The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15

understand anything that she'd marry
me, some day. She knows what my
attentions have meant, and she knows,
too, that I consider her the same as
engaged to me. Under the circum-
stances she has no right to treat me in
this way, and I have right to object
to it,"
About eight o'clock he saw Mamie
and Mr.. Wayne going down the road
toward the schoolhouse together.
Wayne was carrying her dinner-basket
and evidently making himself agree
able, for Mamie was laughing. The
sound of her laughter made Dick look
positively ferocious.
Never mind!" cried Dick, in a
sepulchral tone, with a tragic flourish
of his clinched fist in the direction Of
the two who seemed to be SO absorbed
in their conversation that they had
forgotten the existence of any one
else. 'sI'll get even with you, yet,
sir, see if I don't!" Then he added:
"And with you, too, Mamie Boon!"
Thereupon he made up his mind, as
preparatory step toward 'getting
even" with her, to straightway forget
all the tender thoughts he had had
concerning her, and let her go her
way and he would go his. He began
by telling himself that he did not care
half as much for her as he had thought
he did. But he couldn't convince
himself of that, for he knew well
enough that he had never cared so
much for any other girl, and the
probabilities were that he would never
care so much for any he might meet IN
time to come. In spite of all his efforts
to the contrary, he grew miserable,
and Mamie could not help seeing it
as the days went by.
Dick did not take the interest in the
singing-school that he had thought he
was going to when it was organized.
But he did not feel like staying away
and letting Wayne and the boys and
girls laugh at him, so he attended
quite regularly, and once or twice,
Just to let Mamie see that he didn't
take her conduct so very deeply to
heart, he went home with Rhoda Stew
ems, who had been the only rival Nan
ME had ever had in Dicks regards.
Rhoda was pretty girl, and had it not
been for Mamie she would have been
the belle of Brownsville.
At first, Dick blamed the singing
teacher most for the trouble between
him and Mamie, but, when he came to
think it over, he felt that Mamie was
most to blame. 1t was quite natural
for any young man to do as Wayne
had done. If Mamie had not encour.
aged him he would doubtless have
kept in what Dick considered his
proper place. The singing-teacher
made long visits at Mr.. Boone's, and
he and Mamie sang together until
Dick was obliged to shut his teeth
hard together to keep back bitter
words that struggled up for utterance.
He wished he could shut the sound of
their voices out of his ears. The truth
was, he could not get over his passion
for Mamie as easily as he had hoped
he might. He loved her too we'll for
that.
On the second Saturday of his stay
in Brownsville, Mr.. Wayne borrowed
one of Mr.. Boone's horses and event
below" on business. What that par
ticular business was he did not take
the trouble to explain.
That evening Mr.. and Mrs. Boone
went over to Mr.. Porter's, aud Dick
and Mamie were left alone together.
Dicks heart had been growing ten
der toward Mamie from the moment
when he had seen Wayne riding away.
Sometimes he had thought that maybe
she was flirting with the singing
teacher to try him. 1t might be that
she blamed him for not having spoken
out about his intentions in plain terms,
and.took this way of bringing him to
a definite declaration of what he meant.
1t was quite possible, after all, that
she did not care two strsws for Wayne.
Dick took courage at the thought, and
he resolved to improve the present op-
portunity to come to some understand
ing on the subject.
Mamie had the week ironing to do
that evening, and Dick found her ut
work in the kitchen when he came in
from the barn.
He sat down and watched her as SIZE
shook out the garments piled up in tie
clothes-basket, and sprinkled them.
She looked toward him once, and
caught his eyes, and quick flush over.
spread her cheeks; then she turned
away and began singing one of the new
tunes they had learned at singing
school.
"Nannie," blurted out Dick, oil ut
once, 'you don't seem like the girl
you were month ago."
ITO be continued.