The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-04-14

my lueSSuSc- EcSIcttluS NY suuuSh
departure. hoping for my speedy re-
turn. and permitting me to retain her
hand in mine longer than is custom
ary In the farewells of mere friends.
She also suggested that might write
to her If did not return in two days;
suggestion which I assured her l
would most certainly adopt, at the
same moment resolving to do so I'M
der any circumstances. l would have
given the world if only / might have
kissed her. but l did not dare to do so.
Uttering final farewell, l regarded
her with great earneStnesS for few
moments. then released her hand and
hurriedly left the house.
The course Of my life seemed to
have changed entirely in fourteen
days. Never before had my mind been
filed by so many or such conflicting
ideas. Before my uncle came to Hol-
denhurst l had been idle and careless;
now my head ached from considera-
tion Of affairs of which l could con-
ceive no satisfactory issue. One thing,
however. was clear to me. In only
few days l had grown to love Miss
Marsh with q devotion more intense
than l had supposed my nature per-
mitted; auG short rs our acquaintance
had been | would have asked that
lady, before obeying my fathers urS-
ent call. TO become my wife but for
that formidable barrier between us
her wealth. Her eyes speechless mes
sages. al occasional phrase or word
from he:. lips. Or, rarer still, her gentle
touch, had assured me that my suit
would accord with the dictates of her
own heart. But my pride was rs great
I: my love. and l felt strongly that
could never ask woman OF enormous
wealth to become the wife OF the por-
t;o.lcSs son OF an impoverished squire.
Without commercial training, and with
no natural aptitude for business. there
xas absolutely no hope for me TO raise
myself 10 her social plane by any eff
fort in my power TO make. and iii bit
terncss OF spirit l alternately cursed
her wealth and my poverty. Visions
OF the perfect happiness which might
be mine were either Of these difficult
ties removed served only to increase
nv depression. AS my uncle's car
riagc sped toward st. Pancras, Brown
irg's remarkable line
Money buys women
kept ringing in my ears, tormcntinS
me like an evil sprite. Then there
was that smart young cleric. the Rev.
Evan Price. With the Rev. Evan
Price had very little to do. and our
communications had always been OF
the most friendly character possible.
but heaven how hated him now! and
with what fendiSh delight / was con-
temn!atiGS lis extreme poverty when
the iEoa-,:t thaI he was probably at
me noint OF greatly increasing his in
come and of residing permanently in
London D"omp.ly punished me for my
uncharilGblCHcsS. and | WINGED. III
tho chaos OF ny ideas l did not forget
Annie WolScy, the unfortunate play
fellow of my childhood, whose youth
fulness had always prevented ne y
carding her as IN aunt: nor did for
get my grandfather. anxious ana
alone, as far from home rs could be;
nor my indulg2nt father. now expect
ing my reluTn. but do not much
doubt that these considerations were
of a minor sort. and that the central
figure in my mind which occasioned
nv cerebral disturbance was Con-
stance Marsh. and no other.
My uncl2's horses were good ones,
and soon conveyed me to tn" Midland
terminus, but l had no time to spare.
Having bought my ticket, | sought for
IN empty compartment. for l felt
avcrse to staring at strangers. after
the manner of English travellers, for
three hours: while 10 listen to conver-
sation in which l was not interested
would have been simply uncomfortable.
There being no compartment without
passengers | selected the one which
contained the fewcst-an old lady. at
tended by young maid. In my alb
straction l left my Gladstone bag on
the platform. where. after the train
was we'll in motion il was noticed by
nv uncleS groom. who contrived to
thrust it through the window so that
it fell on the floor al the feet OF the old
lady, causing her to SHREK appallingly.
l apologzed for the clumslness OF
the servant. and for my own forSetIul'
ness. which had caused the incident.
but despite all could say. and the
careful ministrationS OF her maid. the
old lady continued 10 roll her eyes, TO
pant. and to utter strange sounds. un-
I'll AZ last / thought she had suffered
some serious injury. When she per-
caivcd that l was really alarmed the
old lady recovered herself with sur
prising suddenness, and remarked
that the bag had not touched her, but
that it nearly fell on her feet, in which
case ii would have been impossible to
tell what might have happened. She
then requested her maid to hand her
, ,,,,;p 0,Sl- This command was