The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-07-01

at is not q dream. 1t shall be a real
ity. How glorious 1t will be! L q see
our little house now nesting among the
hills, shaded by great spreading trees,
with flowers and vines and golden
fruit all about 1t, rich plumaged birds
and gorgeous butterflies. oh, 1 can
hardly wait! Who would live in a
musty palace when II has within
reach such a home, and that, too, with
your"
Here 1t was again. 1 thought that in
terview would be the death of me.
Brandon held his face I'm his hands
and then, looking vi said: ut is only
O question Of your happiness, and, hard
as the voyage and your life over there
would be, yet L believe 1t would be bet
ter than life with Louis OF GRANGE.
Nothing could be so terrible as That to
both of us. If you wish to go, l will
try to take you, though ] die In the
attempt. There will be ample time to
reconsider, so that you can turn back
IL you wish"
Her reply was inartlculate, though
satisfactory, and she took his hand In
hers as the tears ran gently down her
checks, this time tears OF JOY, the first
she had shed for many a day.
In the Siren country again without
wax! Overheard and lost!
Yes, Brandon's resolution not to see
Mary was we'll taken, IL it could only
have been as we'll kept. observe as
we progress into what the breaking Of
1t led him.
He had known that If he should but
see her once more his already topping
will would lose its cquipoise, and he
would be led to attempt the impossible
and invite destruction. AT first this
scheme appeared to me In its true
light, but Mary's subtle feminine logic
made 1T seem such plain and easy sail
ing that 1 soon began to draw enthusl-
asm from her exhaustless store, and
Il combiDSd attack upon Brandon
eventually routed every vestige of eau
ton and COMMON sense that even he
had left.
Siren logic has always been irresist-
ible and will continue so no doubt de-
spite experience.
1 cannot define what 1t vas about
Mary that made her little speeches,
huiL otSuLiShtotiNNJ ti piSuu'hSt Po
wonderfully persuasive. Her facts
were mere %fancies, and her logic was
not even good sophistry. AS to real
argument and reasoning, there was
nothing of either in them. 1t must
have been her native strength Of char
actcr and intensely vigorous personal
ity-somc unknown force of nature OPP
Grating through her occultly-that
turned the channels Of other persons
thoughts and filed them with her own
will. There was magic in her power,
1 am certain, but unconscious magic to
Mary, 1 am equally sure. She never
would have used 1t knowingly.
There was still another obstacle to
which Mary administered her favorite
remedy, the Gordian knot treatment.
Brandon said: ut cannot be. You are
not my wife, and we dare not trust n
priest here to unite u.s."
mo-" replied Mary, with hanging
head, "but we can-can find one over
there"
~ do not know how that will be-. Wo
shall probably not find onc-at least 1
fear. 1 do not know"
"itVi ~ htklC liCSlttttlOH sic ulSWeG-
ed: II will go with you anyway and
and risk 1t. l hope we may find n
priest" And she flushed scarlet from
her throat to her hair.
Brandon kissed her and said: "You
shhll CO., my brave girl. You make me
blush for my faint. h%eartcdness and
prudence. l will make you my wife in
some way rs sure Is there Is n God"
Sopn after this Brandon forced him
self TO insist OH her departure, and I
went with her, full of hope and COM
plotaly blinded to the dangers of our
cherished scheme. l think Brandon
never really lost sight of the danger
and almost infinite proportion of chance
against this wild, reckless venture, but
was daring enough to attempt 1t even
In the face Of such clearly seen and
deadly consequences.