The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-01

clean out Of his face, pale, ana srem-
bling.
Well, sir?' His father put back his
watch.
Il accept the conditions said the
son. 4 Il
CHAPTER Nv. q
! SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
Sunday afternoon is the time when all
the prentice youth Of London, male and
female, are walking out together II 1t
Is summer they are in the park, that OF
Battersea, Finchley, Hampstead. Vic
toria, West Ham, or Southwark, proudly
tarm-in-arm. If it is the winter they are
on their way 1out to tea" This after
noon should have been numbered with
those Of the sweet spring season, be-
cause it was nearly the end OF April,
but q cold northeast wind and occasional
driving showers forbade the thought OF
spring. On the north sidefof the Pail.
Mall q girl walked up and down the
pavement. ;i si.8 Il
She had called at q certain house,
and, being turned away, continued as ii
waiting for some one, and resolved TO
gee that person, to walk up and down
before the house. She began about
three In the afternoon; at four, at Eve,
at six, she was still walking there. Mo-
body noticed .her-not even the hall
porters OF the iCarlton and the Reform
Clubs opposite. The evening was 30
cold that people hurried along the street
without looking ateach other Besides,
Pail Mall is not crowded Sunday thor
oughfare. Therefore no one noticed the
girl. She was q fair, tght-haired girl;
her features were regular and delicate;.
her eyes were blue, her figure rather
thin, but tall and graceful. II anyone
had stopped to look at her instead OF
hurrying along as il laehed with q whip
by this abominable wind, he would have
remarked frst-generally, that here was
an extremely pretty girl, and secondly
that here was a girl in trouble. Indeed,
II anxiety were ever depicted upon any
face. 1t was upon this girls tace; an
anxiety which showed itself In o trem=
bling of the lips, In quick, short sighs
as she walked, in eager glances along
stb/yNeet as, IL she were asking when
Nwould he Gomez
Ms at seven o. clock, Just as the sun
\ setting and the lessening light like
q messenger proclaimed the fact from
its hidden lord, that he did come. He
hurried into Pail Mall FROM st. James
street, and walked rapidly along, look-
ing down: a young man! ~ /.
7 Il accept" he had replied shortly.
Mark that this man, who seemed to the
girl so noble and so brave, had become
suddenly at the touch of his fathers
hand the merest cur and coward OF a
man; he had promised a thing which
wanted to. carry it through, the falsest,,
the coldest, the cruelest OF. hearts. Fear
of poverty and dread Of his fathers
anger were the ruling forces which
Transformed q lover, manly, true and
tender, into cur. The thing makes
one tremble. Under what influences,
brother Of mine, should we two put of
the armor OF the knight and reveal the
craven tail of the imongrel cur?
Yet this man, who was going to do 80
mean, and yillainous q thing at. his
fathers bidding, had so much OF his
fathers courage in him that he was
ready to tell the girl in so many words,
face to face with her alone, what he
meant.
Come" he said, 4Iwas going to write
to you; but there would have been a row
afterward. Bettsr have it out in words" :"
-Harry-whst is it2 What has hap
penedl Why do you look so strange2'
Come up stairs" he led the way.
His chambers were on the first floor.
He raked up the low ashes Of his fire
and threw on some coal. eja
-Sit down, "he saidt4you must be cold. ;"
q 1,t 10 fol hnr N
arms and kiss her, as was his wont. He
offered NO caress at all. She sat down,
however, and warmed her hands and
feet. She was very cold. Then she
started up again. -.
Something has happened, Harry.
What Is it? Tell. me Instantly"
: It was growing dark now. The young
man lit the lamp and pulled the curtains
slowly, as if taking as much time as
possible ever the job.
1T is fortnight since have heard OF
you OF seen you. What does it mean2
And, Harry, must tell you
Don't tell me anything. Look here,
Ruth, it's all over"
All over? How can it be all over?"
: Il say-it is all over" .1
do you mean that after all you will
have to acknowledge me without your
fathers permission"
Not quite; I mean what say, Ruth.
1t is all over.
Harry" She sprang to her feet,
tired no longe, nor cold, but fired with
sudden strength. Harry, what do
you mean?" g.l .-
we had very pleasant time in the
August holidays, hadn't we, Ruth? l
shall always look back to that time in
the old town when we used to sit and
make love in the garden under the null
berry tree. Yes-I shall never have
such q time again. But that's all over.
Pity that good times never last
Il don't understand you to-day,
Harry. Why can't you look me in the
face? What have you done?"
When / came back to town 1 found
out that it wouldn't do. I couldn' t
exactly explain to you why it
wouldn't do. Besides, to tell the truth,
I hoped 1t wouldn't do. I might have
been made partner without conditions
or-or anything may happen. The
truth; is, of course, as suppose you
guess, he raised his eyes and faced her
boldly, that they want me to marry a
lady" ....
biShe received this brutality without
fiinching. "
49, [To BE CONTINUED ~