The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-08

~ W. 'NiN w OHloAN
together-we took our degrees tOgeth-
er in the Classical school, and were
ordained together by the Bishop Of
L. as curates for his diocese. Here
our paths separated for some years,
and when next we renewed our old
friendship | vas the vicar Of the town,
still single at thirty.four, and Jim was
the chaplain Of the famous Jail in tue
same town, and married.
We were talking in NY study, as in
olden times. Somehow the conversa-
ton driftcd to the subject Of a recent
newspaper article Ought Married
People to Have Any Secrets from Each
Other :" | said, NO." and Jim said
YES" We both smilingly stuck TO
our text. 1t was not often that we diff
fercd in opinion, but this was one case,
anyhow.
"Why, JIM" said |, "you would
have beer the last person | should
have expected to TAX that line, for |
an sure, from what | have seen, that
if ever two folks wore happy and low
ing, they are Ella and yourself. |
can't conceive Of your having any
secret which you would not wish Ella
to know"
H." retortGd he, with Il peculiar
smile, that's just it. We'll, Howson,
I'll tell you one, if YOU like, though"
he added, lit must remain Il secret
between us two. | have never spoken
OF it to any II in the world, ana never
shall, except TO yourself"
Thanks, Jim; you need not fear
me, as you know | am only curious
to know the case" Aud assumed an
atditute Of eager attention TO JIm's
story.
q" was the chaplain at LOwmarkct,
as you are well aware, before | came
here. 1T Is Il pretty place, and one
wonders whatever made the govern
ment build u jail there. However,
there it Is, and there vas l.. The
amount of society that one got in Low
market was perfectly astonishing.
Had L the time and inclination for IL,
l might have turned out u regular
society Clergyman. AS it was, | had
d full amount Of lectures, soirecs,
parties and entertainments. Among
the people | got in with none were
nicer han the Yorks. Miss York, a
maiden lady of fifty, lived in a large
and beautifully furnished house called
The Cedars, in the best part Of the
town. She was known all over the
district for her charity, kindncss of
heart and pure life. Everybody had
a good word for her. Nor was her
niece, Miss York, any less popular,
People in Lowmarket fairly w]orshipcd
both Of them.
81 was twenty-eight when | first saw
Ella York, and at once succumbcd tt
her charms. For weeks her praises
had been in my ears, and now, on ac-
quaintance, | found her beauty, her
manners, her kindness Of heart, not
one whit less than report stated.
loved her.. OF course, | could not say
so at once: and whether, after two Ur
three meetings in the course of my
work-for Miss York the elder took
great interest in u sphere OF labor
she guessed my love, and rcciprocated
1t, l could not then say. found, upon
~JudiciOus Inquiries, that Miss York
Ella-had lived with her aunt from
childhood hat she was now twenty
four; that her mother was dead, and
her father lived on the Continent for
his health also that she was her aunt'a
sole h%eiress. These facts were of
course ~only4earned by degrees, as one
cannot go to the fountain head for such
Information.
After much heart-searching and
debating within myself | thought |
saw that Ella York was not WHOLLY in
different to me-, and | resolved to ask
her to be my wife. | need not go into
detail as to how | did it., beyond saying
that it was one Summer morning rath-
er more than five years ago, when,
having gone to see her aunt, who was
out, | net Ella in the grounds and
after talking as we walked along on
various subjects, somehow it came out
unexpectedly, and almost before |
could comprehend what it all meant,
ELLA York had promised to be my wife,
subject to her aunts consent.
y But her aunt didn't consent. / re-
ceived q dainty note that night-how
tenderly | regarded it, Howson from
Ella, saying that h had spoken of my
visit to her aunt, and had told her |
WAS coming tomorrow for her I'D
proval; Miss York had been very
kind, but acted rather strangely, and
said she would sec me, but she could
not consent, as she did not wish to lose
ella. My dear girl went on to say that
she had in vain tried to get from her
any more than this.
" was in a curious frame of mind as
went next morning to see Miss York.
What could her objection really be?
surely not to me! My position, my
family, my life here were, | hoped,
beyond %reproach. Even If it were a
question OF money, / had enough pri-
yate means, as you know. AS for Miss
York, well, OF course it would be lonely
without Ella at first, after so many
years companionshjp, but surely she
didn't expect her never to get married!
IT was preposterous.
'As L approached the lodge the
pOrtereSs met me.
"'Oh, Mr.. Bourn, this is shocking =
81 was more puzzled than ever
Why my engagement to Ella should
be shocking | couldn't see and | no
doubt expressed It in my looks.
$50 sudden, too, sirn said the wo.
q Nobody expected it"
whats the matter? said /.
"'Why haven't you heard hat Miss
York Is deadP No! Oh, dear! Poor
thing had a fit in the night, doctor
says; was quite unconscious when Miss
Ella got there, and died at 8 o'clock
this morning.
my heart sank; / felt faint and
giddy. 1t vas some minutes before /
could move. You will never know how
1t feels, Howson, unless you should
have such a blow, which | hope YOU
never will. But / am bound to say
that my one thought was My poor, ,
lonely darling, Ellap
*There were no more details to be
~hnnt. Miss York's death. She