Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-05-12


Lour, SO that the bride and bride
groom AMI all the guests might be
gone l.afore evening, and Mira. Wal
lace, the BRIDES grandmother, might
have time to settle down again before
bedtime. She was very vigorous and
plucky old lady, but she admitted
that at four score years it is we'll to
keep to regular hours.
1t was evening now. Mrs. Wallace
had retired to her dressing room, and
the whole house had resumed its
wonted aspect. !;
At the drawing.room window stood
Christy Wallace, looking out at the
lingering sunset, and meditrtlng on
the fact that no one was so thankful
that the welding was over as herself,
m that for oil her thankfulness life
promised to he little uuinteresting
Just for the present. Blanche had been
there so long, that though the cousins
hal b7 no meaus been all-in-all to one
another, they had male part OF each
others existence; an as for Harold,
he had been at The House all his life
long, and had run in and out of Mrs.
Wallace's house as if it had been his
own.
There had been time, before end
after Blanche arrived upon the scene,
wien Harold had come in and out as
Christy's acknowledged, if not &C
cepted, lover. Then Blanche's llyelier
WAYS attracted him, and nobody had
much account of Christy's prior Claim.
Mrs. Wallace even had said little, and
though she had devised a multiplicity
oe errands and occupations for her
elder grandchild, she had refrained
from pettipg, or any words OF COM
passion-a form OF consideration for
which Christy very heartily thanked
her.
Christy was thinking OF oil this as
she leaned against the window, and
could not be sorry that the strain OF
the lovers presence was removed.
Blanche had behaved very we'll all
through, been ve-y affectionate and
cousinly, but there was the faintest
suspicion of kindly condescension in
her treatment OF the girl whom she
had supplanted. AS Tor Harold, his
bluff good fellowship had been daily
trial. They were gone, but the re-
moval of her cross made Chr;sty feel
as If life would consist OF nothing to
do for some to come.
She looked up the hill to where the
chimueys OF The House showed be-
tween the trees, and wondered if Mr..
John was experiencing anything like
her own feelings now that Harold was
gone and he had the place to himself.
She wondered, too, if now they would
allow him the use of his surname, or
if he was to be Mr.. John to the end
of the chapter.
He had gained the name during his
uncle's life, and after Mr.. Turton's
death, Harold, Mr.. Johns half-brother,
had carried 80 much the more impos
ing presence that the squire still re-
NAMED in the background as Mr..
John. He was quiet and studious, and
if he had any love for society he re-
pressed it, partly from his disinclina-
tion to be outshone by his younger
brother, partly from his desire to
amend, if possible, the fallen fortunes
of his little estate. 1t was known
that his uncle had been ambitious that
he should marry money, but Mr.. John
appeared to prefer to save his money
by strict economy. II he had ever
paid court to anybody, he and that
person were the only ones that knew it.
Harold also would have been pleased
to see him marry money, though he
was generous to him, and though
Harold had sufficient fortune of his
own.
Harold had been much the bigger
man at The House, and Chrlsty half
smiled at the thought of Mr.. John be-
ing forced by circumstances to take
his own place.
The sun was going down now, the
garden lay in shadow, though the
bright rays still shone on Mr.. Johns
chimneys, and on the roses that clus.
tered over Christy's window. Sud.
denly there was step on the turf,
and some one came leisurely around
the corner of the house.
"May come in, Miss Wallace? 1t
is lonely up at the house"
1t was Mr.. John himself, and she
hastened to admit him. 81 was
thinking of you," she said, ''and
wondering if we we're to take to calling
you by your rightful name now that
there is only one Of YOU"
"There has been only one of me
all my life long, 1 think, and that one
has been Mr.. John. It would be diff
6cult to turn it into anything else,
Miss Wallace"
"Not more difficult, 1 should think,
than you found it to change me from
Christy to Miss Wallace" she said,
with little smile.
"That happened. and had to hap
pen, when you grew up" he replied,
with faint flush rising to his face.
"When are you going to grow up,
then, Mr.. John? I was rather slow
at it if it only happened five years
ago, but you are even more dilatory,"
said Christy, talking for the sake of
talking.
"What do people do when they
grow up? Get married, like Harold
and Blanche? Well, ! admit that we
have let our Juniors get the start of us
in that. I hope they will have u
happy .life," he ended, dreamily.
"fhey expect it, and they are light
hearted people. Blanche is not often
out of spirits"
Then the two lapsed into silence,
and sat gazing ont over the landscape.
They were both thinking of Blanche
and Harold, and of themselves as well.
The sur set, and the summer twi.
light had it all its own way in garden
and wood and meadow, and here, in
nb,;efria dro ruip0.room ton whera