The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-12-11
TIE NEW CURATE.
BY KATE WALLACE CLEMENTS.

bh NATE WALLACE CLEMENTS.
"iou haven't seen him YETI Well,
that's pity. He's quite catch Pm
told; young, handsome and single. Why
don't you set your cap for him, Matte 2
You've got rs good n chaIce as the rest
OF them, and twenty-sx is not old by
any means"
She leaned over the garden rate no
she spoke, this veritable VILLAGE possip
can sec her now, with her great poke
bonnet, from beneath which the cluster
ing gray ringlets peeped; the keen blue
eyes that seemed to read your very
thoughts, the trim little figure clad al
ways in ample skirts of sombrc brown
or Quaker gray.
Never was there wedding, funeral
or christening in the village without
TINS estfmabie Iady's presence What a
harmless little lady she appeared, and
how incapable of carrying about that
wonderful budget of information. How
nicely she impaired her knowledge to
her listeners, beginning with, "WelI,
don't mind telling you" or "They do
say, but Of course you can't believe
everything" and ending. with, "That's
between you and me; ~ will 20 no
farther"
was busy in the garden that morn.
ing, training some early June roses; NV
thoughts were not the brightest, scarcely
IN harmony with nature, who was decked
in one of her brightest mantles. II was
quite unnecessary for Mrs. Briggs to re-.
mind me OF my age; was thinking seri.
ously of it. Twenty-six not very old to
DC sure, and yet, not very young to an
unmarried woman.
must be content with fewer laurels.
less conqucsts. i must step out of the
field as it were, and leave the romance
ard the day dreams to younger and fnirer
girls.
s-~-Hmattcred little to me, whether tho
new curate was young and unmarried, or
portly old fellow with a wife and grown
daughters. At heart dislikcd this i..
tcriering old woman who had broken in
upon my rcvcric. / thanked her kindlv
for her advice, telling her that at present
lread no intention of setting my cap for
any one, not even the new curate: Sc
saylngl went back to my work and the
roses.
''Thcre, Matte, don't get riled," she
said "Ot course it's nobody's business
II you're going to leave yourself an old
maid but take my advice aud don't
spend your time fretting and Worrying
over Bob Preston, for IL amt wuth Il
nohow."
She shook her head wisely and was off,
before had time to recover from the
cruel thrust that had opened the old
wound, Robert Preston aud tho past. I
had tried to guard my heart to tram ple
under foot the old love. could have
laughed at my girlistf -f0ify as n It were
~ dream, until Il thoughtless word had
brought back the past, like the dead
risen to life again, or a smoulderino fire
that needed but a gentle breeze to make
it q burning flame.
One by one, the roses dropped from
my hands. One by one, the binding
tears fell. | was only weak woman
after all, as, covering my face with my
n>nds, sJbbed, "Robert, oh, Robert!
why we're you false?"
1t all came back to Tc, that vis.. to
Aunt NGrt'ias, where | first met Robert
Preston, young student just returned
from college.
J cannot tell you all those bright,
happy day dreams. How | loved him
and waited for the happy day when he
would ask me for that love. He read
his answer in my tcll-tale face before nv
lips uttered it.
SO, cngrossCd with Roberts society, I
took little heed of other matters, scarcely
wing thought to the fact that q Young
lady, the daughter of deceased friend
OF my aunt's, was going to make hs
home with us.
She came. From the moment looked
upon her lovely face my happiness was
gone. was II pretty girl, fair and fra.
gle, yet one might as well compare a
simple lIttle daisy to a full blown poppy
or rico, red rose, rs my frail beauty to
this g'r''s exquisite loneliness.
For time my love was unchanged.
l laughed in my foolish heart at my
doubts and fears. At times would find
his serious eyes wandering from me and
resting admirin9ly on the beautiful face
of Kathleen Lee.
No man could resist that wondrous fas
clnating face. Shc. never encouraged
him, but the droofjpg lids, the fafut
flush, fhe tremblin ssof her little hands,
all told plainly that she too loved hios.
How suffered. In my mad jealousiy
], grew to almost hate the child. He
loved me before she came with her beau
tiful howeriike face to rob me of that
love. Was she blind that she did not
see that we we're betrothed2 l prayed
that she MIGHT 90 aWay and leave us to
ourselves once more, and Robert would
90 back to his old fond ways. His
caresses were growing colder, his kisses
lighter. spoke of his seeming neglect;
he answered lightly, taking both my
hands in his, aud looking fondly at me ::
"Nonsense, Matte. Do you know,