The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-16

tina Hardcastle is fixed for August
that the name of the milliner, the color
of the bridesmaids bonnets are decid-
ed on!
Il shall wait a few minutes longer
for Jean Marie" she resumes, q little
stifly. "Then, if I see nothing of him,
and if there is light enough for me to
find my road-just light enough for me
to avoid tumbling over the side OF the
harbor-I shall start for Quernec."
Either way, you refuse to let me
walk home with you? These things
are best said frankly"
"I don't know about refusing. l.
pray. 60 on, Mrs. Chester"
"Well, l see no necessity tc give you
| the trouble Of a long walk for nothing.
Sir John"
Necessity! TROUBLED" he exclaims,
hotly. would you make such q reply
if you were addressing any other fell
low in the world but me-"
"a good deal would depend upon
who the other fellow was"
"Say Cousin Felix, then, simply to
give the supposition an air Of fact"
"If 1 were addressing Mr.. Broughton,
if anything so wildly impossible could
happen as Mr.. Broughton offering to
take a four-mile walk with any mortal
being for the sake Of seeing the sun
rise"
you would answer?-dOn't be afraid
to speak. I like truth unsoftened: Bit
tiers undisguised by sugar OF favoring."
"Well, I believe I should say yes"
"You believe you would say 'yes""
Gust for the fun of witnessing his
misery"
CAS- you would say mo- for the fun Of
witnessing mine"
Perhaps"
Daphne lifts her eyes as she speaks,
and sees her own little faded bunch
Of pinks dropped, probably, during
that zone waltz too many" with Felix
Broughton) in Severne's %buttonhole.
At the sight her stern resolutions melt
into pity-as the gray shadows of the
external world are melting into ruby
and amethyst under the first kisses Of
the morning.
eff I thought you could really be in
earnest about such a trifinS matter
as my returning to Quernec alone-l
mean if you could really wish to walk
three miles for the sake Of pleasure,
not duty?"
Need 1 put on record S%everne's an
swer, or the sequel to his answer?
They return. Daphne's hand resting.
shyly, on the young mans arm,
through the morning twilight, to Fief-
de-la-Reine; their path, when they got
clear of the town, winding across
fields and lanes, heavy still with the
night odors Of elder and of meadow.
sweet, and with the thrushes calling
low good-Dorrows to their mates
among the hedges. After this, coming
back again upon the sandy sea road,
they watch the sun rise above the hills
of the Cotentin. on the coast Of France.
They are affected to rapture by the
beauty Of the morning, they made
notes in natural history of which all
most Fraulein Sehnapper might APP
prove, respecting the early singing OF
the thrushes. Sir John looks at his
watch when the first point of crimson
uDrises on the French horizon, and
both Of them are amazed, as though it
were some Dew astronomical discovery,
that the sun should quit his bed at
3.5S on this. the earliest morning OF
the year! They chat gayly about. the
people ON the yacht, about "MaX and
the Arab" about the emancipated noy-
elist, about the willy widow. They
speak calmly, is concerning matters
unconnected with themselves, Of Glenn
entina Hardcastle and her Cousin
Felix. The whole world, Clementina
included, might listen to their CONVEX
sation from first to last, and discern
no hint Of love-no whisper, even, of
the possibility of loves approach. And
yet
And yet, when they have hidden
goodby at the wicket gate Of Fief-de-la-
RENE, when Daphne finds herself
walking alone through the silent lily
scented paths Of the farm garden, a
sensation too srbtly blent for perfect
happiness or perfect pain swells at her
heart.
The whole world might have listened
to their conversation! Yet she knows.
just as plainly as though he had de.
clared his passion in set form Of
speech, that Sir John Seyerne loves
her.
- To be Continued.