The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-24


which he knew existed between my
uncle and me. Without waiting to
hear any further remark from him.
/ passed my interrogator abruptly
and continued my way % my room.
No sooner was in assured eolitade
than I sat down, and resting my
aching head on my hands, endeavored
to impartlally review the whole
course Of my life, which consisted,
found, of two periods-nearly twenty
years Of happy, careless Indifference.
and six months Of high hopes. grave
and bitter oisappointments,
the division being marked by my In
PRODUCTION to uncle Sam. The shorter
Of The two periods seemed the longer.
the fight of time being appreciated
for the Importance rather than the
number Of its events. For two hours
did I wrestle with myself and sufier
indescribable anguish Of spirit, vain
" desiring the light and guidance
which I knew not where nor how to
seek. The purest, most loving, most
disinterested. most generous being
had ever known was Constance
Marsh, and to her would / 90 to
claim the promise she had made to
become my wife. Would that ] had
accepted her advice. and abandoned
all hope or thought Of the cursed Sc
quins! But the mischief was past and
irreparable. and I could only resolve
that never agair-no, not even though
the clearest conceivable indications
Of success were placed before NE
would I SO much as lift n . hand for
the recovery of treasure the very
name Of which must ever be asso
ciatcd in my mind with misery
My resolution was taken: I would
certainly leave home. Indeed, there
was nothing else for me TO do, my
fathers terms being precise. and such
as I could not bring myself to accept;
vet did I love my father as we'll rs
had ever done. and the thought that
I was now going away from Holden
hurst. perhaps never to return--that
possibly I had looked upon my
fathers face for the Inst time-cut
me to the heart sat down Mt
table and wrote upon q sheet OF
paper, which could only dimly see. q
few lines addressed to my father, re-
grettng that my conduct during the
past few months hnd been such as ne
could not approve, especially as that
conduct had been based upon q sin.
cere belief In its Righteousness. a be-
lief which I still entertained; and
therefore, by his own ruling, Holden.
hurst was no longer my home. /
closed with many endearing expires.
sions, not forgetting to state that
should he ever desire to see me. 1t
would be my pleasure no less than
my duty to come to him.
Ny painful task completed, folded
the note, and rose to pack handbag.
As did so the loolSing-glass revealed
my face and startled me, SO pallid
and haggard had I become. OBJ
served my. appearance for but q mo-
ment, and then hurried forward my
scanty preparations for departure.
Yet a few minutes later, and had
left the house with no more than I
could conveniently carry, coming away
unobserved through d door which led
from the garden into an orchard, and
thence along the footpath which
served Us as q convenient short cut
Into the Bury road.
It was early morning. and the au-'
tumnal mist which obscured the fields
was slowly disappearing before the
rising sun. When reached the bend
Of the road turned to take q last
look ut my old home. but 1t was en-.
yelored In the mist and could not be
seen. ResumIng my journey ut a
great pace, I. endeavored by rapid
walking and clear thinking to emerge
from the mental depression which had
resulted, as did not even then
doubt, from my errors Of judgment
no less than my peculiar circum-
stances. Clear thinking! Alas! that
was a power which had never been
mine; and 1t seemed there was no
way for me to attain It but through
the cruel discipline afforded by q sue
cession Of blunders and consequent
disasater.