The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-06
BLOOMFIELD


moments, then released ner nano anu
hurriedly left the house.
The course Of my life seemed to
have changed entirely in fourteen
days. Never before had my mind been
filed by SO many or such conflicting
ideas. Before my uncle came to Hol-
denhurst I had been idle and careless
now my head ached from considera-
ton Of affairs Of which could con-
ceiye no satisfactory issue. One thing,
however, was clear to me. In only a
few days ! had grown to love Miss
Marsh with q devotion more intense
than I had supposed my nature per-
mitted: and short as our acquaintance
had been I would have asked that
lady. before obeying my fathers urg'
ent call, to become my wife but for
that formidable barrier between us
her wealth. Her eyes speechless mes
sages, an occasional phrase or word
from her lips, or. rarer still. her gentle
touch. had assured me that my suit
would accord with the dictates OF her
own heart. But my pride was as great
sz my love, and I felt strongly that l
could never ask q woman OF enormous
wealth to become the wife Of the por-
tionless son Of an impoverished squire.
Without commercial training. and with
NO natural aptitude for business. there
was absolutely 10 hope for me to raise
myself to her social plane by any ef-
fort In my power to make. and In bit
terness Of spirit I alternately cursed
her wealth and my poverty. Visions
of the perfect happiness which might
be mine were either Of these difficult
ties removed served only to Increase
my depression. As my uncle's car.
riase sped toward st. Pancras. Brown
ing's remarkable line.
Money buys women"
kept ringing in my ears. tormentins
me like an evil sprite. Then there
was that smart young cleric. the Rev.
Evan Price. With the Rev. Evan
Price had very little to do. and our
communications had always been Of
the most friendly character possible.
but heaven. how I hated him now! and
with what fiendish delight I was con-
templating his extreme poverty when
the thought that he was probably at
the point Of greatly increasing his in
come and Of residing permanently In
London promptly punished me for my
unch hazitableness, and WINGED. In
the chaos Of my ideas did not forget
Annie wolsey, the unfortunate play
fellow Of my childhood. whose youth
fulness had always prevented me r.
garding her as an aunt; nor did for
get my grandfather, anxious and
alone. as far from home as could be;
nor my indulgent father, now expect
ing my return, but do not much
doubt that these considerations were
Of q minor sort. and that the central
Squire In my mind which occasioned
my cerebral disturbance was Con-
stance Marsh. and no other.
My uncle's horses were good ones,
and soon conveyed me to the Midland
terminus. but / had no time to spare.
Having bought my ticket. ! sought for
an empty compartment for felt
averse to staring at strangers. after
the manner Of English travellers, for
three hours; while to listen to conver-
sation In which I was not interested
would have been simply unendurable.
There being no compartment without
passengers / selected the one which
contained the fewest-an old lady. at
tended by q young maid. In my abb
straction I left my Gladstone bag on
the platform, where. after the train
was well In motion 1t was noticed BY
my uncle's groom. who contrived to
thrust It through the window SO that
it fell on the floor at the feet Of the old
lady, causing her to shriek appallingly.
/ apologized for the clumsiness OF
the servant. and for my own forgetful-
ness, which had caused the incident,
but despite all I could say, and the
careful ministrations Of her maid. the
old lady continued to roll her eyes, to
pant. and to utter strange sounds. un.
til at last thought she had suffered
some serious injury. When she per
ceived that I was really alarmed the
old lady recovered herself with sur.
prising Suddenness. and remarked
that the bag had not touched her. but
that II nearly fell on her feet. In which
case 1t would have been impossible to
tell what might have happened. She
then requested her maid to hand her
certain flask. This command was
more easily given than obeyed. for the
flask. 1t appeared. was at the bottom
of closely.packed portmanteau'
which had to be 'emptied before the
article wanted could be got at The
lady scolded Ter maid terribly because
Of the delay. and when the maid tim.
Idly ventured to observe that the flask
had been the first thing to be placed In
tn: portmanteau in accordance with
her own repeated injunctiOns, wen,
into violent passion. and declared
that she never had and never would
allow servant to answer her. WheI
at last the flask was obtained the old
lady at once applied 1t to her lips. the
odor Of brandy pervaded the carriage
and her rubicuEd features relaxed
| into a smile.
II was not long before the old lady
exhibited symptoms OF an intention te
open q conversation with me. but
checkmated her by taking from the
Gladstone bag which had occasionet
this furter a thick folio volume oi