The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-18
A SPRING BLIND

for domestic enjoyment you remained an
old bachelor. Early disappointment In
lover"
"I vowed to marry her or not at all, and
Bhe''-
Just at that moment the spring roller
blind of house that faced directly on the
sidewalk few up with sudden "Br-r-r"
and a snap. Both the men looked around,
and. both were just in time to catch sight
Of remarkably pretty girls face with a
pout Of yexation on It, The blind had
evidently slipped out Of her fingers and
rolled itself up when 1t was not asked to.
"Who is that girl?' Guthrie asked.
"I'm afraid I don't know her, old fell
low" said Bean. "She's q very pretty
girl, I should say. Well ask my wife
when we get home. Now 90 on with your
secret" -.
"You haven't any idea who lives in that
house, have your"
"No, I haven't. Oh, by the way,
think I do knowl Unless I'm mistaken,
that's old Calthorpe's place. He's a fel.
low commuter of mine, and that's about
the full extent of our acquaintance. But
she isn't the young lady Of your secret, Is
shep" %. :.
"That's just IT," said JEFF, with puz-
zled expression. "She can't be, and yet
that face for the moment looked
"Like her? Was her name Calthorpef"
"No; her name was Sargent.
"How long ago was it?"
"Seven years.
well, one of the few things happen to
know about old Calthorpe," said Bean,
laughing, sis that he comes from Rhode
Island. So''- ....
"Oh, no, mop Guthrie interrupted.
"Miss Sargent Is dead, old fellow"
The two walked on in silence for some
time. ... '...
1T isn't long story" Guthrie present.
ly continued. "She taught school there
In that faraway little village among the
hills and the mines. Twas interested In
her from the first and tried to win my
way into some sort Of acquaintance with
her. But she seemed disinclined to any
thing like society" 80. .l-.'s... p.
"You didn't stay there more than year
altogether, did your" Bean asked.
"Much less than a year. never ex-
changed more than six words with her IN
all the time we were both in that village.
Don't laugh at me, Maurice. You didn't
suspect me Of being 50 romantic, Gid your
She died."
"Therep'
Eyes, there. Somehow the sadness OF
it struck deeply into me, and now-this
grip
SIS this girl very much like Miss sar-
CENT?" ,a
$50 much like that it wouldn't be re.
markable even If they were twin sisters. F"
(which, Of course, Is impossible, F" said
Bean. =.
"A twin sister of hers would be nearly
80 by this time"
"And the young woman at the blind Is
not more than 10, should Judge. 1t is
curious, though"
Guthrie's visits to the home Of his mar.
ried friend were all much alike in one very
pleasant feature-he always romped with
two out of three children, while the young
est-the baby-looked on and crowed and
jerked itself about enyiously. ''
."Now, what is it?" Mrs. Bean asked,
turning to her husband when Allie and
little jeff had both been finally silenoed
buo Dc0C1OuAOos a
"Oh, it isn't my affair" said the hus'
band.
"We-I-wanted to ask If you knew a
Miss Calthorpe here, living in that new
red brick house at the end Of the com.
mon, said Guthrie.
NJ ;. Bean shook her head. ''No Miss
.orpe lives there" she said. "Mr
CAL. oe lives there" .-
"Oh," said Bean, twas that old woman
Calthorpe's sister,"
"She isn't really old, dear. She's
younger than Mr.. Calthorpe. There's one
daughter, believe"
But that night Mrs. Bean said to her
husband: "Leave me alone for two days,
and I will know all about your window
blind young lady. Then make JeR Guth;
rie come here and stay overnight"
The next visit of JEFF Guthrie was plan
ned for Saturday evening, with express
ARRANGEMENTS for stay over Sunday.
After church this subtle woman insisted
on lingering about the porch until gray
haired lady came out, and with her her
daughter, the girl who had pouted at the
window blind
. "Mrs. Perry, let me introduce our par
ticular friend, Mr.. Guthrie, and this is
Miss Perry"
Nothing could have been more properly
conventional than this introduction, and
that was why Guthrie was 80 angry with
himself for turning red and becoming
confused Mrs. Bean had, unknown to
Guthrie, expressly invited these two ladies
xo 5inpar hoforohand
. "Tell me, have you any relative-had
you, Il should say-of the name of sar-
CENT?"
The girls face changed in moment
She was pale and bit her lip.
"oh, MIR. Guthrie" she said, "you
must ask mother thstl I don't know
about it. I was only little girl OF 10
when poor Margaret left us and married
that
She checked herself; then, after an en-
barrassing pause, went on, lowering her
voice to whisper and glanoing round at
her mother: Ibid you know her-himr
II once knew q Miss Sargent-very
slightly:" -.
"Where?"
"In Pennsylvania, at Brinkville.
"Oh, yesl He treated her 30 badly, aft
or all. She had to 90 somewhere and be q
teacher. Mother would have forgiven ev-
erything, but Margaret was too proud to
come back to US. She went and called
herself miss, I suppose. We only heard
that she had died in Pennsylvania-noth-
ing more. I was sent to school in Ger
many soon afterward.
II understand" said Guthrie, "your
mother has had q great deal Of trouble"
"That Is why she looks 30 old at 30.
Tell me, please, am I 30 much like poor
sister Margaret"
$50 much that thought I was looking
at her for the moment when you appeared
at the window"
, jeff Guthrie ceased to, be the old BACH