The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-02-20
Author Of Woven With the Ship" "RohenzoIIcrn,''
:::.:.: The Quberon Touch" Etc. 49,.

|
women all over the land. For the day
on which Boyd Peyton returned to the
home of his ancestors and the focal
point of his hearts love was Dec. 10.
1850, six weeks after the election of
Abraham Lincoln to the presidency of
the United States.
AS sailor, an officer in the navy. on
active service in foreign waters, Pey-
ton had hardly realized the well nigh
inevitable consequences to the country
OF that overwhelming declaration Of
| popular opinion by the north
In the early spring of the year. after
the winter i'll Boston, his ship had gone
! on cruise to the north African coast,
whence it had just returned Hnd been
put out of commission the week be-
iorc Pcyton had escaped the great
, debate and discussion OF the spring
and summer, the breaking up of the
| old Democratic party into two or three
new ones, the forcing of stcrnly re-
! pressed and long avoided issues to the
! front, the strife and bitterness, the
threat and the counter threat What
| little Peyton knew OF the situation had
filtered 10 him through incomplete
contact, he had not realized the situa-
ton at all. The matter had only been
touched upon last night at his welcom-
ing, and he was yet to learn the feel
ing of his father, his friends, his pco-
pie, his love, upon the subject.
On this morning pcyton had given
no thought to the election or it's conse-
Qucnccs At that moment, if he re-
lcctcG upon it at all, he cared neither
what the north might do nor what the
south might do He thought nothing as
to What might be demunde1. OF him. or
what his course of action should be
in any possible contingency-unlcss it
concerned Mary Amman and his love
for her.
We'll, the world about him might do
what it would. 1t mattcreG nothing to
hiI in that bright morning OF hope
In IN hour CT two at most he would
:, see her. He could look upon her in her
proper person and see her as he had
imagined her in his dreams through
the long night watches of the cruise.
In his letters to his sister he had
taken care that news of his homecom
y ing OH two months leave of abscnc,
|
= ffrTt! ti!tu 'Ddtn f1Iuc Kh6wn TO fltr. IN
1 deed, lad it not been that the train hat
been so delayed last night he would
:. have gone to see her in the evening
= but il was too late, and he had beer
J. forced to content himself with antici
J. pating this meeting in the morning.
II No avowal of affection had yet pass
( ed between the young people Tha
> certain timidity, that unwillingness t
J. take the initiative, which was constitu
= tional with him and which he had no
: yet overcome, but more especially
" certain chivalry which made him loat
to take advantage of their frank CON
= radcship in that Strange Yankee Ian
- where Il premium might haYe been pu
rrr1, TIC reared, merely bccaus
u he happened to be fellow southcrnel
! an Alabamian, kept him from declaI
l.! ing in outSpokcn words his heart. NeN
u Crthcless, he was thoroughly sure tina
= Mary AMMAN knew he loved her.
J. Ills assurance all ended there, how
- ever. With airy mockcry, with you'll
- full audacity, with deliberate yet dt
II liGhtful clusiveness, she had met hi
IL advances. The most presumptuou
i, wish could not dclude him into the b'
b" lief that she loved him. How coul
she? he had often thought in detection
u There was n strange mingling, there
t. fore, of fOreboding and hope, anXiet
II and assurance, in his mcditations o
IL this morning.
There was no waVcring in his dcSil
lie and determination, however lie wa
70 resolved to win her. He would couI
~ no. sacrifice too great for that end. \
:. the resolution took shape in his fertil
~ brain a keen oDScrver-a woman wh
% loved him, for instancc-might hav
- noticed Il tightening of his lips, whic
)" EOW, under the influence OF some con
pClling internal force, seemed to los
% something Of their scnsitivcncss. Iii
" gracefully roundcd chin protrude
', slightly. There was an uunotice
II bluntncsS in il. after all, perhaps. Th
softncsS in his eyes gave place to
~ harder expression. The brows straight
" CHcd and drew together in lines. Hi
u face grew suddenly strong. His Who'll
appearance was that of resolution.