The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-16
next day she was almost her own bright,

next u8y blo WINS dluoob hoh wv IL VI iS ho,
easy self once more.
| A light rain now set in, and Mrs.
Hunter was kept in the cabin for
several days by fear of rheumatism.
| Priscilla, however, and Towner sat in
their cosy nook on deck, and enjoyed
| it after youths reckless fashion. Sud
doniy tho moment came so dreaded by
Mrs. Hunter tells me you are from
Vassar, Miss Barton, and want to ask
you about Miss North. As she Is in
YOUR class, you must know her, and as
your aunt has probably told you, | am
engaged to her"
an that case, Mr.. Towner, you must
know her far better than l." replied
Priscilla, smiling cOnstrainedy.
Miss Barton, please don't think it
queer, but l we'll tell you q secret.
You have been so kind TO me, and
have such a-wcll, almost sisterly
way Of treating u fellow, If you will eX-
cusc my saying so, that | know you will
advise me what to do. Indeed, 1t secms
as if my meeting you were really pro-
vidcntial."
"Don't you think, MIR. Towncr that
you would much better not tell me.
You see, | am q stranger TO you, and
in week we shall separate and pro.
badly never meet again, and then
you would regret having conidcd in
me. Oh, | am quite sure you would
better not ~
~ know II would seem foolish under
other circumstances, MisS Barton, but
when tell you the story you will un-
der,tund my anxiety; If you will allow
me :"
He leaned eagerly forward, and
Priscilla dropped her eyes in confusion.
| Taking her silence for consent, he be-
| gan
You, see, it was this way. Pm an
| only child, and I've seen little OF young
people. | had a tutor, and mover went
to school until came North to college,
and you can imagine it was rathcr an
ordeal to be thrown suddenly among
SO many men. | kept rather to myself,
and didn't meet many follows. There
w"s ono man there, however, who was
| very good to me his na.Hc was rIal
| SOmcrS.'
Priscilla turned her head still fathe or
away and picked ncrvously Al tho
| fringe OF her steamer rug,
conc day" continued Towner, "he
brought.mo the photograph OF a pretty
girl. 1T WINS one Of those soft, rather
indistinct pictures, like a composite,
you know, only it wasn't ono. 1t had
such deep, beautiful Cycs, and such q
way OF seeming to look fellow righ,
through that it made u strange i'm.
preston on me. 1t was OF Halls cousin
girl at Vnssar, Priscilla North. VOL
before knew whcrc | WAS, he got ml
into correspondence with her BY
sending messages first, and thcn notes
| never wrote to girl before, but |
all girls writc as she docs, they arc .
bright set. Why, Miss Barton, hol
letters fairly scintillatcl And nj
two were alike there was the
charm Of it. They were from grave
70 gay, from lively TO severe,
only all wore simply exquisite
No wonder fell in love with her
Wcll, to make a. long story short, W.
became engaged, "nd thon, naturally y
wanted to sec her. And hcrc tn,
strange part begins. can not nee
- her am never TO sec hCr"
That is-rathcr peculiar" mur
; INJURED Priscilla.
c " locuiiat It's unvccountnblc Sh
Gays she Is forbidden to make ucuuaint
q ancca by hcr grandfather, with wIioi
u she lives. SO | can't go 10 the cOllcg,
n At the end Of the term sho rushcs O
t. Wcst-shc lives in Wisconsin. And
n vacation she travels And here | al
Is in the riuiculous position Of being or
:. gagged to girl l'vo never seen. Nov
Z Miss Barton, beg you to tell me al
Q about her. You know her, OF course.
TOwncr leaned his head on his han
anu gaZcd earnestly at the girl. Sh
slowly turned hOr eyes from the hori
Zon and bent them on him with
troubled expression. How handsome h.
looked wish that eager face how hi
hair curlcd in little damp rings mbou
3, , his temples ! She turned away again
'Mr. Towncr,' sho began uftcr
pause, | can not say that do no
know Miss North. IL would rather
not ss'Ja9sEtk 'asEtfk Ho0dt w. she ended abruptly
TOwncr stared at her. Why, wha
can you mcnnH' he said, incrcdulously
Surely you must know her Wha
pOssi bic reason can there be for youl
silence? -
Priscilla still! hcsitntcd. Then sud
denly turning impctuously to him, she
said, with little gasps between her
sentences:
Mr.. Towncr, you will never, ncvor
forgive me, but You ought to know the
truth, and | suppose | must DO tho
one to tell you. Hal Somcrs is my
cousin. That was a composite photo
graph, touched up SO it looked like an
ordinary one. And thcrc is no Pris-
ella North pvc been drcadfuIly
ashamed Of the part l'vo had in it.,
though it was only lcnding half my
name, and copying the letters for the
girls, SO they would all be in one hand
writing. After all, I'm glad OF Il chance
to end it! | don't ask you to forgive
me, but do want to sa y Pm heartily
ashamed and sorry"
Towncr had turned very white.
:" don't understand" he said worry
slowly at last. SOmmcrs Is your cous-
in, but yOu did not write tho lettcrs."
o" He know any number Of tho girls
at college, but it was in coming to see
me he suggested the plan to the
others"
How many wore In this pleasant
arrangement ?' inquired Towncr, in a
hard lone.
"Only three" replied Priscilla, do
prccatinely. "You see, Hal suggested
that you needed to be educated to q
knowledge OF women, and from moro
than one side. Most mon know lots OF
girls, you SEQ, and you knew none, so
these three said they would form a
sort OF prism, ana you should see the