Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-11-18

W. as she laid down the
" ffigid letter she had
~ been reading. "And
ii is srueily hard for me to be forced
to meet them without Sigismund's
presence to sustain and uphold me. l
know Just how it will be. Ny mother
in.law will look eoldly and critically
upon everything I do; my stepdaugh.
tcf will fancy me tyrant, and steel
herself against me as it I were an in
quisitor. Home will be a dungeon
and. life burdenl Oh, / wish-I al
most wish," she added, correcting her.
self. with the shy smile of happy wife
hocd-"that I had never married.
But, after all, what nonsense that is,
when Sigismund is SO good, SO noble,
so worthy OF o wife's devotionP
Mrs. Durell was on her way home
from India, and, seated in the cool,
marble-payed apartment at Gibraltar,
from whence the Peninsula and Ori-
entail steamship was to sail the next
day, she watched the palm leaves sway
ing In the breeze, the auttef OF the
gay green and white awnings, and the
turbaned Eastern servants passing to
md fro with trays OF black coffee,
delicately favored ices, moulded to
initiate apples, oranges and pomegran-
ates, with absent, unseeiny eyes.
Never before had she been parted
from her husband, who was American
Consul at one of the Oriental ports,
but q sudden Call had arisen for his
presence many hundred miles back in
the mountain country-a wilderness
10 which it was impossible that he
could take his delicate young wife.
t'There is no telling how long may
DO detained among those semi-savages,
Octy," he had said to his wife, sand l
can neither take you nor leave you.
Go homo to my mother and make
friends with little Eudora. It is pos
sible that may follow you in few
months, il all goes wen. But, at ell
events, ] shall feel safer If you are on
American soil. Benson, your mnid,
Is an accustomed traveller, and Leon
ard, who commands the Pacifica, is
my old .,ieDd, 80 that you will Lace no
care"
',Bus. sigismuud." cried Mrs. Du-
1el], with countenance OF ludicrous
dismay, "a-mother-in.lawl and a
stspdaughterl To be compelled to
confront them, all by myselfl"
s,MY dear little goosel" said the
consul, laughing. 'Now you are
frightened at mere shadows. "My
mother III Che dearest old LADY in fhe
world, ard Dora is darling
.sCculdln't ] stay with your plead
cd the young wife, clinging to Bs arm.
'I'd rather be murdered bS the ma.
tiyes, or die of enoleys down on the
plains, than go back to America oil by
myself"
t.Nonsensel nonsense! nolsenset
cheey,ly cried out Mr.. Durell.
And 30 the matter had been settled.
And l0ctayia was thus far on her tedious
voyage home, when, crossing the
chez uered pavement without, a slight,
GRACEFUL figure glided by, with float
ing lace scarf and deeply-fringed, red
colored pnrasol.
"Is's jamie Weldonl" cried Octayia,
sprirging up and rushing out to inter.
cept the movements of the beautiful
stranger.
"Why," cried Miss Weldon, in in.
finite surprise, 'ft is Octavia Olcott
And here, on the heights of Gibraltar
OF oil places, who would have dreamed
of meeting You hereP"
81 am going to America" said Oc'
tayia.
$50 am l." said Miss Weldon.
"But my name isn't Olcott any
longer" said the young wife, laugh
ing and blushing. 81 am Mrs. Sigis-
mund Durell."
'eThen," said Miss Weldon, with her
eyes growing larger and more brilliant
than ever, "you are the daughter-in
law OF Mrs. Alkmond Durell, the very
lady / am going to visit. Do tell me
about her. Is she nice? Is she lively
Is She"
Octayia burst out laughing.
81 never saw her in my life," said
she.
"Nsither did T." said Miss Weldon.
.But she has invited me to visit her
because my Aunt Barbara was an old
FRIEND of hers. And you really have
msrried the charming Young consul
wiloWerp My darling, congratulate
youl'
81 was governess at Calcutta, said
Octavia blushing and looking exceed
ingly pretty. "And-"
az see how it was," nodded Miss
Weldon, who had been Octavia's
schoolmate long ago. Glove OF frs,
sight--and don't blame him, when
gee how pretty you have grown. AND
! suppose dear old Mrs. Durell is de-
lighted to have you?'
"Sbe isn't delighted at ALL" said
Octavia, soiemnly. "She hos written
me letter as cold as ice, regretting
that her son should have married
again SO precipitately Gust as if his
first wife hadn't been dead FIVE years.
Hoping that we shonld be congenial,
but fearing very much that SHOULD
find the quiet and solitude of Durell
Court too dull for my tastes"
"But that's horridl" said Miss Wei
don. "Not in the least like the letter
che wrote me. Wait a minute I have
it here in my pocket"
And, with o heart thrilled by feel
ing somewhat akin to envy, Mrs
Durell read the affcctionatc, almos
motherly epistle, which invited. Mis-
Weldon, for her aunt's sake, to make
Durell Court her home for ss long {
period as she pleased. assuring her o
the warmest welcome and love.
Octavia's eyes filed with tears.
"Why couldn't she have writer
such O letter to me?" she exclaimed.
"Because, my dear, You are he
dorohfar. .lav Miss WALTON mill