The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-13

Illuminated and decked with flowers.
Conspicuous among them was Colonel
Accrington's offering.
This was curious specimen Of Japan
ESQ art-a small dais or stand, gold.
lacQuered and pearl-inlaid, supported by
q beetling crag with ocean waves foam
Ing around its base, wrought in glisten-
ing silver; and on tho topmost pinnacle
of the crag poised stormy petrol cut
out Of mother-of-pearl, holding in Its
claws Q rock-crystal ball as large as an
apple. and polished to such splendid
luster that the eye could scarce endure
to gaze upon 1t. A crystal drawer In
the face Of the stand held handful OF
these same rock. crystals, varying in size
from pea to pigeons egg, as round
and lucid as drops Of dew An open IAN
Of elaborate Japanese design and largest
size was set up behind the silver rock,
with an explanation Of the whole work
written upon it in golden fluid by a
priest OF q Bhuddist temple; for the
rock-crystal occupies high ground In
Japanese mythology.
As Crecy, Accrington and the others
approached, they found Mrs Crecy, with
her son Auberon and Loveday Della
mere, standing before it lost in admiring
wonder.
aWho could have sent such q superb
gift?" Loveday was exclaim1ng. ut
must have been great Traveller, Tor
where could he have picked up such a
curio except in Japan? 1t must have
been mystic, for who else would have
thought Of presenting to Auberon a
number of mems souls to eke' out his
own? Traveler-mystic-a million.
aire; who is all that, Mrs Crecy?"
Mrs. Crecy did not answer; she looked
disagreeably startled. Auberon was
busy deciphering the inscription on the
face, which, being written in japanese
Court English, was somewhat obscure.
Accrington joined the group, faint
glow on his tawny check
aMiss Dellamere has not quite for.
cotton Colonel Accrington, who used to
teach her how to manage her fiery pony
five years ago?" said he, with softest,
gentlest courtesy.
She started, this pure-hearted. limo.
cent girl, who knew no evil, and raised
her winsome eyes fearlessly to his, Won
dering at the earnestness she saw there.
Gravely and kindly she gave him her
hand-he was in no hurry to relinquish
It. Colonel Accrington was feeling that.
much as he had loved in the past, he had
never met woman whom to love would
be such triumph over the past with
all its failure and remorse. This girl
was pure, joyous, and free; to win her
whole love-what unmixed felicityl And
how weary he was Of remorSe and OF
vindictive angerl For five years griev-
ous memory had isolated his heart from
women-the barrier was removed when
he met this radiant Loveday's winsome
eyes and held her dainty hand
II shall marry this GIRL" he swore In
his heart; and the fixed gaze OF his black
eyes awoke her feminine consciousness
for the first time. She would think Of
him again.
She recalled his former visit to Sal
ford rather obviously; she owned that
she used to feel profound awe toward
him in those days, when he rode over
from Inchcape Fosse to walk with her
mamma and her in the gardens around
their home. She was then needless
spirit of twelve, bound up in her play
mate Auberon, and very shy Of the gall
liant officer who so often strobe by with
out q glance at her
aAnd you, Monsieur Auberon; have
you any remembrance Of me?" smiled
Accrington, with unconscious condescen-
sion.
Auoeron had little to say, his mild
eyes were searching out the spirit of
this dark being very seriously; he never
felt more unresponsive.
Mrs Crecy drew attention to the for
eign bit Of virtu before which they were
standing.
sAm I mistaken in guessing Colonel
Accrington to be the donor OF this mag
niticent gift?" demanded she, haughtily.
He bowed with humble and depre-
eating air.
MADAM, may you never know the
melancholy Of the exile" said he, "a
sad, mourntul tones, which impressed
Loveday like some heart-touching minor
air. @There is no sorrow so subduing,
SO lingering. Then one learns the mean
ing Of sleepless nights, when the whole
heart turns back to England with mex
tinguishable regret, when the faces we
have left behind US hover forever before
our eyes, and the faults-the omissions
We may have been guilty of-are re-
pented Of with strong crying and tears.
In such mood l entered Bhuddist
temple in Japan, and saw these flawless
crystals called them jewels 'Tis
wild conceit; may rehearse it to these
children?"
Who could resist him? His eyes were
humid, his air was gentle and depressed;
and nothing could be more wistfully
sweet than the glance and the tone with
which he named them "children.
Mrs Crecy, utterly unimpressed, how
ever, gave him the permission he sought
by an impatient wave of the hand.
ut is part Of the Japanese religion"
said Accrington, delighted with the op-
portunity of posing before all Stafford as
the deeply interesting friend Of the pop
ular Mrs. Crecy, ITO believe that good
mans spirit passes in death into rock
crystal, the comparative purity of which
depends upon the sanctity Of the mans
life. Thus, when o saint dies, and his
body has been consumed (for they prac-
tice cremation), rock. crystal, perfect
ly fiawless, is found in the ashes That
crystal is the sanity soul. The princi-.
pal globe there is the cast-off soul Of the
illustrious Rim O, martyr and priest.
The smaller stones in the drawer are the
ghosts Of now extinct house; they
were sold by the heir-at-law."
Loveday and Auberon we're immensely
amused with this odd conceit, and made
several jests apropos Of 1t.
Even the appearance Of such amity
between her family and Colonel Ac-
crington was a. vinegar to Mrs Crecy's
teeth Her frigid demeanor cost the
Colonel decided anxiety; what II she
should reject his gift in the presence of