The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-04-10

Z
& dle-aged to me,
I@zzzS&~ she was quiet and
serious and so different from my rest.
less, e1citable self.
She was so sad at times that could
not help wondering if some time in
her life she had not experienced some
se:ious sorrow, for che had means and
friends enough to make life worth liv.
ing, and should have been happy.
One day I found her weeping quiet.
ly with little book in her hand. !
endeavored to calm her, to find out
the reason for her sorrow, and then
she told me this story:
cit happened when was only eight
cen. I was engaged to be married.
My lover was four years older than
myself; he was mate of & chip, and
q fine, dashing young fellow named
Edward Blake. We had been engaged
six months and were to be married a
month later. The day was fixed, and
Edward had arranged to give up the
sea and take situation on land. We
were as happy as two young people
could possibly be; but, unluckily,
just month before the time fixed tor
our wedding day, picnic was gotten
up by some of our friends, and Ed
ward and I were of the party. There
was handsome young fellow there
named Percy Sands, the son of neigh
boring clergyman. He was fresh from
college, and full of fun and frolic. l
CHANGED to be placed next to him at
luncheon, and not knowing, as I after
ward discovered, that I was engaged,
he was specially attentive to- me. I
did not care for his attentions in the
least, but l was in high spirits and
only bent on the enjoyment of the
moment, and I did not check him as,
perhaps, I ought to have done. Pres
emily I caught sight of Edwards face,
and saw that he was looking terribly
Cross and angry. Foolishly, I thought
it rather good fun to make him jeal-
GUS, and on purpose to tease him, I
pretended to take all the more notice
of Mr.. Sands. When we finished
luncheon the party scattered and
strolled about the woods in various
directions. I naturally expected Ed
ward to accompany me, but he rather
rudely, as I thought. held aloof, and
10 punish him, I paired of with Mr..
Sands. When the party got together
again Edward looked so strange that
I thought it better not to provoke
him any further.
II shook off Mr.. Sands. and. walk
ing away with Edward, began to scold
him for his unreasonable jealously.
Of course did not think myself was
in fault; nobody ever does. A loving
word would have made me pen1tent
directly. Unfortunately he was white
with anger, and began to reproach me
in way that reused my temper, too,
for I was quick enough to take offence
in those days, Ruth, though have
learned better since. I can remem-
Der, as if it were yesterday, the nook
in the woods where we stood, the sun
shine glinting through the trees and
lighting up Edwards flushed face and
angry eyes. He reproached me bit
terly-more bitterly, think, than I
deserved. He called me- q heartless
ooquette, and I called him tle-mind
cd and told him he had made himself
ridiculous by his unreasonable ieal-
ousy. We got hotter and hotter, and
finally he declared that if I did not
admit that I had been wrong, and
promise to behave differently for the
future, MI must be over between us.
| did not care straw for Mr.. Sands,
and would fifty times sooner have had
Edward with me, but would have
died sooner than have told him so
then. So gave him bitter answer,
and we both grew angrier still. His
Inst words, uttered with all the in
tensitY of passion, ring still in my
cars. 7 can tell you them word for
word: 'Hetty, if you let me go now,
understand clearly, you will never see
ny face again 1 did not quite be-
lievc him. Perhaps if l had | should
still have let him so. At any
rate, I wns far too angry to give way
then. Go, by all means, if you wish
it., l said, and in another moment he
was gone. I had been tearing to
pieces in my passion little spray of
hawthorne he had given me earlier in
the dny. had pulled off the leaves
one by one, and when he left me the
bare stem was left in my hand, with
one leaf only remaining. Sec, here it
is, the last relic of my first and last
love. God grant that in your whole
life. my Ruth. You may never weep