Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-05-02

| Dut, dear MISS SelIna, please leave
your hair that way, and II yoacan't
get itestraightsia d Tie morning Z will
fix it when 7 COME to5say good-by."
When the lively girl had vanished,
The little house grew doubly quiet by
con ntrast, and Miss Selma felt herself
strangely lonely. It was due to the
impending parting with her favorite,
! she concluded, and strove to console
herself by dusting her already immac-
ulate house and eating her solitary
tea. But all through the evening the
strange feeling fingered; fingered until
the stiffness of the night, broken only
by the monotone of the waves upon
the sand, grew almost unbearable.
It was great relief when about 8
o'clock Miss Selma, heard heavy foot
fall upon her neatly swept walk, and
knew that the captain had come to
call, as was his custom twice week.
The captain was like Miss Selina-one
F.; OF the aristocracy of the little seaport,
! aud boarded since his retirement from
active life with widow not far from
the little cottage on the cliff: He had
+, sailed with Miss Selina's father on his
last ill-fated voyage, and this made a
keen bond of sympathy between the
lonely man and woman.
But this evening some intuition
made the captain pause and glance in
at the open window before entering.
The little room with its COLLECTION
/ of quaint and curious objects, fotsam
from q score of foreign trips, was the
same, but his eyes were riveted upon
Miss Selma, as she leaned expectantly
Forward waiting for his knock. Some
lindefnable change had passed over
her, but without pausing to analyze
the change, the captain shook off his
bewilderment aud entered the parlor,
which was well nigh filed with his
tall, portly form.
l4.; .tGood evening, Miss Selma" he
remarked, seating himself III big
rocker, which had by mutual consent
been ceded- Ito him. 'l was feeling
lonesome and came here to fnd some
pleasant company. How very we'll you
look tonight" he finished gallantly.
Miss Selma started, then thought of
her hair and flushed most becoming
pink.
The captain always said that the
blush finally settled the question that
FLOR some months had lurked in his
mind. For some occult reason he
] could not forget how charming she
had looked, and thoughts of sMiss Sc
lima intruded into every turn the con-
versation took.
[gr When he spoke of the sea it sudden
ly made him recall how much sorrow
it had brought upon her life, and was
the direct cause of her loveliness.
In discussing the shingling of the
minister's roof he remembered that
Miss Selma, had said that her roof
leaked in the last storm, and that she
must hire, some one to repair it, as she
could hardly do it alone.
-. When the famous seed cakes-were
brought out the captain thought of the
,soggy. gingerbread at, his ownztabls
land mentally drew nyidious compars
isons. The very neatness the room
made. him recall how very careless: his
1landiady was growing, iand above all
he could not Sheip contrasting the
frowsy widow with the: trim figure and
pink. tinged face before him, which
time and misfortune had failed to
change for the worse, and which had
suddenly become doubly attractive.
As the captain meditated upon these
matters caraway seed started the poor
man choking in startling manner.
! Miss Selma, who had the tenderest
heart alive, sprang up and hastened
to the closet, where she kept her rare
ly used restoratives.
Unfortunately, however, the little
lady in her excitement entirely forgot
that her hair was triAe higher than
she had ever worn it before, and as
she stood on tip-toe and reached for
ward to lift bottle from shelf, an
unwary movement brought her against
projecting nail, and in an instant
she was firmly caught.
i Poor Miss Selma was indeed in q
| predicament One hand grasped the
big bottle, the other the edge of the
shelf, and she could not touch hel
heels to the floor without fairly tear.
ing her hair ont by the roots.
''Steady, steady" cried the captain,
as he recovered from his little misad-
venture with the seed and realized his
hostess plight. Gust hold on min
! ute till T get there" and he sprane
toward the closet with celebrity which
surprised himself. "a ~
Cant you unloosen my hair?" fal
tered Miss Selma, thankful that the
closet was dark enoughsto, hide hel
burning face. II think you can ge
it away from the nail without much
trouble" 90. :. -~-..,f
But the captains clausy finger.
made sad work with the tangled
sresses, until, finally, losing patience
he boldly lifsed Miss Selma in hi'
arms and slipped her away from tht
dangerous projection. TWAS no fain
rose flush which swept over Mis-:
Selma at that master; stroke ofspolicy
but the captain failed to see any neet
d for an apology. In his own Heart III
thought he should apologizeto himsel
for putting her down so soon.