The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-01-13

M}MS&1HNMMXWW forest streams
I'm HEH3%MhSM in their uncer-
MS$SHHHEaHIIM W. tain mist, the
'WH@ factory chin!
f7 neys flung their
fiery banners of smoke against the leaden
sky, a basso relieve that would have
made Rembrandt himself rejoice, and
the hum of never-ceasing machinery in
the little town rose above the rush of the
river. like the buzz of a gigantic insect.
Charles Emery, the day foreman in
the rolling mills, was just retiring to
his home, having been relieved by John
Filter, the night official, and as he walked
along, his feet sounding crisply on the
hard-frozen earth, he whistled softly to
himself, as light-hearted as a bird.
ssYou're going with us tonight,
Charley7" cried a gay voice, and two or
three young men came BY. 49,.
"Do you mean"
tsI mean to the operam
For upon that especial evening there
was to be an opera i'll the little town of
Crystalton, a genuine New York com.
pany with & chorus, a full orchestra and
all the paraphernalia of scenery and cos
tune which provincial residents so sell
dom enjoy, and the younger population
were on the qui vive of delighted expec-
tation.
81 am going," said Mr.. Emery, slow
ly; s'but not with you'll"
.sBut you will change your mind,
though" said Harrison Vail, "when
you hear that Kate Marcy is to be of the
party. Kate Marcy and the Miss Hal
lowells and Fanny Hewitt. There are
eight of us going. We've kept a seat
on purpose for youW
81 have engaged myself to another
lady," Emery replied, after a second or
so of hesitation.
Vail laughed.
t swell, I'm sorry fer it. said he, SHUT
Miss Marcy is not a girl who need pine
for a cavalier. Well keep the seat for
you until a quarter of eight, in case you
should see Fit to change your mind. Only
let me give you a word of warning, old
fellow! Kate Marcy is a high spirited
girl-it won't do to triie too much with
herr"
Charles Emery went on his way rather
grayer and more self absorbed. he had
asked his mother, the day before, to go
to see ssThe Mascot" and his mothers
eyes had frightened with genuine de-
light.
, "Your father often used to take me,
Charley" she said, "when we were
young people and lived IN New York.
But it's twenty years and more since I
have been to an opera. And if you're
quite sure, dear, that there is NO young
girl whom you would rather take"
/. "As if any young girl in the world
could be to me what my own darling
little mother is!"replieo Emery, smiling
across the table to her.
"Then I shall be SO delighted to go"
said Mrs. Emery.
And her voice and eyes bore happy
witness to the truth of her words.
But now that a regular party had been
organized, and Kate Marcy had promised
to join it, things looked very differently
to the young nan For a moment he
almost regretted that he had engaged
himself to take his mother.
! "She would be as well pleased with
hny concert" he said to himself, "and I
should have the opportunity of sitting
all the evening nextt to Kate Marcy. I'll
ask her to let me off this time. She
won't care"
/ But when he went into the little sit
ting room of tb ,ir humble domain, and
saw his mother, with her silver gray
hair rolled into puffs on either side of
her almost unwrinkled brow, her best
black silk donned, and the ons opal
brooch which she owned pinned into the
white lace folds at her bosom, his heart
misgave him.
81 have been trimming my bonnet
over with some violet velvet flowers"
said she, smiling, $50 as to do you no
discredit, Charley; and I have o new pair
of violet kid gloves. And now you
must drink your tea. I've made some of
your favorite cream biscuit, and the ket-
tie is nearly at the boil. Oh, Charley,
you'll laugh at me, Pm afraid, but I feel
exactly like a little girl going to her
first children's party. It's s o seldom,
you know, that a bit of pleasure comes
in my way"
e.. And then Charles Emery made up his
mind that his mother was more to him,
in her helpless old age and sweet, affec-
tionate dependence, than any blooming
damscl whose eyes shone like stars and
whose cheeks rivaled the September
peach. -.
"Going with some n else!" said
Kate Marcy, rather surprised and not
exactly pleased.
She wa a tall, beautiful maiden, the
belle of Crystalton, and rather an heiress
in her own right, with all the rest. She
certainly liked Charles Emery, and she
rather surmised that he liked her also.
And when she had been studying up her
toilet for the opera, she had selected a
blue dress, with blue ~corn-aowers for
her hair and ornaments of %tUrquois, be-