The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-23
DAN CUPID.
By THE DUCHESS.
ICopyFight, 1893, by the Author.l

Copyright, 1890. by the Author.l
Sometimes too hot the eye Of heaven
shines. Today proves II. Terrible 10 the
strength of the rays that Old Sol is
hinRing broadcast upon the simmering
eartb. The tennis players have given in
to it, and confessing themselves van
quished have flung their rackets to
the winds and themselves into garden
chairs or else prone upon the shaven
lawn under the acacias according to
their sex.
Two Of them, however, have wander
ed rather far from the acacias and the
tea tables and the tent, where better
things than tea eau be had for the ask
ing. They have wandered into q little
green space, shut out from q noisy world
by rows and rows Of hedges, all beech,
on the north and south, and heavy
rhododendrons on the two other sides.
1t Is q little dream Of q place, entered
by one opening only, and that through
the becomes.
IA sort Of Arcadia, isn't it?'' says
Mr.. Brooke, glancing up at his compan-
ion from his Longing position upon the
grass at her feet.
mo" says she, with a little frown.
She makes q charming picture. sitting
here in the sunshine next the old sun
dial, with her hat lying on the ground
beside her and the glinting rays from
the glowing heavens throwing golden
I lights into her fine brown hair. Her
( ayes are blue and just at this moment
a little angry. The mouth, too, SO prone
to laughter an q rule, has grown mu-
70 ft,,Dno Hale oh;ll hale SrD,,,, ,ka
has not yet learned tho more delicate
shades Of sooiety's colors and let's her
thoughts lie openly upon her lovely face.
"You aro hard to please" says he,
his eyes on hers. AS Il rule, his eyes are
seldom any where else.
"Well, you are not!' returns she
promptly.
From afar the thrum, thrum, thrum,
Of u banjo comes to them, breaking q
stiffness that is almost oppressive.
'That's tho %unkindest cut of ALL"
says Mr.. Brooke plaoidly. cts rather
q cut at Miss Morland, too, isn't it? 1
presume you alludo to my engagement
to her."
"You presume very wrongly, then. I
was not thinking Of Miss Morland. She
ought to please. She is rich, young,
handsome"
erich, yes"
"And handsome" persistently.
lis che? Oh, yes, of course she is. A
perfect Junol Too perfect a Juno, per-
haps."
"You shouldn't sheer at her." says
tho girl gravely.
II know that, and that's why I do
it,, says he. cit is SO difficult to resist
temptation, n to do the wrong thing
is always SO pleasant" He is talking
idly, scarcely knowing what he says,
his mind full Of her, full of the knowl-
edge that he loves her, her only, and
with all the passion Of his nature, and
that he is engaged to be married to an
other woman, q handsome woman, the
daughter and heiress of a cotton mer-
chant, what her W class would call a
Zine girl, tall, with light eyes and
lighter hair and distinctly underlined.
She had met George Brooke some
months ago at the house of q mutual
friend, and being filled with a strong
desife to rise out Of her cotton surround:
ings had given him very clearly to IN.
derstand that che was willing to accept
him should he choose to accept her for
tune, which was enormous, in exchange
for the old title that must come to him
on the death Of his uncle, Lord Farm
ham, a beggarly title, no penny of money
coming with it, as the uncle let the
nephew know as often as opportunity
occurred.
There had been bad blood between
Lord Farnham and his second brother,
George Brooke's father, and Farnham
was not q man to forget. He swore he
would visit tho sin of the father upon
the son, and soone than let his money
go to the young George he would leave
1T to n hospital. AS for the old name
and the keeping up Of it, let 1t go to
the devil. Young George would inherit
that in spite of him, but it should prove
q barren honor to him.
George took no steps to assuage his
uncle's wrath, but he thought q good
deal of the time whom he should be
Lord Farnham, with only $500 q year
to back his title. He had shirked the
idea of marrying for money, but when
Miss Morland, with her undeniably
golden charms, flung herself at his head,
he permitted himself to argue the ques.