Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-12-02

~ RboZN Setuer-W ohiaioA
| okf1 we took our degree
| ROPXss'c together in the Clas
| n ~ sical (Honors
School, and were ordained together b.
| the Bishop of L., as curates for hi
diocese. Here our paths separated fol
some years, AMI when next we re
Iewed our old friendship ] wss thu
vicar of the town, still single at thirty
four, and Jim was the chaplain of th'
| famous Jail in the same town, and mar
ried.
We were talking in my study, as il
olden times. Somehow the converse
tion drifted to ths subject of recenl
newspaper article: ''Ought Married
People to Have Any Secrets From Eact
Other" said "No, Jim said "Yes.
We both smilingly stuck to our text
It was not often that we differed II
opinion, but this was one case, any
how.
"Why, Jim," said /, "you would
have been the last person / should
have expected to take that line, for
am sure, from what / have seen, thai
| if ever two folks were happy and low
ing, they are Ella and yourself. 1 CAM
conceive of your having any secret
which You would not wish Ella to
know"
"Ab," retorted he, with q peculiar
| smile. "that's inst it. Well, Howson.
I'll tell you one, if you like, though, u
| he added, "it must remain secret be-
tween us two. have never spoken ol
it to any one in the world, and neve,
| shall, except to yourself"
"Thapka, Jim. you need not feal
| me, as you know. am only curious
to know the case" and I assuraed mn
attitude of eager attention TO Jim's
story.
81 was the chaplain at Lowmarket,
as you are we'll aware, before / came
| here. 1t is pretty place. and one
| wonders whatever made the Govern
ment build o Jail there. However,
| there it is, and the,e was /. The
amount of society that one got in Low.
market was perfectly astonishing. Had
had the time and inclination for it,
/ might have turned out a regular
society clergyman. AS it was, l had
a full amount Of lectures, soirees, par.
ties and entertainments. Among the
people I got in with none were nicer
than the Yorks. Miss York, maiden
lady of fifty, lived in large and beau.
titully furnished house called The
Cedars, in the best part of the town.
She was known all over the district fol-
her charity, kindness of heart and
pure life. Everybody had good
word for her. Nor was her niece, Miss
York, any less popular. People in
Lowmarket fairly worshiped both oi
them. =
''I was twenty.eieht when I first
| saw Ella York, and at once succumbed
to her charms. For weeks her praises
had been in my ears, and now, on nc
quaintanoe, found her beauty, her
manners, her kindness of heart, not
one whit less than report stated.
loved her. or course, could not say
so at once; and whether, after two or
| three meetings in the course of my
work-for Miss York the elder took
great interest in our sphere Of labor
she guessed my love, and reciprocated
it, could not then say. found,
upon iudicious inquiries, that Miss
York-Ella-had lived with her aunt
from childhood; that she was now
twenty-four; that her mother was
dead and her father lived on the Con.
tinent for his health; also that she
was her aunt's sole heiress. These
facts were of course only learned by
degrees, as one cannot go to the foun-
tain head for such information.
"After much heart searching and
debating within myself thought I
saw that Ella York was not wholly in
different to me, and I resolved to ask
her to be my wife. / need not 20 into
details as to how did it, beyond say
ing that 1t was one summer morning
rather more than FIVE years ago, when,
having gone to see her aunt, who was
out, ! met Ella in the grounds; and
after talking as we walked along on
various subjects, somehow it came
out unexpectedly, and almost before I
could comprehend what it all meant
Ella York had promised to be my
wife, subject to her aunt's consent.
'tBut her aunt didn't consent. ]
received dainty note that night
how tenderly regarded it, Howson !
from Ella, saying that she had
spoken Of my visit to her aunt, and
had told her ] was coming tomorrow
for her approval; Miss York had been
very kind, but acted rather strangely,
and said she would see me, but she
could not consent, as che did not wish
! TO lose Ella. My dear girl went on to
say that she had in vain tried to get
from her any more than this
81 was in curious frame of,mind as
Invent next morning to see Miss York.
| What could her objection really be:
Surely not to me! Ny position, my
family, my life here were, hoped, be-
yond reproach. Even il it were o
| question of money. had enough pri.
vate means, as you know. Al. for Miss
York, well, of course it would be lonely
without Ella at first, alter so many
| years companionship, but surely she
| didn't expect her never to getmarried
1t was preposterous.
81 was destined to know her objec'
| tion. AS approached the lodge the
portoress met me.
"'Oh, Mr.. BourD, this is shocking 7
81 was more puzzled than ever
Why my engagement to Ella should
be shocking couldn't see, and nc
| doubt expressed it in my looks.
=" so sudden, too, sir ! said the wo
man. Nobody expected itl'
'Whatever's the matter?' p said !.
"'Why, haven't you heard that Mis-!
York is dead? Mol Oh, dear! Poor
thing; had fit In the night, doctor
says, was quite unconscious when Miss
| Ella GOT there, and died at 8 o'clocl