The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-08-29

you are sorry ana want 10 NC ,rsenus.
Then you can be engaged again, and
--and--sOme day Her lips Quiver-
| ed.
! Marry herr? She nodded. "But IL
l no longer care for her? II know
that | can never love her as could
love? My dear little playfellow and
friend, am not half so fond OF Lucy
as am OF you"
"Ahw She looked ut me with big,
deep eyes. II am only child. There
are different kinds OF fondness. dear
Fred" The wistful affection in the
childs face touched me to the heart.
and kissed her frail hands.
Get better, little one, and see." I
said brokenly. Then we sat In ST.
lence for a long time. holding hands.
II. am getting sleepy, Fred" she
murmured. kiss me-" kissed her
several times, and she went smilingly
to sleep. with her cheek against my
arm and her hand in my hand. Mrs
Dormer came In, but sat motionless
for an hour till the childs grasp re-
laxed, and l could draw myself away
without waking her.
Il shall come tomorrow morning."
l whispered. Her mother nodded con-
strainedly, and went out on tiptoe.
Lucy met me ut the bottom Of the
stairs.
II have something to tell you," she
said, "if you will spare me n min
ute" I bowed and followed her into
the empty dining room. She sank into
an armchair by the flreside, and I
stood by the mantelpiece, looking down
upon her. 1t seemed strange to be SO
near to her and 50 Indifferent to the
fact. For one thing was clear to me-
that If I had every really loved Lucy
| Dormer, loved her no longer. We
were quite unsuited to one another
and II married her 1t would merely
be useless sacrifice of two lives.
Il treated you badly" she said ab-
ruptly. I raised my eyebrows. After
Maisie's confession there seemed no
reason for the admission.
"There were things" said, chat
needed explanation"
Some things are beyond explana-
tion."
Perhaps they are better left so."
zone Gun ask forgiveness" There
was faint note Of entreaty In her
voice. I fdgeted impatiently with O
little ornament on the mantelshelf. If
I asked for forgiveness she would give
| more.
"If one desires forgiveness" I said,
at length. 1t sounded brutal, but 1t
might avoid worse things.
"Oh!" she cried. "I do"
sYouv' said with astonishment
"You! What have to forgive youW
She toyed with her handkerchief.
II thought Maisie would tell you.
The child was always SO fond Of you"
| So she knew.
"Maisle has told me-" said gravely.
'Lucy, it Is right to be frank. have
discovered that my little playfellow,
child as she Is, has the best love that
I can ever give to any one." She look
ed at me e s;iTPTiise. Ti1en she laugh
ed scornfully.
II see," She said. "You want an ex-
cuse. You might invent one without
taking my poor little sisters name In
vain"
t'It Is no excuse" I said firmly. We
looked at one another for q minute in
silence.
tsThen," she said, IT did not hurt
You. am glad" She stamped her
foot passionately. "No, no, am not.
am sorry-sorry. do you hear?"
shrugged my shoulders.
sThere Is no more to say?" sug-
gested.
''No more to say" she echoed family.
cried abruptly. 81 must say It. listen
- ~ ~,<,r, x-,pyy ~.-l
Forgiven asked. "What have
to forgiven She looked at me in ap-
parent bewilderment.
s'Do you not know that never told
my people Of your explanation; that
let nll the blame rest on you?"
my letter. cried. my letterr'
sThe letter you sent to Maisie?"
aShe gave 1t to your
s'Of course she gave 1t to me-" said
Lucy, opening her eyes wide. 'Why
not?@ ought to have known. MY
brave little grill
stMaisie told me that she never gave
you the letter, Lucy; that an the blame
was hers." walked to the window
and looked out for q time In silence,
broken by Lucy's sobs.
"She told you--that- just to-screen
me-" she said brokenly.
Eyes" could not say more for the
moment. Presently I walked back to
the fire. "God bless herr' I said softly.
s'Let US say no more about It, Lucy,
and be friends for her sake"
Lucy wiped her eyes and looked into
the fire. Then she spoke with her eyes
aveTted from me.
'aWhen we quarreled, It was only
what I had for some time intended"
ssYour reasonY' I asked mechanical
~. did not really care.
"Some one else was better match.
III did not like him SO WELL" L bow.
ed. It was immaterial. sT knew that
my people would disapprove OF my
breaking our engagement for this rea.
son. They were fond Of you"
sT was fond OF them" Their behav-
ior had hurt and surprised me. In the
letter had particularly asked Lucy to