The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-29
A GENUINE HERO.

- Shy Va NpoA oh1 So~f
trellised veranda, novel, and e ham
mock slung at the most comfortable OF
angles. With these conditions. it was
scarcely strange that Halcyon Hartford
swayed delightfully."- between dreamland
and the real world that June afternoon,
with the feecy gold of her hair, all
guiltless of pin or comb, and the "bell
sleeves" falling enchantingly away from
. her round, white arms, while one trim,
slippered foot hung from the edge of the
hammock.
"Halcyon. Halcyon! Where are Hou2"
1t was one of those exasperating voices
which, once having been sweet, had
now a certain vibrant jar to its tones,
painfully akin to shrillness.
Halcyon frowned little, and raised
herself on one elbow.
"Oh, Aunt Hal, don't scream so! I
was Just in such halfway dream of de-
light"
"Weil, you should have answered,
them"
Aunt Hal came out of the wide, shady
hall with an ELUSIVE swing of her dra-
{ peries, and seated herself in bamboo
chair, close to the head of the ham
mock.
SIZE was comically like her niece-at
, least, as like as a woman of eight-and-
thirty could be like maid Of eighteen.
There was the same yellow luxuriance
of hair, but harsher, drier and more
suggestive of dye; the same pink and
white complexion, arti6cally heightened
by LIQUID pearl and a carmine saucer;
similar features, cruelty sharpeaed by the
inexorable hand of time, and teeth just
4 one degree too white and regular to be
real.
The white dress she wore was pain
! fully trying, ard she was compelled to
use gold eyeglasses as she held up a
letter to the view of the younger
Halcyon.
i "What has happened3" drowsily de-
manded the latter, lifting pair of blue
eyes, fringed with dark lashes."
4 "The strangest thing!"
- "Ano.her offer of marriage9" hazarded
Haley on, settling on the unlikeliest thing
which could, in her opinion, possibly
happen. ,
allow did you guess2" with little
.exultant cackle. EXACTLY. The dear,
foolish lad-and he SO much younger
than 1! Why, he couldn't have been
. one-and twenty when he went to Bonn
bay. and l was at least thirty then -"
n "Thirty five, Aunt Hail." sud
Halcyon, the merciless.
e; s:Was it as much as that9 Well, he
: seemed desperately in love then; though,
. of course, l never took any notice of the
child. But suppose, IN that country OF
iblackamoors, one can't help thinking
2 about all the women one has known at
: home; and he has written me two or
;, three letters"
HAS he2"
Halcyon sat straight up in the ham
mock now. Her blue eyes shone in
ltently. The heat had brought flush to
\ her cheek, which all Aunt Halls caImine
saucers could not rival.
"But I never told you" giggled the
elder beauty. "Because I remembered
that there was a sort of boy-and- girl
affair between you and Charley Blossom,
when you were IN boarding school, and
i thoug ght maybe you would be nettled.
And here's the proposal at" last-with
his photograph inclosed!"
u s.Let me see it"' said Halcyon.
e What a brave, good face it was
+ slightly older and sterner lined than she
{ had looked upon when the Avancanian
! sailed away three years ago, but yet so
strong and manly!
sS She laughed Historically.
4 "Shall you accept him?" said she.
Aunt Hal nibbled coquettishly at the
edge of the envelope; the new false
teeth cleaned in smile.
sI-think-I-shall!"
- "And you fourteen years older than
!. he isl"
sPeople don't think so much about
such things as they used to do," rca-
soned Miss Hartford, the elder. "Eros
is immortal, you know, dear"
Halcyon sank back into the hammock
and reopened her book.
"You must do as you please, OF
course" said she. "After that quota,
tion about Eros, haven't suggestion
to offer"
"Jealous, poor darling" thought
Aunt Hal, with thrill of exultation.
But she only said:
"Well, of course one can't help those
things happening to one, and your time
will come soon, dear, never fear.
"It's good thing" she added to her
self, ssthat she don't know anything
about dear old Judge FloStroy. There's
a difference in age, if you please, and
the old pet is so infatuated about me
= An old mans darling, or young mans
! slave-which2"
While Halcyon thought, on her side:
"The silly goose! He has done il
now. He has been making love to Aun
: Hal, under the impression that he wa!
courting me. I thought, of course, HI
knew that her name was the same a.
mine. Didn't she stand gcdmother tt
me at St. Chrysoline's, and give me
coral-and-bells and an embroidered
christening robe2 And now he ha'
actually proposed to herl Well, if he il
the man take him to be, he'll stand BY
his colors, cost him what it may. 4
man who could. walk up to the cannon
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