Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-07
deferred from asking Olivia Matthews

to marry him, when that time came,
by all the fathers in the universe. Com
mon sense dictated waiting, and Tom
never turned a deaf ear to common
sense.
His vision had come to him unbld-
den, but now that It had come he hug.
ged it close with defiant tightness. The
frowning front his guardian showed
could not affect 1t In the least.
1t had come to him first in the little
pavilion under the sycamores, where
he had made one Of four happy young
things who ate Ices, wasted cake and
talked the most delicious nonsense
with an abiding conviction Of profun-
dity. 1t was there and then that he
had drunk in Ollie's loveliness from
the crown Of her pretty head to the
dimpling sweetness Of her mouth, with
its ready smiles.
Ollie had been one of the four, the
chiefest. the only one of the slightest
Importance. A Miss Westover (Jeanne,
he believed Ollie had called herr and
Mr.. Westover Clarence, he believed
his sister had called him. made up the
quartet.
The Westovers were of no more val
ue to Toms vision than the daubs of
green and brown paint the artist filings
in for background to his portrait of
lady.
1t was the portrait Of his lady, the
daintiest, sweetest bit Of womanklnd
that artist ever limned or lover mooned
over, that filled In all the foreground
of Toms vision-no nebulous fancy.
ings. with neither beginning nor end,
sense nor substance; a vision quite
perfect in all its essential roundings, q
vision which cast q rosy glow over all
the yelled ito come" and made him
feel as If he had been taking great
drafts Of some new, strange lntoxi-
cant. 1t was the probable made posi-
tive, the fitting final. But he would
wait.
When he got through with books and
college and came home to study law
under his guardian, 1t would be time
to look at his lovely vision in detail.
No danger of its fading from memory.
He was placidly sure he should never
see anything prettier, sweeter or more
entirely to be desired than Olivia Mat
thews. She was the cornerstone Of his
vision. he did not propose to be in
any clumsy haste about asking her to
be his wife. She was too young, and SO
was he. He was glad his youth was the
most serious impediment. Some fel-
lows had to labor so hard before dar-
ing to speak Of love to their chosen
ones. For the first time In his life he
rejoiced In the possession Of great
riches.
"For your sake, little one, all for
you! You looked regal in your jewels
tonight. You shall have every desire
of your heart, Ollie, mine"
He apostrophized his new found love
fervently and mutely while he was
holding out the cigar box to her father.
His beautiful vision bad come to him
entirely unbidden. When he obeyed
Olivia's urgent telegram ito come" it
was solely with the good natured mo-
tive Of entirely sanctioning the free
use Of his house and all that 1t con-
tanned. The little girl wrote that she
would be much better satisfied If he
shared the responsibility of welcoming
her friends to Broxton Hall. That her
father was not in entire accord with
this sentiment Tom was just finding
out. But even Ollie's father was only
a bit Of the necessary background
daubed into Toms portrait Of lady.
While the lawyer talked lugubriously
of the depreciation Of property In and
around Vaudeville Tom smoked and
mused. When he had mastered pro-
fession and was actually a lawyer In
his own right, he should turn his atten-
ton toward making Broxton Hall very
beautiful. Ollie had said the wall pa
pering was too dark and so gloomy. It
should be replaced by something more
modern and distinctly cheerful. Then
oh, several years further on in the
future, perhaps when his guardian
should have taken him into full part
nership-he would ask Ollie to marry
him.
It had all been arranged to his entire
mental satisfaction In the time 1t had
taken them to consume their water
ices, amid q lot of laughter and nom
sense such as only the young and light
hearted know how to intermingle with
their feasting.
1t seemed such an entirely proper
climax to his social relations with his
guardian that it would have been al
most like doubling Providence to en-
tertain the slightest fear Of noDfrui-
tion.
Mr.. Matthews had fingered later than
the smoking of a cigar demanded. His
saddled horse was champing the bit
restlessly at the rack outside. 1t would
be absurd to tell the boy what he had
seen in his fathers study that other
night, and yet he had some compunc-
tions about letting Tom risk q similar
by remaining alone at the
Hall. He had not been able to account
for that occurrence to himself yet.
II am sorry, Thomas, we have not q
bed to offer you at the cottage" he
said apologetically, but Olivia's dress
maker, up from the city, occupies our
only spare rcom."
Don't mention it, sir"
"You are sure you don't object to
staying here by yourself tonight"
Tom stretched his handsome eyes
wide