The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-02

took new shape, tor these Two hclfs
apparent to the leadership of the an
cieut feud began struggle for educa
tional supremacy that lasted from tht
day they entered the college until thu
day they graduated, and on that day
Jeanette Jones was the victor, will
John Brown next to her.
1t was no triumph for jeanette
though. for she was very we'll satisfied
in her own mind that John Brown
had made his examination to fit tb'
occasion, and had given her first plac,
deliberately and Intentionally, ano
this made her feel that there ar'
times when victory is worse than de
feat.
They had been on speaking terms
for some time, because it was necessary
on. occasions for them to speak, bu
there was nothing like intimacy o.
even friendship existing between
them.
The more jeanette thought abou
the matter the more fully was sh'
convinced that she was the victim o
John Browns courtesy, and she fel
that she must let him know that sh'
understood this to be the fact, or tn
laurels she had won would foreve,
burn her brow. She could not MAKE
any excuse for approaching him unit
she was ready to 60 home.
The coaches were filed, and il 81
happened that she got a lower berth IL
the Wagner that was to carry then
home. John saw the situation at
glance, and betook himself to thesmok
lug compartment and staid there un
til midnight in order not to annoy: hi:
fair neighbor and enemy, but she hat
made up her mind to speak to hun, ant
when he sauntered down the aisle 10 re
tire he saw Miss Jeanette sitting in he
seat aud was about to turn back wher
she called to him:
"One minute, please, Mr.. Brown,
she said.
John doffed his cap and bowed with
out speaking.
II want to say to you, began Jean
cite in some confusion, ''thatil am per
fectly aware of the fact that you placed
the honors OF our class on my head BY
not doing your best. lowe you thank!
from the ordinary point of view, but
under the circumstances l can but wish
that you had pursued a different
course" -
This speech was rather prim one
and was not we'll delivered, in spite o.
the fact that jeanette had been coming
it for hours and had it worded perfect
The young man was no whit less con
fused than was the young lady, and
for a moment he stood unable to reply
He could not lie by saying that sht
was mistaken, and he did not want tt
acknowledge that she was correct. -.
"You have no reason for your belief
Miss JONES'" he said, resolving on &
middle couee, land if your surmise:
could by any possible chance be cor
rect the honors 20 to Kentucky and te
our home, and that is honor enough.
This was a question that required
considerable discussion, and before
either of them was aware OF it the
light of the new day broke through the
windows and the porter smiled grimlJ
to himself as heslipped the dollar Johr
gave him into the proper receptacle
and said something in an undertone tt
the conductor of the car about some
folks being lawfully sweet on each
other"
The dispute between the young peo
pie was not definitely Settled tha
night, and after their arrival at home
every time they met casually when 60
ing about the country it was renewed
1t was surprising, too, how often thell
rides on horseback were over the same
roads and at the same time, and II
there had been any one in their secrets
that one would have concluded thai
the old dispute between the families
was going to break out in new form
though it must be said that the argu
ments of the young people were very
decorously conducted and frequently
strayed away from the original matter
of the school honors.
One day as John went up the hill ne
met Jeanette coming down. This was
not very unsual occurrence, and
neither of them made any pretense Of
being surprised. In fact, John said
plainly that he came that way because
he hoped to meet Jeanette.
There was that in Johns eyes that
day that made Jeanette's brown orbs
droop when she looked at him. With
a woman's prescience she knew that
he was going to talk to her of things
that had not been spoken of before and
tell her story that would sound in
fnitely sweet to her coming from his
lips.
John turned his horse, and together
they went slowly down the hill along
the winding road beneath the green
trees. All the glory of summer was
about them. and the sapphire skies
seemed to bend just above the hills to
the south, while across the river to the
north the blue Ohio heights la bask'
ing in beauty, dim, blue and far away.
"Jeanette, darling, l love you. Will
you be my wife2"
John spoke without preface and
without warning, and the girl gasped
at the suddenness of it all.
Don't say no." pleaded the big and
handsome John, as the girl bent her
eyes to:heri horses name and paled and
flushed from the sweet emotion that
surged through her heart. Don't
throw me over, for I love you better
than life, better than ever any other
one can, and will love you always.
You say you owe your college honors
to me and want me to have them. You
do not owe me anything that your love
will not repaya million times over and