The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-13
XVII.
TIKI RUNAWAY.

"My dear child replied brenda, this
is altogether too sudden and lncom-
p~rehensible TO suit n conventional per-
sou like myself. This weird Irritation
of the madhouse which DR.. Kendall
and | seem to have begun in a manner
shamelessly public may be only the
temporary alteration of our minds u
have nothing to do with our hearts. |
hone il will strike in; | do most de-
youf,y. Then you and Clarence could
arrange your agreeable romance With
out remorse'-
ssThat is ended" said Elsie. "ln fact,
IL never began. Brenda, you opened
YOUR heart to me; let ME open mine 10
YOU. I want some one in the world.
some one whom | care for, to know
the whole truth"
"Are you sure you really wish to
trust me with this c~ontdence?" asked
Brenda earnestly. You do not really
know me. Your mother may soon be
! with you"
81 would never tell my mother" said
Elsie sadly. "She has had trouble
enough. AS for trusting you, knowing
you-why, it seems to me that we have
been here together since the dawn OF
recorded history and you were my
friend the first minute. I'm afraid you
NAV not care to be after you have
heard tie story, but | don't want to
hold you by false p%retenses. So hear
me. Brenda"
"It will not excite you? It will not
make you i'll againT'
at would excite and worry nle If ]
should stop nov after / have made up
my mind" said Elsie. Listen. You
shall know everything but a name. !
can't tell you that"
Brenda was silent. She was saying
to herself: II am afraid. My heart is
trembling for this girl"
sit doesn't matter when, 1t doesn't
matter where" continued Elsie. "but
when and where fate pleased met a
man who took a great liking to me. /
know little now. and ! knew far less
then, though it wasn't so long ago.
He was an educated man, and l was
not an educated girl, but l wished that
( was. We met In 4 merry party, and
[ expected him to talk frivolity. He
didn't. His conversation was very In
proving. Oh, he took a deep interest
in my mind.
"What idiots girls are! Why. this
man read me like a book. he saw that
I was full Of yellow covered ambitions
and ten cent aspirations. He had prob
ably seer a great many girls equally
deserving of encouragement. / thought
he was splendid. ! put my hand IN his
and prepared to ascend the hill oil
learning.
ut was q supper after the theater,
And wArode to my house together IL
a hanson afterTard at . o'clock in the
morning, and the chaperon Of ouI
supper party rode in another direction
in another Ransom with another man
MY escort talked about the 'Rubaiyat
OF Omar Khayyam. and | then first
appreciated the beauties of that sub
lime composition. .A.terward lie spoke
of my work in a very earnest and en-.
couraging way. He let me know that
he had been quite q student Of the
drama and that his criticism and ad.
vice would be of the greatest assist.
ance. That, at least, was the infer.
ence. Finally he babe me good night
on the doorsteps, with 4 gentle sadness
in his manner which let Inc know that
there was a romance in his life. That
made me feel safe, for at that time
surely did not want him to fall in love
with me, and | still retained the delu.
sion of my earlier years that romances
in q persons life acted like vaccina.
ton.
"The gentleman called upon me the
next afternoon. and he was very enter.
tanning as we'll us instructive. He
brought me Il large book. | forget
what it was about. The next day he
took me out to dinner. and l remember
that he gave me some very shrewd and
helpful criticism about my work.
Then l didn't see him for two whole
DAYS, and | began to miss Linn very
much. At that time / was lonely. My
girl friends in the profession were all
. out of town, and some Of the men in
the company who wished to be kind
ao me were rough in their ways-not
AT all like the cultured gentleman
whose acquaintance | had been SO
fortunate as to make"
"But didn't you ask about him." said
Brenda. Didn't you find out how he
stood socially"
Elsie laughed.
"How was | to find out any of those
things:'' she said. The world is a big
place, in the midst of which is society
as you know it. a little mutual insur'
ance company for the purpose of pro-
tecting its members, especially the
younger ones, against accidents. only
knew that / liked this man and that he
seemed to be a true friend to me. What
other guide was l to have except my