The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-07-15

EcaE5IsszaG t21~ II
~" = - ~ ~
- mz~ MzY,
SHE SPOKE BITTERLY NOW. -<
with startled expression, ''where there
is plenty and peace at least, and through
the medium of which hope to win your
love in due time. This home IS with me,
and as my wife. Will you marry met" 4
CHAPTER II
"I am aware that my proposition is 8
strangely startling one,'' said he, gently, ~
Isabel looked at him with clasped hands 80
if in a dream; s'but 7 leave the city to-
morrow. and l wish to take you with me,
and release you at once from the hardening
influences by which you are surrounded"
.sTo-,uorrow! said Isabel, repeating the
words after him, mechanically; release
from all these harassing things tomorrow,
and through such an unlooked-for medium,
no wonder the girl was dazed.
But your family, your friends, what
will they say to your marrying ashop-girl'"
she said, her mind going back to gentle
Lilly Stanford, irrelevautly, because it
really had so little 20 do with the matter,
but feeling for the moment as if scorn and
aversion toward her in that sweet young
face would be more than she could bear;
worse, indeed, than her present ills.
.sMy family" he replied, haughtily; 'fort-
unately am entirely independent OF their
fancies, and fully old enough to choose for
myself; besides, they are sensible and kind,
and if I am happy, will love you for my
sake, until they can do so for their own.
Take little time, Miss Grant, and think
over the matter calmly before giving me an
answer can give you undoubted refer
ence as 70 my character before the mar
riage."
zone question" she said, gravely; 81 have
seen what love of stimulants can do in .
home whether it be rich or poor, and I have
vowed sacredly never to marry man who
INDUCED in them, even in the leastdegree." !"
She looked at him interrogatively.
"Fare no fears in that respect" he re-
piled, earnestly. II despise any thing Of
the sort as much as you can do, and honor
you the more for your resolve in regard to
it. Inever use liquor in any form"
She raised her eyes and looked in his FACE
long and searchiugly; she, 100, had a fac
ulty for reading faces, or rather her in
stincts read for her, and rarely betrayed
her; she saw in this case an honest manh-
ness in the face before her which inspired
her with confidence, and going to him she
stretched out her hands, saying, with 8
fearful smile: "Mr. Falconer, if you are will
ing to abide the consequences Of this I'M
pulsive act, will accept your offer, and
earnestly strive not to disappont you"
He rose, and taking her hands in his, said
quietly: 1T shall be the study OF my life to
convince you that your informal choice is q
wise and happy one. I leave the city to-
morrow at 2:15. Shall we fix the ceremony
at one, in this room!'
'As you please" replied Isabel: she was
yet too bewildered to give attention to de-
tails.
Very well, I will call in the morning at
nine, and ask Nine. Arnot for permission to
use her room"
"Isabel Grant, do, for pity's sake, tell US
what Harvey Falconer could wish to see
you for" cried Nine. Arnot, who was in the
work-room when Isabel entered it at last,
with preoccupied, far-away look in her
eyes.
eve are dying to know" said Jennie
Dewey; "has he gone into the millinery
business and offered you q position as sales
woman!' The idea OF Isabel and bonnets
seemed insepafable. 4
"He has offered me position" replied
Isabel, dreamily, "not as saleswonaR,''
but as his wife" IL
"His uiter almost screamed Nine. Arnot
in her surprise; Harvey Falconer, the
aaillionaire; nonsense, girl, you're joking"
1.-THE millionaire" It was Isabel's turn
now to be surprised; she had thought little
of his position in life, and had supposed him
to be comfortable tradesmsn, or, to come
nearer the truth. she had had no definite
thoughts on the subject except as his words,
"peace and plenty suge ested home OF
comfortable abundance, and she sank into
chair trembling. "I'm not joking" she
said, family, "but had no idea he was Il
man OF such wealth when accepted him"
There will be fine humning among his
aristocratic friends when they hear he has
married shop-0irl," said Nine. Arnot,
scornfully; she had married canal driver
in her days of poverty, in lieu Of better
offer, and through all her years Of prosper
ity he had remained the same, low, vulgar
and illiterate, creature to be kept out OF
sight Of her present circle Of friends, so lar
as possible, and it CALLED her and filed her
with wrath and jealousy that girl, hitherto
dependent upon her for her daily bread,
should by one stroke Of fortune rise so high
above her in the social scale which she
would occupy as Harvey Falconer's vile.
'sBut there's no danger! Hes fooling you,
girl; he'll nsuer marry your
'sTime will tell" was Isabel's quiet reply.
It seemed to her now, in the family atmos-
phere of the work room, that it was all a
dream, and that Nine. Arnot's disdaintul
words were only too reasonable, but, as she
had said, time would tell, and very short
time, for Mr. Falconer's lastwords had been:
expect me at nine tomorrow"
'.In case of such an absurdity occurring, I
will give YOU jus. one year to get behind
my counter; no good results could possibly
come from such strange alliance" and
Nine Arnot founced out Of the room far
from gracefully, and the girls were left
alone.
'The spitefulo old cat'' said Jennie Dewey,
Indignantly; "it's no wonder she envles you,
Isabel, in comparing Mr.. Falconer with hor-
rid John Arnot; but do tell US all about 1t"
But Isabel could not; she was not gush-
ing or ELUSIVE girl, and her deeper feelings
especially were inexpressible. Mr.. Fal'
coner had touched these in his conversation,
and she could no more have repeated 1t
than she could have brought out for inspec-
ton the tenderest OF love making.
SIT all seems 50 unreal" she pleaded; ''all
can tell is that he proposed to me and ac-
cepted him"
"For Miss Grant, said Ellice RYAN, COM
ing in from the shop at the moment with a
small package.
That certainly looks like tangible proof
SAID Jennie, as Isabel undid the package and
disclosed plush box which, when opened,
revealed an elegant diamond ring. Mr.. Fal-
oner must have studied the slender white
fingers to advantage during his stay, for the
ring fitted her engagement finger to a