Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-04-17

H s. RsRA, tss; s5ay rssa Ss5ss, sss
- GCD asked if she
might come for walk with me! Not
that she was at all forward girl, you
will see that when you understand the
circumstances, but the fact remains
that she preferred such o request, and
that I wished to soy "No.
had only known her week, but
that had been more than long enough
for me to fell in love with her. She
was such bonnv girl, neither tall
nor short, neither dark nor fair, not
strictly beautiful, and certainly very
far from being plain, with hair which
was brown without being dull, with
eyes which were blue without being
cold, with a quaintness and straight
forwardness about her-the outcome
of her Colonial training-that alto
gether took my heart by storm, and
made her unlike any other girl I had
ever come across.
I had accepted an invitation to stay
with my godfather (he was also my
mothers cousin) instead OF going to
my home, which was long way from
Oxford. Although had never seen
him, he had always fulhllhd my ideal
of O god-parent. As we had never met,
he could not be supposed to teach me
the catechism, but never o birth lay
came round but he sent me FIVE
pound note, which was acceptable
even now, perhaps more so to the Ok
ford undergraduate than to the small
boy at home with every want sup
piled. And now that I was nearing
the end of my time at the University,
and was reading hard for my finals, in
which I hoped to do we'll, it seemed as
if he were about to help me to the
crowning Joy of my life by iutroduc-
ing me to his niece, Dorothy Knigh-
ton.
She had just arrived from Australia
on visit, end so was almost as much
o stranger to her uncle as l was, only
that she had o fortnight's start of me.
But how fond he was Of her! Both be
and his wife We'd with each other in
trying to give her pleasure; they
drove her about to see all the sights
in the country round, and presented
her with an heirloom, in the shape OF
lovely emerald pendant, which
looked dazzling on her white neck
when. she wore it one evening to show
us. She returned their kindness by
singing their favorite songs to them,
and following them about the grounds
and corservatories day after day, in q
desultory fashion, which, must have
been rather monotonous, though to
this childless old couple it was their
chief delight.
But in spite Of her brightness I was
not at all sure that she was happy.
The very first morning I was there I
noticed wistful look in her eyes at
breakfast; and on the third morning,
by which time I thought good deal
about her eyes, I was convinced that
she mad some secret sorrow. What
could it be? 1t was true that she had
left her parents in Australia, but q
visit to England had always been. she
said, the acme Of her desires, and she
had had delightful voyage. She ex.
pressed herself charmed with the old
buildings and the ruins she had seen,
and the character of the English seen
cry. all of which was SO new to her,
but there must have been something
that did not come up to her expecta-
tions. Or, was it-and here the
thought caused me to put down my
cup Of coffee hastily-could it be she
had met some one CT board from
whom she regretted being parted? II
was possible-nay, probable. And il
this was the case. what chance had 1?
But still she never talked about any
one in particular, and as she was gen.
orally pretty bright, and it was only
now and then that I surprised this
wistful look, L began to hope that ]
might be wrong in my surmises. Al
any rate, there was no reason why
should not do my best to win her.
But this is long depression, and
must go back to that September morn
ing when she followed me out into the
oak-panelled hall as soon as we hnc
risen from the breakfast table, anc
said:
"Mr. Lowndes, if you are going int
the town, may I come with you?
want to go to some shops" F"
There was o little town three mile
away to which I had announced my in
tention of paying o visit, but what
did not bargain for was the company
of Miss Dorothy Knighton. 1t wa!
fortunate that she was behind me
when she asked the question, SO. that
she did not see how my face fell; ant
by the time I turned to answer her
had regained control of myfeatures.
''Need you ask? ?" replied; and in
deed, in spite of my wish that she
would remain at home, o thrill oi
triumph shot through me at the
thought that she had asked me of hel
own accord; and the vision of my
rival, which was ever before me, grew
less. So we set out along the dusty
road, she a trim, cool figure in hel
holland frock, viii d glad look on hel
face which it dia my heart good to see
"What lovely old place this is. >
she remarked, rs we went down the
long avenue of ancient elms which leo
to the lodge gate. ''It quite comes
up to my idea of ancestral halls
with turrets and moat, too. 1t does
look old--doesn't it? And everything
is so beautifully kept! They seem te
have quite retinue of servants, ant
they're as old as con be. I suppose
they take wages, but expect they
would be very much surprised il aunt
gave any of them notice. 1t seems sc
funny to me, for with us six month";
is generally the length of their stay.
SO she ratified on, losing goot
deal of the slight stiffness with which
she had hitherto addressed me, ant
mekinr me FORGET that the fact of hel