very shy Of being alonewth
either him or Florence.
you will tell Miss Delmaine," replies
Adrian quickly, that I never wrote
you q letter, and that certainly did
e.