The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-04

|ss|Es%=E
THERE FOLLOWED sTRoLLs IN THE PARK.
fr0stful. Not shadow OF any menta
trickery, neither on his part nor on mine
. We were cousins, we were brother anc
sister. Or his father, left behind ant
watching over his extensive vineyards
Rene spoke with the tenderness Of {
child, and little by little I came upoI
the gentleness and sweetness Of young
girl hidden away in the character OF this
Bedouin. Shall tell you exactly what
] discovered? 1t is this: In all the
glimpse of his life, which up to the pres
'ent has been that Of true soldier de-
voted to his profession, I don't see any
place for woman. He has never beer
in love, that's certain. see it, fee
1T. For ten years-he's thirty now--it'f
been his custom to keep journal.
asked him to let me see it. He promised
to do 30 without the slightest hesitation
Think of it, dear Blanche, man o1
thirty, an officer being able to hand the
daily record of his life to young girl tc
read! He only had his diary Of the cur.
rent year with him.
Its fortunate, said he, "for you'd be
uSdlu IL ,SOu dItOiuplCO W ASoN
many of these books. Filled as they are
with constant recurrence OF the same
subject, you'd find them insufferably
monotonous."
was anxious to look the book
through at once. Would there be a
mention OF me? Why this curiosity on
my part? He sets down everything, so
there must be something about his COM
ing to see US. How would he express
himself?
Under date OF June 13 found this:
yesterday mother received letter
from Madame de Marias. Her daugh-
ter must be very pretty girl if she has
fulfilled the promise she gave ten years
ago."
Farther along, under the date Of HE
arrival, June 27, found this:
'AdIienne is very pretty girl, and
very intellectual, too, and very kind.
That's all 1 found, Blanche. wish
there had been more. had tod Cast
mir Of my cousins expected arrival. I
had talked about him as if he were a big
boy, not very bright, in fact, a mere
nobody. You would have laughed if you
could have seen his look Of astonish-
ment, of disappointment, when the two
men came face to face. I hadn't told
him Of the transformation which had
surprised me. Why didn't tell him? I
can't say; possibly didn't want him TO
know that I had seen any change. !
didn't want to seem to have taken any
particular notice OF Rene.
THE profession Of arms has benefited
your cousin very m>lch, remarked CAST
mir. He has become very handsome
fellow, and bears very little resemblance
to your description.
He has been very ill.," I stammered.
THAT makes him the more interest
pg," he made answer slowly, and as he
uttered these words Cas,mir looked
steadily into my eyes. His filed with
sadness. I had almost said tears.
yearned to throw my arms around his
neck, SO thankful was l to him for this
involuntary display Of jealousy. !
wanted to say to him:
Are you out Of your wits? Can you
suppose that Rene seemed to me any
more than a playmate of my childhood,
a relative seen after long absence2"
But held my peace. Something told
me that that was the best. l even ap-
peared little nettled by his remark,
but in manner only. After all. was
not engaged to Casimir; he had nc
right to make such q remark. The
more so or the less so, as Rene himself,
after the presentation, had shown the
keenest discernment and the greatest
delicacy.
Cousin, he had said to me, there 6
no need OF seeing you and NJ. de Vile
long together for any length Of time
without being able 20 predict mar
riage. must say he impresses me as 6
most thorough gentleman"
You are in errori"
He is not a thorough gentleman"
-Oh, yes; but there is no question O
any marriage"
Why did l tell this falsehood? Wha
impulse led me to utter it? / was ande,
no obligation to make Rene my conf
dant, but I felt that the moment h
guessed tie truth l would be in homo
bound not to deny it to Casimir. wa
ashamed OF myself. turned abrupt.
away from Rene. hurried to my room
burst into tears. can write no mor'
now. God help me! Would that yo'
were here, Blanche!