Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-07-04
CHAPTER II.
THE COMING OF TIE sPANIARD.

THE COMING OF TIE SPANIARD.
Ard now must 60 back and speak or
my own matters. As l have told, it was
my fathnr's wish that should be a ply.
sician, and since 1 came back from my
schooling at Ncrwich-that was when l
had entered on my sixteenth ycar-1 had
studied medicine under the doctor who
practccd his arr in the ncighborhcod OF
Bun-ay. He was very learned man and
an honest, 1irinstonc by name, and rs
had some liking for the business made
good progress under him
Medicine vas not tho only thing that I
studied in those days, however. Squire
Board of Buckingham, the same who
told nv father Of the coming Of the Span.
ish ship, had two living children, son
and daughter though lis wife had borno
him many more who died in infancy.
The daughter was named Lily and of my
own agc having been born three weeks
after me III the same year.
From our earliest days we children, Bo-
yards and Winglields, lived almost as
brothers and sisters, for day by day We met
and played together in the SNOW or i'll the
flowers. Thus it would be hard for nc to
saw when began to love Lily orwhcn she
began to love me, but know that when
I frstwent to school at Norwich gricvcd
more at losing sig Of her than because
must part from my mother and the rest.
In all our games she was ever my partner,
and would search the country, round for
DAYS to fna such flowers as She CHANGED
to love. When came back from school,
it was the same, though by degrees Lily
grew snfer, and also grew suddenly shy,
perceiving that from child she had be-
come a woman Still we met often, and,
though neither said anything Of it, it was
sweet to Us to meet.
Thus things went on till this day Of my
mothers death. But before go further l
must tell that Squire Board looked With
no favor on the friendship between his
daughter and myself, and this not because
he disliked me, bat rather because he
would have seen Lily welded to my elder
brother Godfrey, my fathers hcir, and not
to u younger son. So hard did he G"0W
about the matter ut last that We two
might scarcely meet except by seeming &c.
cidcnt, whereas my brother was ever wei
come at the hall And on this account
crs, as is apt to be the case when woman
comes between friends, however close, for
it must be known that my brother GeotfrcE
also loved Lily, rs all men would have
loved her, and with Il better right perhaps
than had, for he was my elder by three
years and born to possessions.
Now, when had attained 19ycars l was
q man full grown, and writing rs do in
extreme old age may say it without false
shame, a very handsome youth to boot. l
was not 'crtall indeed, measuring but
feet 9% inches in height, but my limbs
were well made, and was both deep and
broad in the chest In color J. was, and,
nv white hair notwithstanding am still,
extraordinarily dark hucd; my eyes also
were large and dark, and my hair, which
was wavy, was coal black. In my dcport-
1ncnt l was reserved and grave to sadness;
in speech I was slow and temperate and
more apt at listening than i'll talking. l
weighed matters we'll before I made up
my mind upon them, but being made up
nothing could turn me from that mind
short of death itself, whether it wcrc set
on good or evil, on foAy or wisdom In
those days also I had little religion, since
partly because of my fathers secret teach
ing and partly through the workings of
nv own reason learned to doubt the doc
trircs of the church as they used to be set
out.
On this sad day of which I write knew
that Lily, whom loved, would be walk
ing alone beneath the great pollard oaks
in t'c park at buckingham hall. Here,
in Grubswcll, rs the spot is called, grew,
indeed still grow, certain hawthorn trees
that arc the earliest to blow of any in thcso
parts. and when We had met at the church
door on the Sunday Lily said that thcro
would be bloom upon them by the WctincS-
day, and on that afternoon she should go
to cut it. 1t may we'll bc that she spoke
thus with design, for love will breed cum
ming in the heart Of the most guilclcss and
truthful maid. Then and there vowed
to myself that also would be gathering
hawthorn bloom in this same place, and
on that Wednesday aftcrncon-ycs, even
if I must play tru;:nt and leave all the
sick OF Bungay to natures nursing. More
over, was determined on one thing--that
if I could find Lily alone l would delay no
longer, but tell her all that was III my
heart, no great secret indeed, for though
no word Of love had ever passed between
us as vet each knew the others hidden
thoughts.
Now. it chanced that on this afternoon
was hard put to it TO escape to my tryst,
for my master, the physician, was ailing
and sent INC to visit the sick for him,
carrying them their medicines. at the
last however, between 4 and O'Clock, l
fled asking no Leave Taking the Nor,
wich road. ran for Il mile and more till l
had passed the Manor House and the
church turn and drew near to Ditchlng
ham park. Then dropped my pace to a
walk, for I did not wish to como before
Lily heated and disordcrcd, but rather
looking r,y best, to which end l had put
on my Sunday garments Now, as l went
down the littlc hill i'll the road that rms
past the pari; saw Il man on horseback
who looked first at the bride path that at
this spot turns off to the right, then BACK
across the common lands toward the Vino
yard hills and the Wavercy, and then
along the road, as though he did not Know
which way to turn. I was quick to notice
things, though at this moment my mlnd
was not at It's swiftcst, being set on other
matters and chiefly rs to how should tell
my tale to Lily, and I saw ut once thab
this man was not of our country.
He was very tall and noble looking,
dressed in rich garments of velvet adorned
ly gold chain that hung about his ncck