The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-21
as your insults are only less clever
, than your compliments. Yours. etc,
"Mahelle Whitney."

as your insults are only less clever
, than your compliments. Yours. etc,
"Mabelle Whitney"
Poor John read it with sinking heart,
too utterly miserable to express the
surprise it merited. Another riddle to
read, he thought; was the whole world
turning topsy-turvey, and with it his
powers of comprehension? First,
letter Of acceptance for an invitation
which he had not given, and now this
whitening refusal and the return OF
his Door, despised violets. Well, good
bye to his dreams Of love and future
bliss. and the castles he had built in
his vain ambition. The disappoint-
ment he would bear so bravely no one
would suspect it's existence, but how
explain to Miss Davenport her mis-
take, and, picking up her letter ne
carefully reread it. Her quotation or
the word accept" was bit strange;
it's blindness suggested his own use or
the word. What If he had made a
mistake in the letters and inclosed
them in the wrong envelopes! IN
that case he could understand all but
his own asinine stupidity. Was ever
man in such a box before, engaged by
letter to q girl he did not love and re-
fused by the woman he did love and
in a way that left no chance for ex.
PLANTATION that he could see. Perhaps
later he might find way to enlighten
Mabelle as to matters, but how to eX'
plain to Miss Davenport without cru
ely wounding her pride and making
matters worse? Of course, he must
call tonight and take her to the con-
cert, trusting for some chance to
straighten out this tangle.
John Hobbs never forgot that even
ing, and how he avoided actually COM
mitting himself by asking that ques-
ton he presumed he was expected to
ask, but in spite of his BILE
position and unenviable frame Of mind
he found himself enjoying the music,
and could not but notice his compan'
ions attractive face and charm of
manner, and that her well-bred compos'
ure was enhanced by quiet modesty
and seriousness of manner to which
he had been blind before.
Somehow or other John found him.
self saying he would call on Sunday
evening, which he did, and really en-.
joyed the companionship of these two
refined women. This call was re.
peated several times during the fol.
lowing month, and still John had not
asked the question, but on the con-
trary had begun to wonder why he
had not before noticed the many at
tractive qualities Miss Davenport pos
sessed. AS no word Of explanation
had passed between him and Mabelle
Whitney it was Useless to anticipate
any hope in this direction.
AS for Mildred Davenport he had
grown to admire the many beautiful
qualities Of her womanly sweetness.
AS a daughter she was devoted and
thoughtful, and then the thought grew
in his mind, would she not make an
ideal wife to the man who should be
fortunate enough to win her? Had
he really any chance, he asked him
self, a dozen times a day, and one
night soon after he quietly told NIL
dred the whole story, saying: "And
now that my mistake has been the
means Of my finding out what real
love is and should be, will you, know
ing all the story of my stupid blunder
and happy awakening to q better,
truer affection. accept q devotion
which 1 will prove by my whole life
is yours and yours only?" and Mil
dred's acceptance was given and not
implied.-Boston Post.