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

She was clever girl end accus-
soi1ied a7l 10 Deiug looked up to as quito
an authority on literary matters by
her own special coterie. Had not
Dunning 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-
erything9 But before "unbounded
knowledge" how could one talk
easily or air ones little opinions2
For the first time in her life the
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 candor. Still she could
not help wondering for q moment if
life with q 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: "It never oc-
CURED to me before just how many
of my 30 called virtues were called
out just because Tom thought pos
sessed them.
"You see that touched me so, the
implicit confideD in me, that
would immediate y proceed to cult
vate all my SUP posed good quail
ties, 80 that might keep my place
in Tom g regard with greater salts
faction to myself
This night referred to, however,
she did not allow herself to so 0iE-
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
q 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.
'It does make conversation awk-
ward, admit, but we may as well
make the best Of it, for am power
less to leave you unless''-
| "Unless what2" said Miss Rossi-
ter with more of the ''speed the
parting guest" in her tone than was
j consistent with true politeness, but
the stranger only smiled and looked
once more irto 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 a dozen girls
N ako, my life is to be spoiled in this
way" she thought. Perhaps Tom
would not have loved her so deeply
lad ne really understood her.
The past tense of that last thought
sert pang through her heart.
Was she always to be tied to this
dreadful mind reader Of q realized
ideala
She supposed the only thing left
her to do was to live upon such a
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
idea!
No mora half severe, half couuet-
tish lectures 10 Tom On 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 established her claim to ideal
ship in Toms mind, to be 80 ex-
tremely gracious and peniterltly 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 a deep pity for hereelf flied
Miss Rossiter's mind that the great
tears gathered in her eyes, and cne
had escaped from beneath the long
lashes and was slowly rolling down
her cheek when two strong arms
suddenly enfolded her, and a sym
pathetic voice, Toms voice, was
saving. ''What in the world are you
dreaming about, you poor dear9"
| Now, Miss Rossiter was not as q
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
full calamity and she feared to lose
him again, and when he begged hen
to tell him what was the matter,
that he didn't understand, she
exclaimed rather hysterically: "Oh,
that is the beauty Of it. don't want
you to understand, Tom, dear, and