The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-15
DOROTHY PRESTON'S PRIDE.

Pride is an objectionable thing in
some people, and then there are others
whom it fits with the appropriateness
of natural garment.
Among the latter class the Preston
family might have been justly placed,
and as an exponent of uncompromls-
ing, stately pride, one might have
cited the only daughter, Dorothy.
And why should she not have been
proud? She was young and beautiful
and wealthy, and knew that there
coursed through her veins some of the
bluest blood Of the Old Dominion.
The men, self-complacent and con-
ceited as they are ever reported to be,
said that they felt like manikins in
her presence And the women-well,
she was too good and pure for them TO
hate and too proud and distant for
them to love, for, say what you will,
we may reverence, but we can never
really love being who is greatly
above us. 1t is selfish but it is human.
So the women contented themselves
with loving her little. envying her a
great deal and copying her very
much.
But the men loved her, proposed to
her, were rejected and grew desperate.
There never was social function but
she had her coterie of admirers about
her. each anxious for a word or a
smile, and always in that number
might be found the handsome and
strong, but hopeless, face of Ned Cul-
bertson. 4 man of brilliant intellect
ual attainments, society was kind to
him on account of his talents. His
character, his manners, his social po-
sition were above reproach. But when
that's said alls said. For, as the
worlds looks at 1t, Ned Culbertson
was poor man. Of course he had a
profession, and there was an income
from that. But in the circles in which
he moved the yearly earnings of even
so excellent an architect as himself
were hardly very weighty matrimo-
NAL consideration.
But the heart knows no distinctions
of wealth or condition, and 1t soon
became an open secret, secret shared
by all the immediate circle who knew
the two, that Ned Culbertson had pre-
sumed to fall in love with Dorothy
Preston. It caused no extraordinary
comment, for society recognized the
right which every man has to be
fool if he chooses, and then there were
so many others ia exactly the same
position.
But despite his fine qualities, Cul-
bertson was very modest fellow, and
no word of his love for Dorothy had
ever passed his lips. He was no cox
comb, and though he was conscious of
his ability to hold his own among the
men he saw in himself no quality to
attract women. So when the proud
Miss Preston treated him with even
less consideration than she bestowed
on her other admirers, he accepted it
all as only what was due him and
went his way in silence.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Preston chafed
and groaned in spirit under the sting
of wounded pride. She refused to see
what was patent to every one else,
that Ned Culbertson loved her-and
only knew that she had, after a strug-
gle, given her heart to man who
had never spoken an atfectionate word
to her.
It was after ball one night that her
position first came so strongly home
to her mind. She had long tried to
deny to herself this passion of her
heart, but now it rose strong, full
blown love and clamored to be heard.
She clasped her hands and, with flush
ed face, admitted to herself that she
loved Ned Culbertson.
Shame, shame upon me.' she
cried. II love him and he has never
given me woodland they call me
proud, too Her lip curled and she
half laughed.
We'll 1 will be proud I will be
too proud to let it be known that l
have given my heart unsought to
man who
She did not finish the sentence, but
the blood famed up into her cheeks
and over her forehead, the tears came
into her eyes and she clinched her
hands sharply together.
From that time on if Ned Culbert-
son had any faint CLEANS Of hope,
they must have been entirely extin-
glnshed, for Dorothy Preston's man
ners toward him were a revelation of
frgid disdain. Did she touch his
hand in the dance, it was shrinkingly,
as if she abhorred the slight contact.
DID she speak to him it was with such
distant hauteur that his blood froze.
And so it continued until he was in
despair.
Alone in his office one evening dur
ing a busy week. he was trying to
finish some complicated designs for
the interior Of a church which was
soon to be erected Could one have
peeped at him as he sat with bent
head over his work, drawing hard at
a cigar. one would have said that he
was all absorbed in the labor before
him. But any such thought would
have been efficiently routed when he
suddenly sprang to his feet and, dash
ing his pencil into corner, exclaim-
ed: Il can't do it, confound it. l
can't. With that girl S face before my
eyes constantly am getting as inca
pable of thought or performance as an
imbecile. And what does it all amount
to! She looks at me as if she would
ike to walk over me-. and when she
speaks its like pouring ice water over
nv head. can't do anything this
way. Rather than endure this sus-
pense l would tell her and have her
freeze me with a glance or show me
tie door. Maybe that would put me
on my feet anyhow and infuse a little
spirit into me, if it were only the
spirit of resentment.
In his lucid moments Mr.. Edward
Culbertson was quick thinking and
prompt acting man. and IN ten min.
uees he had determined on plan of
action. \ note left on the desk of his
first assistant told that gentleman that
y. c,,,,n,,io,. was suddenly called aWay