Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-10-06

tIGNel dUTOdu. Il0 OpcuSu LILO OluCo LII
the heart of the town; his home was
with his relatives on hills that over
looked it. Business came to him lag
giugly, but love came on smooth, swift
wings.
Marguerite, heir of beauty, wealth
and goodness, sat on the veranda,
fieldglass in hand. A dozen times
day she focused it upon Ralph's Office
in the town below. A few moments
since she saw him lock his door and
set out upon the homeward road. Now
he was hidden from view, but she
knew just what landmark he had
reached (she had timed him so oftenl.
To speed the minutes she took up q
magazine and scanned an article that
essayed to settle for all times and for
all people the question: 'Is life worth
living?" When he came she met him
at the foot of the terraces, and with
his arm around her he led her back to
the verauda.
"What's in it?" he asked, tossing
the magazine aside to make room for
them both upon the willow settle.
''Oh, Ralph" she cried, archly, 'is
life worth living?"
He took her face between his hands
and looked unutterab!e love into eyes
that paid him back his own.
els life worth living? And with
Marguerite? A thousand, thousand
times, sweetheart, and forever and
ever!' He kissed her rapturously.
'For shame" she whispered, look
ing rosily foolish and happy, "there's
Louise; she must have heard and seen
the whole performance. And, by the
way, Ralph, when you write your
mother, thank her again for solving
for us the servant problem in SO far as
q waitress is concerned. This Louise
Rutan has been with US two-pehonths
now, and we find her all,'~e could de-
sire: only with ihttle deprecative
shrug) her fs<ceIs so stolidly SORROW
fllsgT Tm5so happy myself, Ralph, that
EFwhen anyone else is sad I feel sort
of remorse-almost as if I were re-
sponsiblc. -.
uen, poor girl" he said, GIVE
known her ever since she was-three
feet high, I suppose, and she's had
pretty hard lines. She'll brighten,
never fear, in the atmosphere OF this
home"
"Lcuise," said Marguerite next day.
"I believe I'll let you drive me into
town; you're accustomed to horse,
aren't you?"
tNot very; but I'm not afraid, was
the reply; so they went.
Marguerite had made her purchases,
had achieved merry consultation with
Ralph in front of his Office, and they
were upon homeward, uphill road
that lay along the bed of little stream.
The queer, reticent girl by her side
was q study for Marguerite. Through
out the drive she had tried to make
her talk; but, bafled, she had by now
lapsed into silence akin to pique. A
new thought came to her.
LOUISE" she asked, "is life worth
living2"
"For you it must be, Miss Mar
guerite.
1t was lengthy sentence for the
girl to utter, but her eyes looked
staight ahead and her hands holding
the slack rein lay limp in her lap.
"And why not for you, Louise?"
The girl hesitated, and Marguerite,
always prone to moralizing, improved
the opportunity.
"My good GIRL" she said, ''you
wage-earners make q great mistake in
thinking that wealth brings happiness.
All of us, rich and Jor alike, meet
with disappoin' .lts, and We can
either ..Ip. ue best Of them and be
happy or make the worst of them and
be miserable. Now, here are these
gloves that I've just bought. I
couldn't get the color I wanted; these
are fully three shades too dark, but
I'm not going to fret about them; I'm
going to be happy in spite Of cirCum-
stances"
Eyes, ma'am," said the girl, apatheti-
cally.
"You have health, home aud
plenty to eat and to wear, Louise, and
I have no more than that.
eyes, ma'am"-but there was repu-
diation in the tone.
Marguerite recognized it, and went
on, softness stealing over her glad,
fower-like beauty.
"Of course, I have Ralph: but
some day, Louise, some honest
hearted young fellow will come to you,
and will love you as his life, and then,
Louise, if your heart responds" (her
voice weighed with the sweet mystery
of love dropped into rhythmic cadence)
"you will be blest indeed"
"Yes, ma am" said the girl again,
but feigned all interest in the land
scape and leaned forward to hide her
homely face from the gaze of the beau
tiful and blest.
Suddenly the feigned interest be-
came real, for she half rose to her feet,
grasping the dashboard.
stWhoa!"
She threw thereins into Marguerite's
lap; and, springing to the ground,
pressed into the thicket of blackberry
and catbrier that upon one side bor-
dered the road. Parting the tangle
with her bare hands, she took one look
through the opening she had made.
The next instant she had loosened the
traces and was leading the horse out
Of the shafts.
"Why, Louise"-began Marguerite;
then she got down and went to her
with face full of astonished inquiry.
The girls fingers were flying from
buckle to buckle along the harness.
$50 home as fast as you can go,
Miss Marguerite, she said. Her voice