The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-13

stopping for the night wherever | hap
pened to be
i was in Western Carolina; that LAM
oil unwntten romance, and travelling
through the most beautiful stretch o1
country / ever saw.
Such lowlands and meadows. Why
they We're the Ell Dorado of stockmel
and cattle raisers.
~ violent and sudden thunderstorm
drove me to seek refuge in the first
house | could reach, which proved t.
be that of old Gen. c..
"A splendid place it was, kept like the
country seat of an English Lord. Such
timber, such meadow lands, such wide
stretches of cultivated fields. Why il
was a picture.
The house was spacious and hand
some, and General CT, the soul of genial
hospitality. \ tall, handsome, courteous
man; fit lord for so fair Il manor.
We took a mutual fancy to one an
other; and the fall rains having set i'll,
staid with him several weeks.
''One night | happened to be struck
with the incongruity Of such beautiful
home being without a mistress, and look
ing up suddenly | said:
''How comes it, General, that so fine
a cage lacks song bird? Why don't
you put a pretty woman i'll this fine
house of yours instead of making a bach
elor'S den of it." 4 dark, red flush rose
like sheet lightning in his face, and he
said rather roughly:
DO | look like a man sweet woman
would love-"
i looked him over, and said:
I'm faith | think you are a man who
could both win and hold a lady's heart
if you cared to try
do you?' A long pause followed
and then he said suddenly: We'll, to
prove the fallacy of human judgment
Ill tell you what / never told to any
man but my father, and never expect
to speak of again.
When | was a young man, younger
than you are now, | lived across the way
with my father, in the house my sister
lives in now.
Father was left a widower early in
life with but the two children. He never
let us leave him, and he staid on here
from year to year taken up in the plan
tation and his business affairs
He hired very learned, but a very &c
centric man as our tutor, and we grew
and the conventional ways of the world.
Il had never either Written or received
letter in my life when 1 was twenty
Years of age, and that we We're not saw
ages was due to the fact that father was
such a gentleman.
Zone summer some relatives of my
fathers from tie low country came into
the neighborhood to- board but father
inc 49,
the. time with us.
They had with them young lady
who was the sister-in-law Of one of the
party. and she was the first unmarried
young woman of my social standing that
had ever met. She was a beautiful wo-
man, and the sweetest, l0velest, and
most loyable creature in all Gods great
universe. | fell in love with her at sight
We We're inseparable, riding. walking,
boating, reading, singing, together all the
time.
Il asked her to marry me without
fear of refusal, and She accepted me as
frankly, and | swear to God that | never
for one moment doubted that our future
lives would be spent together. She re
turned with her friends to the low coun-
try in the fall, and had promised to
marry me early in the following summer.
After she left / began to build this
house for her.
About six mouths after they left my
father said to me one day: Charles have
you heard lately from Laura?
:" |, | don't understand you, SIR !
stammered, stupidity enough.
Why, my questions was very SIM
pie. When did you last get a letter from
Laura?'
" i have never gotten a letter from
her. sir Never gotten a letter from
her! Why, don't she answer your let
ters.
~ have never written to her, sir
:. Never written to the woman You are
pledged to marry? Why, good heavens,
my son, what do you mean?
!" Simply that / have never written to
her, sir. / never thought of it.
"'Why, sir, do you mean to tell me
that you have trifed with that lovely
young creatures affections, that you do
not love herr
love her. / worship her, sir! the
thought of her is never out of my mind,
waking and sleeping"
''Then why in heavens name have you
not written to herr
Il never thought Of it, sir. ! never
wrote or received a letter in my life, and
| simply never thought of it. | swear
! meant neither slight nor indifference.
/ only did not think of it.
"Well, my son, I'd advise you to get
on Your horse and ride as fast as you
can to the girls home, and if you can
make your peace with her and her
friends make it. / doubt if you find 1T
easy work, for how You can explain your
extraordinary silence so as to satisfy her
/ don't See"
Those words put me in fever of APP
prehension. / rushed off and made my
arrangements for the journey, and in an
hours time | was in the saddle and on
straight stretch for the low country.
/ never spared horse nor man. / rode
day and night, changing horses at the
stage offices as ] rode one after another
down under me.
| reached Fayetteville quite late one
night. The home hay beyond In the coun-
try, but my horse was dead lame and it
was very stormy night so could 90 no
farther.
When ! went TO register at the hotel
] saw Laura $ name in the list of that
days arrivals and / called up the hotel
of nr to 10, ,;r;o