The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-09
A MIDNIGHT TRYST.

marked CQdTIey 1uSldus SIfluS o.
meditative glance to his long legs, as
il they were somehow responsible for
the present dearth of miraculous oc-
currences, and thus kindly, if uninten-
tionally, affording me an opportunity
to admire his resolute profile, the boy
tsh freshness of his complexion, and
other details that went to make a
picture of earnest young manhood.
"The age Of miracles is past. Ravens
or other thoughtful birds no longer
fly about desirous Of feeding the de-
serving poor. I must go to work.
In other words, he must tear him
self from my enthralling presence and
betake himself to a, distant state, there
to embark in a mining ventura plan
Of ancient date in his life, and upon
which we built our Utopia Of future
bliss.
II am going, Rose, soon.''
l suppose looked like Grief on a
monument turning Up her nose at Pa
tience, for he said:
"Oh, you'll get along all right. The
dust Of my footsteps won't have been
blown by the wind before Tom, Dick
and Harry will be spooning here
left his side and walked to the tall
glass suspended between the end win
dows Of the old parlor that had wit
messed so much Of our loye-making.
1t seemed worth while to take fresh
inventory of my charms, in view Of the
imminence Of my conquests.
WAS it mad?" he Knocked, coming
behind me and trying to meet my eyes
in the mirror. "You see, envy them
-confound 'em! See here, suppose you
go into a nunnery till I come back"
Thanks! not even to oblige your
Sultanic Majesty. I'll compromise,
though; will go into nunnery, if YOU
don't come back"
will you?" encouragingly. Il will
give you five years Of graceless free
dom, and if don't come back in that
time, make your vows (in an austere,
sepulchral tone), and, coifed and clois-
tered, pray for the repose of my rest
less soul; for if I don't come back it
will be a very restless SOUL
He brushed my cheek with his soft
mustache, which, despite his assured
carriage and his fierce self-assertion,
gave him such naif, adolescent air.
Then slipping his arm around me,
and surveying our prepossessing fig
ures:
What strikingly handsome couple
we are! You have way of drawing
me to this mirror to harrow my soul
with that picture.
IF you could only conjure this old
mirror-fx that image there, visible
to me only-I could steal in here, and,
looking at it, persuade myself that
maybe you had not laid your gold mine
at the feet Of"
paused from deficiency Of informa-
ton, not knowing whether senoritas or
gentle savages predominated in the
gold mine regions.
What lots Of fun we had at this
mirror Halloween, year ago-don't
you remember? See herewith sud-
den change of manner-"are you in
earnest about my showing up there
some time in the future?"
"All right; will make an engage
ment with you. Let's see-this is jan
uary-say next Halloween, the night
Of nights. If you want to see me, and
you have not forgotten me, look in this
glass next Halloween, and my face
will appear there as sure as fate"
Nonsense"
Nonsense? You don't know any,
thing about it. Why, had a grand
mother who could do the queerest
things you ever heard of. You just
come in here on the night Of the 31st
OF next October Come alone, at mid
night; come in the dark, remember;
stand here, strike a match, light the
candle you will have with you, raise
it above your head, look right in there,
and-can you do anything as heroic as
that?"
"oh, yes, if that's ALL" l said, flip
PANTY.
All right; dance, Airt, break as
many hearts as you please; but if in
the meantime you DO not join the great
majority-I mean that big majority OF
your sex who are inconstant-come in
here on the 31st, at midnight, and
II there is a bathtub in Boonyille, a
Chinese laundry, barber and haber-
dasher, you'll see me right there
(pointing), fresh as daisy, and
wearing the ha1dsomest four-in-hand
in Boonville. You promise?'
Il promise; but supposing you have
not inherited your grandmother's skill
in necromancy?"
"But have; I know it; am certain
OF it. You must think about me, OF
course; have faith, above all; obey d.
rections implicitly, and-youu see
what you'll see!"
~ generally do,' I said, sapiently.
A few days after our memorable
conversation Charley bade me good
by, and full of courage and hope, and
with many promises and assurances for
the future, set out on the long journey
to his distant field Of labor and enter
prise. Silence fell between US, for my
parents objected TO any correspon-
dence between US l danced and hlrt-
ed; the mise en- scene Of my life called
for such diversion, in fact; but on the
31st Of the following October l de-
clined the most seductive Halloween
parties, in order that, alone, at mid
night, in front of the old mirror,
might keep my tryst.
Had he forgotten me, amid strang-
ers and in the ardor Of money-gettlng!
Had some other woman already leo
astray the heart too young to nave
anchored all its hopes upon one Wo-
man, albeit myself?
What did expect? 1t was piece OF
tLa nj oht nf the