The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-02
By MISS ANNIE EDWARDS.

matters beyond my powers Of thought
Il beg pardon, Of cerebral vibration
Cerebral vibration is the correct term,
is it not, Clem?"
Sir John Severne reddens. The per
feet ease with which that familiar
"Clem" proceeds from MI. Broughton's
lips irritates him, more perhaps thar
he would care to confess.
"You see we have q highly scientific
German governess. I am afraid you
never had the benefit Of a scientific
governess, Mrs. Chester?"
II never had a goyerness at ALL
Daphne answers, with humility. "Aunt
Theodore taught me the very little
that I know" .
"Severne," says Mr.. Broughton, turn
ing to Clementina's lover with as much
bonhomie as though he had known him
all his life, you will dine with us or
board the yacht to-dayJ Better say to-
day, for if birmingham should get It'd
ings Of superior conger cells off some
new abode Of desolation we shall in,
| fallibly be carried away there, in oul
| sleep, next tide. And you, Mrs. Ches
ter? I am not positive what time We
dine, or if anybody but Glen and my
| self will be at dinner. Still, If you de
not mind such a short invitation, or the
nature of the invitation| a..
He glances at Miss Hardcastle.
II have no doubt Lady Lydia would
be charmed to see Mrs. Chester" Glenn
entina responds, obediently, but in bel
| coolest voice. "We are not overbur
dened with vain ceremonies on board
| the Liberia"
I'VE are not" says MI. Broughton
Indeed, the fundamental rule Of life
| observed is that no person shall ever
know what any other person is doing
or likely to do. birmingham is one OF
the most practical fellows living, when
you can get hold Of him-the difficulty
is to get hold Of him. He has not been
seen by daylight since, we left Cowes
Lady Lydia never remembered any
| thing for Eve consecutive minutes since
| she was born. She cannot tell you the
| color of her OWL dress if you take he
unawares. And for the rest Of US
| Clementina," he turns to Miss Hard
castle with something like increased
animation, "who can it be that or
ganizes the birmingham yachting par
ties? It is not Lady Lydia, Of course,
and equally, Of course, it is not forming
ham. Is it the captain or the chef!
Hardly NJ. Jules, or he would contrive
to render the dinner hour punctual."
"Your friend, perhaps, Mrs. de Mau,
ley" suggests ~Clementina, her voice,
her look, still at zero. .
Scarcely. In any human society or
ganized by my friend, Agatha, elder
sons, you may be certain, would be a
pronounced feature, whereas, on board
the Liberia pauperism, or at least gen.
teel restitution, prevails. 1t must be
Matte RiverS-I have it! Matte RiV'
ers brings together all the startling
contrasts she can find as foreground
effects for the novel. Thus, the Arab
and Lady Lydia; Max and Mrs. de
Mauley; Miss Hardcastle and Felix
Broughton."
Cousin Felix actually laughs, IN a
silent, tired little way he has, at the
whimsical combination Of images thus
presented to his mental vision.
"And now" remarks Severne, you
and 7. Mrs. Chester, will doubtless CON-
plete the list Of incongruities."
"Mrs. Chester could not, by any
juxtaposition, be i~ncongruous," says
Cousin Felix, CALAMITY; ION board the
Liberia, as elsewhere, Mrs. Chester
must shine by her own light alone.
You will not be cruel enough to refuse
to come" he urges, Daphne's redden-
ing face ~bespeaking her irresolution. '.
IF I was sure any n had invited
me, or could want me-" she answers
in her shyness, ,crumbling a handful
Of sand much as Sydney Smiths young
lady crumbled her. bread. "But Ffef-
de-la-Reine is so far from the harbor;
and I should never find my way among
the sailors, and, and"
She glances appealingly ut Miss
HardcaStle.
Miss Hardcastle gazes at the lining
Of her parasol with the peculiar, un-
seeing expression in which women of
the world are so admirably proficient
when members of their own sex are
weak enough to look to them for help.
Mr. Broughton comes quicqly to the
rescue. MI. Broughton, evidently hard
hit by Mrs. Chester's eyes, will hear
Of no excuse. The dinner hour, as far
as can be conjectured, is eight; the
yacht, Miss HardcaStle has an idea,
must be lying somewhere in the
outer roads, and he, Felix Boughton,
undertakes personally to be in the har-
Dor on the lookout (Felix Boughton on
the lookout for %anythingD as the hour
approaches in which he may have the
delight of awaiting Mrs. Chester.
"And now it Is time for me to be go
ing,' says Miss Hardcastle. AS she
rises. her pillowcase skirts, her fan
shaped train, fall into place with pre-
cision as mathematical as though the
hand of a lady's maid had arranged
them. II believe we were to meet Lady
Lydia in the town at-no, I think we
must have forgotten to mention the
hour. You have your watch with you,
Felixw
Felix has his watch, but on inspect
ing it finds the hands pointing to 11.3O,
and remembers he has not wound it up
since the day before yesterday in Sark.
On consideration, too, it appears uncer-
tain whether they were to meet Lady
Lydia birmingham at all, Or await her
rot,,rn OF mn hour hatIuaan this and