The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1890-09-16
8empted to Wurder.

| Ail0o Win uy 6LCpuloInC2 o Su42OA Gle
They were not content with their
mothers love, but exacted from my
father all the attention he had to be-
stow upon the family and he was led
to believe me moody and sullen because
! I resented this unequal division Of
household duty and felt myself de-
frauded out Of my share in my fathers
heart. Looking back upon my early
childhood, it does not seem strange
that grew up with great Jealousy of
the caresses that were lavished freely
upon my younger brothers--the sons of
my stepmother. This, as I grew older,
deepened into a longing for home of
my own, a love in which no other
, human being should have share.
When I had reached the age Of
twenty-five these aims in life were
realized. held an independent bus-
ness position and my income was large
enough to support wife and give her
home in which she would be sur
rounded by every comfort that dainty
womanhoo6 needs. Fortune had fa-
vored me from the moment in which I
had stepped over the threshold OF my
fathers house, and now my stepmother
was loud in my praises and most
anxious the elder brother should also
push the fortunes Of her 'poor, dear
boys" She even put it to me tearfully
whether I had not better remain un-
married for their sakes and play the
part Of the benevolent bachelor uncle
TO their prospective children.
But I had other views in life. I'm
known to her I had fallen deeply in
love with Ethel Templeton, budding
belle Of the pretty little interior city, in
which we lived. Up to the time whea
at seventeen, she had made her fa-S
debut in society, I had w nal
who had excited pA< " seen no one
admiration on 95ore than ordinary
moment sMy part, but from the
wiSu was presented to stately,
- Insome Ethel l vowed myself to her,
/ heart and soul. My love was 50 great
that seemed rather to avoid than to
court her, 50 fearful was I Of fright
ening and losing her by a premature
outburst Of volcanic fires that ragged
in my breast, and were with diff
; dculty kept hidden under calm e1te-
/ rior.
The circumstances Of my early life
had made me extremely reticent. /
had no conhdants as boy and as I
grew to manhood I made no bosom
friend to whom l talked Of myself. I
could not have done it If I had tried,
for the habit Of years Of reticence was
upon me and could not be broken. So
| no one guessed my passion for sweet
Ethel Templeton and no one ever ven
tured to speak to me about my atten-
lions to her.
AT last 1 spoke my love. We had
been acquainted for year and her
eighteenth birthday had come. I had
been waiting for it, and in the morn
ing sent to her home my offering of
; flowers with note requesting that I
might have the favor Of an interview
in the afternoon. In the cosy little
library Of her mothers home, with the
scent of June roses stealing in through
the windows, told Ethel Templeton
that had loved her from the first mo-
ment I had seen her. 1t was some
! what of surprise to the gentle girl,
! though, with a woman's intuition, she
! had always known that had liked
her sspassing WELL" When her mother
came into the room shortly afterwards
Etheps hand was in mine and her
cheeks were as red as the roses at the
window. The mother only lived for
the daughters happiness, and I left
the house the betrothed lover Of Ethel
Templeton.
Of course my step-mother did not
like it. She said so with emphasis,
but at last appeared to be resigned to
: the inevitable, and the family made a
ereat deal of Ethel. This pleased me,
! and was glad to see the Oldest of the
bows, my half brother Harry, who was
inst six months older than my be-
trothcd, frequent visitor at the house.
In my newborn happiness was will
ing 10 forget the wretchedness and
loneliness Of the past.
One day my step-mother asked me
to take her out for drive, and added
that she wanted chance to talk to me
by myself. Her request gave form to
suspicious that had been forming for
some time in my mind that there were
sharp claws under the velvet of her
touch. Yet 1 had no reason for any
fears and 7 only congratulated myself
that was finally free from her infu-
| ences. Perhaps my self-congratula-
ton was premature.
have never forgotten that ten-mile
r1de through the misty October sun
shine to the little lake set Like q dia-
mond in the crown Of the Pennington
Mountains. Its memory comes back
to me with every recurring October
day that is its twin in beauty, but it
has been so softened since that no sting
is left in it.
"Frank," said my step-mother after
awhile, :'do YOU love Ethel so much
that you could not give her up? Do
YOU think You are suited to her?
Would you not both be happier if you
should return to your old bachelor life
instead of trying to tie this young girl
down to your old-fashioned ways?"
, Amazement kept me speechless for