The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-04-21
Copyright 1896 By ROBERT BoSSKa's Sous.
CHAPTER X.
Continued.


Christ, 1900, that year being the forty
FIRST of the reign of the virgin Queen
Elizabeth, in my brothers house.
where ct present live-which is to
say, in the manor house of Holden
hurst, by St Edmund's Bury. in the
County of Suffolk-and 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
= baronet: but my father. unlike his
predecessors, sought for no public en-
ployment, and viewed with indiffer-
e:ncc the acquisition Of tie highest hon.
CTS by men Of meaner birth. living in
peace and content upon his paternal
acres at stirring period when the
fate 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 Nberality, permitting me to
share with him equally in all that be
had-eScept the anXietieS and veXa
tions which accompany the possession
or properly. and those he generously
Kept for himself When he took 10
himself q wife my brother abate.l
nothing of his kindness to me. but l
-was deprived of much of his company.
This event took place in 1920. the
twenty fifth of my brothers life and
OF mine the twentieth.
Now it SO CHANGED that Immediately
or soon after the marriage Of my
brother conceived very violent and
al-abSorbing passion for Il certain
maid. who. even at the time I was so
seized. l could not but acknowledge
possessed nothing uncommon in beau
", talent or fortune. Nevertheless, for
some reason which remains unknown
10 me to this day loved her with an
Intensity of devotion which might be
equalied, but could never be exceeded.
Ny suit was well received. and one
day, in response to my request that
she would become my wife she sent
me miSSiye, couchcd in loving terms.
wherein she professed herself very
willing to accord with my wish. sub
scribed. Your loving wife that is 10
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
Enore-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 l had preferred be-
fore all women. | knew not what TO
make OF this. so paused. thinking one
Of us must he mad. and endeavoring
TO decide who was that one. but /
failed. Then followed the only occa-
sion in my life when / went where
had been definitely told l was not
wanted. l sought my promised Wife.
found her and talked with her. bIt
she would not acQuaint me with the
cause of her perjury, contenting her
self with the assertion that ii must be
80. left her, not hating her-1 could
not bring myself to that-but with a
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
out Shafts propelled by the elvious
fates against the young and vigorous
do not often probe deeply. hut Tor the
most part fall to the ground blunted.
Rot many months had elapsed ere 1
begun to consider myself fortunate in
having escaped an alliance which
had recently contemplated with so
much satisfaction. DerccivinS that
woman who will deceive one man will
IS readily deceive two o. more men;
30 that when soon afterward l learned
OF her marriage to another my only
emotion was sympathy for the man
who had Won her lovc-that is. sup
posing that she had any love in her na-
ture, or, having it. suffered it 20 con-
troll her in her choice of 4 husband.
But contempt for women had become
w NAtu ASNp-AASSN ~AAA
rs maternal necessities, but could not
regard as serious anything any wom-
m might say: at the same time hold
ing it right and proper to employ any
means for their subjugation to my de-
Slres. ] am aware that my conduct
was as illogical as that OF the apocry-
pfal debtor who robbed Peter 10 pay
Paul, but such it was. and it must he
noted as well as other circumstances
OF my career.
With his usual kindly solicitudc TO"
WY welfare my brother advised me TO
travel, con1eiying that familiar inter-
course with strange nations, and the
view o. distant cities and wonders o.
nature. was medicine suited to my
malaGy for had fallen into meian-
choly mood. and TO that end gave me
. thousand pounds. and took great
pains 10 furnish ne with letters OF
recommendation 10 persons OF cons!d'
Grafton abroad The Carl o. ArlinS-
ton, whose estate lay contiguous TO
kha IalS1DhurST u-aS friend and