The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-20
A NOVEL.
@p Nlrs. elizabeth G. @inter.,
isonvrisht, 1882 and lsss By Rosrhr BoNNEss seSs3
ISABELLA CASTELAR.l

turned Dolores, with an effort assum-
ing a brighter expression and calling
more animation into her voice and
manner; "but, indeed, I shall never
get accustomed to my loss in mamma's
death and I can never cease to mourn
her absence. It means 30 muchl On,
it is a world of grief and sorrow!"
"Oh, you dear grill" exclaimed Mrs.
Travers, affectionately. "Don't i'm
agine for one moment that I require
any justification for your sadnessl 1t
is only my wish to remove, or at least
to tighten it, that made me speak OF
it. The children adore you, and they
don't find you sad-in fact, that is one
reason why I allow you to fatigue
yourself in your duties toward them.
+ see that you often forget yourself
entirely in devotion to them. But
Dolores, there are times when I can
not forgive myself for having lost trace
of your mother. had gone to Paris,
to have what my mother called a few
years finishing and then I remained
several years in France. When re-
turned to San Francisco I heard some
thing of the ill-fortune that had over
taken your father; but before I could
trace your family and find out what
had become of you, I went abroad
again, with papa, and we spent several
years in England; it was there 1 was
married, and there I lived for many
years, only returning to California
again for q brief visit. But, brief
though it was, I tried to get some news
of my dear Alice. but never could
trace her. ->
"Your father was at all times avery
reticent man, and when misfortune
overlook him I suppose he became
still more so; besides he was 80 devo-
ted to Alice that, so long as he pos.
sessed her love, oil else might go and
he would neither know or care, unless
she suffered by it. She was literally
the whole world to him."
eyes," said Dolores, soft flush
overspreading her pale, fine, delicate
face, THAT was my dear father! How
often have heard mamma speak of
his love for her in just those words
and such love is all the world and
ought to be, to any man or woman. !"
"Oh, good gracious, Doloresl" cried
Mrs. Travers, with an accent of comic
despair. 'sYou speak with all the
conviction of a perfect knowledge OF
the subject. I do hope you have not
fallen in love with any one-at least,
not yet. Oh, say it is not that poor
Henri Van Tassel?"
Dolores turned on her friend look
of such blank amazement, that Mrs.
Travers felt herself most eloquently
answered; even before the astonished
girbburst into peals Of laughter.
"Poor Henril" said Dolores, at last,
st have told you, from the first, that
he, was brother to me, and lam even
more grateful for him than for myself
to have found O home here; it never
dawned on me for a moment that any
one, least of all you, could mistake
our relation toward each other"
"WelI, dear, T am very glad" said
Mrs. Travers, Ito have you deny it 30
emphatically, and the idea is perfectly
absurd, for I didn't really suppose
there was love Of that sort between
you and Van Tassel. But, my dear
Dolores, the man simply worships
you, and then you have many times
gone off over the mountains for long
walks together, and you have always
come back looking 80 very serious and
often quite troubled"
'That is true," responded Dolores,
very gravely, "and there is much that
we have spoken of that I would be
glad to tell you about, and concern
ing which I am much in need Of
advice; but, alssl it involves the hap
piness of another whom I love more
than myself-my dear, dear Polly
Hamilton"
"'Polly Hamilton9' Yes, you have
told me of her, Dolores; and, though
you are too generous to say 80, am
sure that man to whom she was en-
gagged was really in love with you, and
that is why you we're obliged to steal
away so mysteriously."
eyes, dear Mrs. Travers, I am OBJ
liged to let you guess that much;
but please spare me from saying
more. Perhaps I may never see
dear Polly again; indeed, knowing all
that I do now, it will be impossible.
H., ,la sn lx, &hin tina ,. mill ha