The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-17
JUST LIKE A WOMAN.

And win nothing | can say alter
your decision ~
He stood looking down at her face,
his own exceedingly grave /; q tall man
about rs years OF age, with black hair
and q strong looking shayen face. He
looked reserved and self-contained.
Edna shook her head
NO" she said .snothing, I am
He drew in his upper lip between
his teeth, and his forehead wrinkled
as he still fingered.
"Well," he said, ST am immensely
sorry. I don't want to bother you;
besides, ! ssSP9poso 1T would not do a
Raising his right hand, he pushed
dificult 70 realize just yet. l counted
on q different answer"
"That was hardly my fault" she
said, lowering her eyes. They we've
dark blue eyes, remarkably dark con-
sidering the fairness OF her hair and
skin. Edna vas a small woman, below
the average as regards height, and
girlish In figure, though she had
passed sSda her ,a s%snty- Mrs. yea was merely
my " folly. 1t doesn't matter what
one calls it,. The name won't alter
tho fact. or course 1t is play to you"
"You have no right to say that, DR..
Lester. ] assure you, / don't find 1t
the least amusing. l am very sorry
not that / suppose it will be quite your
death"
No" he returned. men don't
be wretched, Edna"
He took his hat and went away,
Edna standing by the window watch
ing him as he dejectedly crossed the
Sgarden aud passed through the gateway
and disappeared. A few minutes later
the door opened and a woman entered,
q few years older, and several inches
taller than herself. This was Mrs.
Sinclair, Edna's sister-in-law, wife Of
the Town Clerk OF Uppercombe.
swell ?"
Gertrude stopped just within the
"Oh, don't look as II you didn't
know all about it" cried Edna, i'm
patiently.
You don't mean to look me in the
face and tell me you have refused
him ?"
~ told you this morning-"
"What u girl says beforehand goes
for nothing. E1na, what a fool you
are! You know Alfred will be just
wild about it,"
"Alfred did not think it necessary
to consult ne," was the answer. "Of
course" Edna added, drawing near
and placing an arm about Gertrude's
valet, "of course it would be all the
same IL he had, darling"
Still, it does seem a pity" Gertrude
persisted. Though, he has only been
q year in Uppercombe, everybody has
u good wore for him or nearly every
body. He has increased old DR.. An
drew's practice enormously. l begin
to think you are one Of the new young
women without a heart"
II don't think it's q true bill, Gerty."
Anyhow, the organ isn't very easily
I'll am not sure. / don't sec why
you should say that"
"Dr. Lester Is a man q good many
girls would"
Jump at! 1 know. That is
exactly what I feel about him. He is
too eligible-isn't that the word? -too
eminently desirable"
"You have always seemed to like
him."
II do like him, Gerty.".
"Then, why in the name Of good
ness don't you marry him and have
done with it ?"
Edna slightly shrugged her should
ers as she turned toward the window
again.
Honestly, I don't quite know. !
don't see why / should dissect myself
for our ~edification. He is very nice
@ little too nice. l tried to persuade
not candid. Only--I don't know what
1t 10; somehow, the spirit didn't move
me-"
When Edna was following Gertrude
from the dining room that evening
Alfred Sinclair called her back.
Permit me to remind you that you
are twenty-two," he said, taking out
his cigarette case.
"Be accurate, ALI. Twenty-Five and
two months"
"Of COURSE" he continued. Ct
I need not tell you we are glad to give
you a home here as long as you re-
quire it. But If you ask me-a woman
is much better in a place Of her own"
1.-The first that offers itself?" asked
Edna.
81 don't think Lester was the first.
He is the best OF the bunch, though.
A fellow who is bound to get on"
TOf course, that's everything 7"
SOh, we'll, II you can't treat the
matter seriously, I don't sec the good
Of talking"
z" Neither do l." Edna answered.
One afternoon Alfred came home
from his Office looking more solemn
tnan usual, though the dignity or his
position gave him an air of extreme
solemnity at the best Of time. Like
Edna, he was short, but carried him
self at his full height; like his sister {;
again, he was fair, and appeared more
youthful than his years. He wore a
moustache which looked too heavy for
hie pink and white face.
"Sir Edward Strangeways is dead"
he said, pulling up his light-colored
trousers as he sat down.
Then" remarked Gertrude, "the
operation was not successful"
Now, IL it had been, don't you
imagine Strangeways would be- alive,
Gerty?" he said, testify. "a bad days
work for Lester"
nWhy 2" demanded Edna, CDR.
Lester cannot be expected to work
miracles. He cannot cure all his
p~etients."
Saul amongst the prophets ~ ex-
claimed Alfred. lone doesn't look
for Testers apologist over there, Edna.
He went the wrong way to cure this
n / was talking to Blenkinsopp
about the case only yesterday. Blenk-
insopp would have had a surgeon
down from London. Money was no
object. The plain fact is, Lester is
81 suppose. \
S~trangeways