Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-08-31
you been driving about with Gerald
Morton lataly2'

| $1,000
him quickly, a whole world of scorr
shining in her blue eyes.
Sand so, John, this means that you
cannot trust me, and you choose
rather to believe any idle story people
may tell"
"Tell me there is no truth in it,
Trix," Mr.. Kenlick saio quietly,
though his eyes had clouded with 9
deep look of pain beneath her implied
rebuke, "and Ipromise you will be-
lieve it."
But Beatrix had removed her hand,
and all the sunshine had died out ot
her bonny face as she said wearily
''Mr. Morton has driven me over tc
Castlefelds twice this week. Is there
anything else you want to ask me?"
No, there was nothing else. Mr..
Kenrick felt it was almost sacrilege
with those pure eyes looking into his
to breathe the doubts which now
seemed to him so unworthy.
But, alas! for the ''little rift. y
Beatrix' tried TO talk of other things,
tried hard to be her own bright,
merry self, and yet was conscious OF
IN unwonted sense of absolute grief,
when at last the vicar told her he was
obliged to go. /.
| 1t was q month later, and Beatriz
Harcourt was walking swiftly along
the dusty road leading to Castlefelds,
carrying d small basket containing
some delicacy for the sick woman she
was going to see. The sound OF
wheels made her turn her head, and
the next moment deep, musical
voice said pleasantly: "Miss Har-
court, are you again bound on the
same journey? Now do let me have
the pleasure of giving you lift"
Beatrix hesitated one moment, then
she answered frankly, ''Thauk you so
much. You know Jennie, that poor
crippled child told you about? Well,
I have had note from her this morn
ing to say her mother is very i'll and
there is no one to do anything for
her."
Gerald Morton looked admiringly
down at the fair face beside him. It
was the young men of Hillchester who
had given Beatrix Harcourt the name
of "the fair philanthropist, and it
spoke well for the girl that even in
the fastest circle her name was never
mentioned but with respect.
When Beatrix reached the little
cottage, which lay close to wood five
miles from Hillchester, she found
everything in state Of confusion.
Ono glance at the poor woman showed
ler to be in high state of fever and
slightly delirious, while an ominous
crimson rash was beginning to make
its appearance on her face and neck.
"Why, Jennie. your mother has the
fever" Beatrix exclaimed, rapidly.
Haven't you sent for n doctor, child,
and is there no neighbor who would
como and help to nurse her?"
ST wrote to the doctor, miss, when
I sent your note, but he has not been
yet, and-as to neighbors, miss, there
are none for Q mile or m ore:s s<1attcd,
doing all she could for the poor sick
woman, and the afternoon was we'll on
its way when the welcome rap, which
surely told of the doctors appearance,
sounded at the door.
Eeatri1 literally flew to open it, and
found herself face to face not with the
doctor, but the vicar.
For the last month, erer since the
gossip about Gerald Morton, in fact,
matters had been rather strained be-
tween the vicar and his tinaucee, but
all was forgotten now, as, in the I'M
pulse of the moment, Beatrix ex-
claimed, "You must not come in here,
John, or touch me either. Mrs. Carr
has the fever"
For moment look of keen anxiety
darkened his grave blue eyes, and the
next Mr.. Kenrick had folded the slight
form close in his arms, as he murmured
brokenly: 'Tri1ie, my own brave
darling, would you have me greater
coward than yourself?"
With his arms still about her, she
told him. how Gerald Morton had
driven her to the cottage in the morn
ing, adding: cit was well he did, for
I should have been an hour later,
and Jennie and her mother were quite
alonc."
sTri., will you forgive me for
letting that horrid scandal trouble
me. even for one moment? Dear
heart, feel I shall mover forgive my
SELF"
eyes, will forgive you," Trix an
swered, gayly, the last shadow gone
from her honest blue eyes, "only you
must never do itagain, as the children
say"
The wears -breathed answer
sounded like blessing, and then Beat
rix hurried him off to see what further
mcaus they could devise for the poor
womau's comfort during the night.
A fortnight later all Hillchester WAS
thrown into state of dire consterna-
ton by the news that Beatrix Har-
court had scarlet fever, and was, more.
over, SO dangerously ill that the local.
doctor almost despaired of her life.
Truly, a universal calamity might
have befallen the place, for Beatrix's
illness and its course formed the per-
petual topic of conversation, both in
the homes of the rich and poor.
It happened during one of heworst
davs of Beatrixs illness that Mrs.
Morris and her friend, Mrs. Maynard,
were walking by the drive gate lead
lug to Beatrix' $ home. To their as
tonishment they saw large crowd OF
people walking just outside the door
women with babies in their arms,
girls who had stolen a few minutes out
of their dinner hour, even one OF two
tall youths and laboring men.
r, ,,on,apf tho door Opene1 and a