The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-13
CHAPTER X.
Continued.

Continued.
was born in England In the year OF
Christ, 1900, that year being the forty
6rst Of the reign Of the virgin Queen
elizabeth, In my brothers house.
where I at present ive-which is to
nav, in the manor house Of Holden.
hurst, by St Edmund's Bury. in the
County Of Strickland am the young
er Of the two sons Of Christopher
Trueman and Barbara. his wife. The
two manors Of Holdenhurst, bestowed
ON my family by the eighth Henry.
would have supported the dignity OF
Q beronet: but my father. unlike his
predecessors. sought for no public en-
ployment. and viewed with indiner-
ence the acquisition Of the highest hon.
ors by men Of meaner birth. living IN
peace and content upon his paternal
acres at q stirring period when the
sate Of his country trembled in the bal
ance. Both my parents having died at
an early age, my brother succeeded to
the estate and treated me with extra
ordinary liberality. permitting me to
share with him equally In oil that he
had+-except the anxieties and vexa-
dons which accompany the possession
Of property, and those be generously
kept for himself. When 10 took to
himself q wife my brother abated
aothing Of his kindness to me. but I
was deprived Of much Of his company.
This event took place In 1620. the
twenty.afth Of my brothers life and
Of mine the twentieth.
Now II 90 CHANGED that Immediately
or soon after the marriage Of my
brother conceived q very violent and
all-absorbing passion for q certain
maid, who. even at the time was so
seized. I could not but acknowledge
possessed nothing uncommon in beau
ty, talent or fortune. Nevertheless, for
some reason which remains unknown
to me to this day I loved her with an
Intensity Of devotion which might be
equalled, but could never be exceeded.
MY suit was well received, and one
day, In response to my request that
she would become my wife she sent
me q missive. couched In loving terms.
wherein she profess4d herself very
willing to accord with my wish. sub
scribed, your loving wife that Is to
BE-" The messenger who brought this
gratifying epistle could hardly have
returned to her ere received another
letter from the same source. 1t ran
thus. or nearly thus: Think Of me no
more-try to forget me. Do not write
or come to me. can never be your
WIFE" and appended was the sigma.
ture Of she whom I had preferred be-
fore all women. I knew not what to
make Of this, 50 paused, thinking one
Of us must be mad, and endeavoring
to decide who was that one. but ]
tailed. Then followed the only occa-
sion In my life when I went where ]
had been definitely told I was not
wanted ! sought my promised wife.
found her and talked with her. but
she would not acquaint me with the
cause Of her perjury, contenting her
self with the assertion that It must be
%. ! LETT her. not hating her-I could
not bring myself to that-but with
cynical, albeit Illogical, contempt for
all women-contempt which retained
for many years after the intense feel
ing once had in this matter had died
ont Shafts propelled by the envious
fates against the young and vigorous
do not often probe deeply, but for the
most part fall to the ground blunted.
Not many months had elapsed ere !
begun to consider myself fortunate in
having escaped an alliance which !
had recently contemplated with 90
much satisfaction, perceiving that
woman who win deceive one man will
es readily deceive two or more men:
20 that when soon afterward learned
Of her marriage to another my only
emotion was sympathy for the man
who had won her love-that is, sup
posing that she had any love in her ma.
ture. or. having II. suffered It to con.
srcl her In her choice Of husband.
But contempt forwomen had become
sngrained with me. recognized them
a maternal necessities. but could not
regard AZ serious anything any wom-
IN might say; at the same time hold
ing II right and proper to employ any
means for their subjugation to my de-
sires. ] Am aware that my conduct
~as as Illogical as that Of the apocry-
phal debtor who robbed Peter to pay
Paul. but such II was. and 1t must be
noted az well % other circumstances
Of my career.
With his usual kindly solicitude for
my welfare my brother advised me to
travel. conceiving that familiar inter
course with strange nations, and the
view Of distant cities and wonders Of
nature. was medicine suited to my
mslady (for I had fallen into q me!an.
chcly mood. and to that end gave me
q thousand pounds. and took grea,
pains to furnish me with letters OF
Recommendation to persons Of consld
Grafton abroad. The Earl Of Arling
ten. whose estate lay contiguous te
the EoIdenhursts, was our friend. and
being high in the Kings counsels j!
was in his power to help rs much. The
Earl generously lent his aid. and pro.
cured for me letters to the English
Ambassadors at Paris and Constants
nop,e, and to the most considerable
merchants 10 the principal cities OF
Europe. Of which II Is only necessary
that l should specify one-that ad'