Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-12-11

s.Just as il that would make an act
| cf charity less meritorious. Old wo-
men don't usually wear white lace
hats, though. You must have found
something preciousin there-jewelry,
or something-which makes you anx-
ious to martyrize yourself. It's mine,
| however, and am not ms anxious to
part with it rs I was-not till I've
looked through it, anyway"
AS he turned the key Al remembered
that his own photograph was lying IN
a conspicuous box, and exclaimed:
"Wait until after dinner, then; I'm
half starved"
"Perhaps it would be BETTER" was
the answer, and they passed out to-
gether.
When fairly downstairs al said he
had forgotten his handkerchief, and
flew hack three steps at time to get
it. Securing the picture and placing
it in an inside pocket, he said to him.
self:
ssSurely there's nothing else to give
me away. But must wheedle him
out of the trunk.
After dinner Fred event through"
the contents of the trunk, making
boyish remarks concerning each arti-
Gle as ne threw it aside. Al inwardly
WINGED at these remarks, End could
scarcely restrain himself from knock.
ing him over on the spot.
"What makes you so crustyW
queried Fred, suddenly, as one of his
choicest jokes was met by gruf
"a'm!" "There's no fun in you, and
why you want this stuff beats rae.
Your SISTERS would turn up their noses
at secondhand clothing. ifit is pretty.
But it isn't worth fussing over, SO take
it along. No donbt it would prove q
white elephant on my hands sooner or
Elatsl: atsl::..s...... -,.s....s--.- ,s;.:.. -
Not until the trunk was safely in
his room could AL breathe freely; even
then it was no easy matter to keep it
out of his sisters sight. They both
made pet and confidant Of their one
brother, and had fashion Of dropping
into his room st all hours to tell him
of their schemes and woes. He had
pushed the trunk under mahogany
table in the corner, the old-fashioned
cover of which reached almost to the
floor.
When he told them he was going
away for little business "trip" they
beset him with questions and petitions
to be taken with him, finally declar-
ing that they would clean house
while he was gone, and "sort out his
trash"
So behold him, in the dead of night,
carrying the "white elephant" up the
narrow attic stairs humping his head
on every rafter and getting cobwebs
in his mustache. He covered it with
old clothing, pushed q big box in
front of it and then crept downstairs,
feeling as guilty as il he had been con-
cealing some crime. At breakfast the
girls both talked at once about the
burglar who tried to get In, and how
they pounded on Al's door and could
not even get an answer.
At noon he was of, and as the train
whirled onward he became possessed
with fears. She might not be at Hast
ipgs; she might not care for him after
these three years; she might even be
married or dead
Arriying at his destination at last,
he only stopped to leave his bag at an
hotel, and wslked rapidly to familiar
house in tha suburbs. Ringing the
bell, he in ed for Miss Burr in a
matter-of-tac way, as it he had seen
her the day fore. He watched the
girls face rs ne spoke, and saw no
trace of surprise. She simply said:
"Miss Burr may not be able to see
you, but come in, and will ask"
Presently he was shown into small,
sunny room, where, on couch, lay
the one girl he had ever loved. He
meant to explain at once the cause of
his foolish going and eager coming, all
of which he had framed into frank.
beautiful sentences; but somehow
they forsook him, and he fell back on
the commonplace. She received him
with quiet words of welcome, and then
said:
"Pardon my position, but lam such
an invalid that it is trial to sit up.
can invalid!" he echoed, family.
eyes" she answered. ''Did you
not hear of my accident several months
ago? On coming home from visit L
stopped for day OF SO in London
hotel. The building caught fire few
hours after I entered it. The horror
of the scene is 80 stamped-branded
would be more appropriate word
on my memory that / cannot bear to
talk of it. 1 lost everything except
the ulster which was wrapped ABOUT
me, and would have lost my life but
for the brave fireman who broke my
fall. Oh, no, L sm not seriously in
jured," she continued, in answer to
his half-spoken question, Though l
have been i'll ever since. 1t was such
shock, you know"
By deft questioning he succeeded IN
making her say:
eyes, lost my trunk. 1t was left
at the station Q expected to go on in
o day or two), and the deposit check
was destroyed with my pocketbook.
Railway people are necessarily par
ticular about identifying luggage, and
for two weeks was too i'll to even re-
member it. Besides. had only gone
for a short outing, and it held nothing
of much valne, except some keepsakes
lbof 1yopa door tn mo