The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-12

She was a clever girl and accus-
toned to being looked I'm tn ns unite
d1l authority on literary matters by
her own special coterie. Had not
Dunnlng Jones, the most successful
Journalist in the city, told some one
that Miss ROssiter was very inter
esting girl, well read and up in ev-
erything3 But before "unbounded
knowledge" how could one talk
easily or air ones little opinionsa
For the first time in her life tho
self possessed, cultivated Miss Ros-
sitter felt shy, crude and ignorant.
She was really very superior
young woman, Of lofty aims and
ideals; but, being very human and
very charming person, she had her
little limitations, all of which she
would have confessed to you with
refreshing candC.. Still she could
not help wondering for q moment If
life with person who thoroughly
understood" her would, after all, be
as helpful as life with some one
whose love exaggerated her virtues
and blinded him to her defects.
AS she said to her most intimate
girl friend afterward: 1T never oc-
CURED to me before just how many
Of my 30 called virtues wero called
out just because Tom thought pos
sessed them.
"You see that touched me so, the
implicit confidence in mo, that I
would Immediately proceed to culti-
vate all my supposed good quail
ties, so that I might keep my place
in Toms regard with greater salts
faction to myself"
This night referred to, however,
she did not allow herself to 80 dis.
tinctly formulate the thought.
Onos more she turned the conver-
sation to books, to art and to music.
But what pleasure could there be in
a conversation where the other par
ty concerned knew before she spoke
all that she would say. He even in
directly apologized once for antici-
pating her.
II cannot help it, you see," he
said. II came in answer to your
wish, burdened with the conditions
it imposed upon me.
''1t does make conversation awk-
ward, admit, but we may as well
make the best Of it, for I am power
less to leave you unless
"Unless what9" said Miss Rossi-
ter with more of the "speed the
parting guest" in her tone than was
consistent with true politeness, but
the stranger only smiled and looked
once more into the fire.
A sense of injury commenced to
rankle in Miss Rossiter's mind.
"And all because of a foolish wish,
that I have heard q dozen girls
make, my life is to be spoiled in this
way" she thought. Perhaps Tom
would not have loved her so deeply
had he really understood her.
The past tense Of that last thought
sent a pang through her heart.
Was she always to be tied to this
dreadful mind reader of q realized
ideal9
She supposed the only thing left
her to do was to live upon such 8
high plane that she need not object
or fear to be as q printed page for
him to read
And yet, oh, the weariness Of the
ideal
No more half severe, half coquet-
tish lectures to Tom OH his stupid
ity, always ending in increased
alteration on his part and increased
affection on hers, for it always
pleased her fancy, after having
! firmly ablished her claim to ideal
ship in Toms mind, to be so ex-
tre1nely gracious and penitently af-
fectionate that the Large and ap-
| preciative audience Of one" as Tom
remarked, went home happy.
But all those old, happy times
were over, she thought.
Such q deep pity for herself filed
Hiss Rossiter's mind that the great
tears gathered in her eyes, and ono
had escaped from beneath the long
AofoAOo elANA wac 6AOWAy AOAAAAS OOWA
her cheek when two strong arms
suddenly enfolded her, and sym
pathetic voice, Toms voice, was
saving. "What in the -==o7z::da aTo you
dreaming about, you poor dear2"
Now, Miss Rossiter was not as
rule wildly demonstrative, but upon
| this occasion her manner was warm
enough to crafty the most ardent
lover.
She clung to Tom as IL he had
just been rescued from some dread
ful calamity and she feared to lose
him again, and when he begged her
to tell him what was the matter,
that he didn't understand" she
exclaimed rather hysterically: "Oh;
that is the beauty Of it. / dom t want
you to understand, Tom, dear, and
I'm 80 glad you don't. I don't think
| ever cora tO ha ,1ndaratoo1 oooiD