The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-19
By MISS ANNIE EDWARDS.
P VI.
Continued.


Children scarcely bigger rnan little
Paul are among the groups Of fan
cures, stalwart grandsires are working
with will and arm as hearty as their
sons.
And everybody, old and young, must
say his word Of compliment to Severne,
upon whom the Victoria Cross has al
ready been lavishly bestowed by Quer-
nee Imagination. When the last load
had left the field, and a parting glass
of something iyelier than tea is being
iiberally served out by Jean Marie and
Margot, the health of MuSsieu Sir
John" is proposed and drank with an
honest English Houras! that makes the
surrounding orchard ring again. FL
nally it is settled for him that he shall
spend the remainder Of the evening
at Fief-de-la-Reine.
"You have been cheated out Of your
dinner" says Aunt Hosie, in her hearty
North-country voice, and resting her
hand on the young mans arm. $50
you must make q virtue Of necessity
and eat a bit Of eight o'clock supper
with US at the farm"
.."And as you care for art" adds Miss
Theodore, with pretty consciousness
Theodore actually on the hay field, and
In a costume, uplooped, Watteauish; a
blue-ribboned straw hat shading her
face, q la Gainsborough. GAS you care
for art, Mrs. Chester and myself will
show you some Of our small attempts
In water color. I had the very best ad.
Nantages in my YOUTH" says Theodore,
plaintively retrospective. Indeed, a
Signor Pinuti, or Pincelli, or some such
name, has been known to regret u
dear papa's social position. If the Sig
norma Theodore had but to work for
money poor Pinuti used to say"
"But, unfortunately. we have no Sig
nor Pinuti to praise us now" Interrupts
Daphne, hot with confusion And
nothing we do can possibly be worth
showing to a stranger; II mean to
any one who has travelled so much and
must have seen so many fine pictures
rs Sir John Seyerne."
81 accept the apology" says Severne,
with a look that brings the color to her
cheeks. 'If you had not retracted that
obnoxious word stranger I should
have walked straight away to the har-
Dor, Mrs. Chester. A steamer starts
for New Haven tonight, and"
"And before tomorrow morning Sir
John Severne would have forgotten
that such q place as Quernec exists"
cries Daphne. By this time they had
fallen a little behind the others, and
are walking slowly, side by side, along
The narrow lane, Sir John we'll laden
with rakes and forks. she with her u
bonnet hanging on her arm, an empty
water jar poised on her shoulder
Just like a lady and gentleman Of the
cup and saucer school Of comedy, pre-
pairing for a telling bit of sylvan fir
tation.
Don't you think it might be as we'll
for you to make a note Of our exist
ence, sir? We shall remember you."
she goes on a little sadly, chose Of US
who live long enough-well, for about
the next thirty or forty years. Don't
you think you might write a couple OF
words about us in your pocketbook?
Only the words Fief-de-la-Reine and
the date Of yesterday would be
enough"
t-If you wish truly and honestly that
/ should remember Fief-de-la-Reine
and every one belonging to it. Mrs.
Chester; if you wish that I should re-
member everything connected with
Quernec just one degree more wildly
than I am certain to do already, you
must let me make a sketch Of you and
little Paul. I should like to get an
outdoor portrait Of you, looking as
you look at this moment"
"In a cotton gown and sun bonnet,
my cheeks we'll baked by eight hours
haymaking, a water jar on my Shout
der. You don't want me to hide my
pi%cturesqueness under Sunday best, as
the country people do when they go to
town to be taken by the photograph
ers?p
II want you to look precisely as you
lid when 1 first met you yesterday in
the fields"
"a certain letter in m hand. All,
Sir John, if you had never dropped
your letter."
~Mrs. Chester would not have direct
ed me to the Martello tower in Quer-
nee Bay, some other fellow would have
carried Paul safe to shore, and at this
~moment-no, it would not do to push
these kind Of suppositions too far.
NY own correspondent little knows the
happy results that letter was fated to
bring about"
The distinct white light Of day has
melted into the tenderest shifting hues
of pearl and opal. Severne and Mrs.
Chester, after I know not how many
hours spent in each others society, are
watching the stars rise, as they have
watched the sun set, from the Quernec
shore. Paul had been forcibly carried
off to bed in the strong arms Of Mar
got. the Misses Vansittart, mindful OF
damp and rheumatism, have already lit
their parlor lamps. Only these two are
abroad.
3sYes. we talk like old acquain-
tances." 1t is Daphne who speaks, her
calm face lifted, with the after glow
of all the west upon it, to Severne's.
"Yet, in reality, the extent of u ac'
uuaintance is-a knowledge OF each
Others names. People who dwell IN
places like Quernec have so stepped OH
the stage of life as to have no history
z.aa-- Af ho r-n hnnrL nlnlfR1D