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

ny KATE WALLACE CLEMENTS.
"You haven't seen him YETI Well,
that's II pity. He's quite II catch Pm
told; young, handsome and single. Why
don't you set your cap for him, Matte?
You've got as good chaEce rs the rest
OF them, and twonty six is not old by
any mcans."
She leaned over tho garden gate, rs
she spoke, this vcritable village gossip.
l can sec her now, with her great pokc
bonnet, from beneath which the cluster
ing gray ringlcts pccped 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
this estffnablo lady's prosence. Vhat n
hdfu'tess little lady she appeared, aud
how incapable of carrying about that
wonderful budget OF information. How
nicely she impaired her knowledge to
her listeners, beginning with, "Wcll,
don't mind telling you,"o "Thcy do
say, but of course you can't believe
everything" and ending. with, "That's
between you aud me; - will 70 no
farther"
was busy in the garden that morn
ing, training some carly juno roses; my
thoughts were not the brightest, scarcely
IN harmony with nature, who was deckcd
i'll one of her brightest mantles. IL was
quite unnecessary for Mrs. Briggs to re.
mlnd me OF my age; was thinking scr;.
ously of it. Twenty not very old to
be sure, and yet, not very young to an
unmarried woman.
must he content with fewer laurcls,
less conqucsts. must step out of the
field rs it were, and leave the romance
ard the day dreams to younger and faircr
girls.
It nattcrGd little to mo, whether tho
new curate was young and unmarried or
portly old fellow with wife and grown
daughters. At heart dislikcd this in.
tcricrlng old woman who had broken in
upon my rcvcric. thanked her kindly
for her advice, telling her that at prcscn,
lroad no intention of setting my cap for
any one, not even the new curatc; SO
saying went back to my work and the
roses.
"Thcrc, Matte, don't get rlcd," she
sad. "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 (rcttiny and WORRYING
over Bob Preston, for he ain't wuth il
nohow."
She shook hcrhcud wisely and was off,
before | had time to recover from the
cruel thrust that had opened the old
wound, Robert Preston aud tho past.
mad tried to guard my heart to tramplo
under foot tho Old love. l could have
laughed at my girlshfottya as If IT were
~ dream, until Il thoughtlcss word had
brought back the past, like the dead
risen to life again, or smouldcring fire
that needed buta gentle breeze to make
it Il burning flame.
onc by one, the roses dropped trcn.
my han'.s. One by one, the binding
tears fell. was only weak woman
after all, as, GOVERN" my face with my
maids, ,bbrd, "Robcrt, oh, Robert!
why were YOU falsc?"
1t all cJGc back to me, that vis.v To
Aunt Narti,a'S, where first met Robert
Preston, young student Just returned
from college.
cannot tell you all those bright
happy day dreams. How l loved hin
nnd waited for the happy day when ht
wouid ask me for that love. He reat
his answer in my tcll-talc face before nv
!Ips uttered it.
80, cnGrosscd with Roberts society,
took little heed Of other matters, scarcel,
giving thought to the fact that a younn
lady, the daughter Of deceased friend
"i my aunts, was going to make hs
home with us.
She came. From the moment looked
upon her lovely face my happiness was
gone. | was u pretty girl, fair aud fra
gle, yet one might as well compare
simple LITTLE daisy to a full blown popp,
or ricn, red rose, as my frail beauty to
tins G.r,s exquisite iovcllness.
Fer time my love was unchanged
l laughed in my foolish heart at nv
doubts and fears. At times | would fine
ms serious eyes wandering from me and
resting admiringly on the beautiful face
of Kathleen Lee.
No man could resist that wondrous fas
cinatlng face. Sho ncYer- eneauFase,
him, but the drooping lids, the fain,
flush, the trembling of her little hands
all told plainly that she too loved him.
How suffered. In my mad jealousy
grew to almost hate the child. III,
loved me before she came with her beau
tiful howcrike face to rob me Of tina
love. Was she blind that she did no
see that We were betrothedl l prayed
that she might go away and leave us t.
ourselves once more, and Robert woult
90 back to his old fond ways. Hi
ca:cssc5 were growing colder, his klssc.
lighter. spoke of his seeming neglect
he answered lightly, taking both my
hands in his, and looking fondly at me
"Nonsense, Matte. Do YOU know