The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-12-14
RY MISS ANNIE EDWARDS.

! begin with, I have a haunting fancy
! that Sir John Severne will not be ill.,
consoIable.
Daphne rises hastily and moves
across 10 4 side window. Away on
the orchard terrace she car see Sew
| erne's figure. just as in the old happy
DAYS. with Paul in his arms. Aunt
HOSE is in conversation with him
animated, eager conversation. a looS
Of mingled surprise and happiness ON
her sunburnt face.
@E was thinking badly Of no one she
answers. very low. Il was only
dering-"
over the u~naccountabiy foolish
choice Of Clementina Hardcastle. ALI
we'll" says Mrs. Broughton, falling
back upon one of her stiff little blue
stocking phrases, "the depth Of human
peryersity in these matters seems still
to be an undetermined quantity. You
must remember, if you wish to be char
table" she adds, "that I did not go
from my word quite without a strug-
Gle. After I returned to London in
June it was a settled thing that l
should marry Sir John; and 1 let the
dreary farce so or-let Mrs. Hard
| castle busy herself over dresses and
bonnets, and the lawyers and papa
addle their heads over settlements,
without telling any Of them that my
heart was breaking. / had only to
think of the error of giving up a rich
l%over-there was the shame Of aban-
| donins a cause! AS Lady Severne,
with money, with influence, I might
have founded scholarships for my sex.
laid the first stone of a new college or
two, and, perhaps, in time, have
stepped into the lecturers chair my
self. AS it was-as it was. Mrs. Ches'
ter, I broke down suddenly one day.
Just as the miliner was to have fitted
on my wedding gown! I broke down.
confessed everything, wrote to Sir
John, who was away in Scotland, and
was sent off, in disgrace, to do PEN
ance with Cousin Ethelberta, the cross.
grained typical old maid OF my moth
er's family in Devonshire."
And Mr.. Broughton, what had be-
come of Mr.. Broughton all this time:"
Felix was in Paris, poor fellow. eG-
pecting daily, so he says, to be asked
over, as best man, to the wedding
However this may be, he made his ap-
pearance in Devonshire just n week
after I arrived there. Old Ethelberta,
to our wild amazement, turned out a
brick! Yes, a BRICK" says Clementina,
with tears in her eyes, and, for the
first time in her mortal life. STOPPING
to a word of slang. when she heard
my story, and how 1 had given up
money for love, Ethelberta declared I
had behaved as people. did in her
youth, and received Felix with open
arms. You can imagine the rest.
Without bridesmaids, white satin, Or
settlements, we were married one
summer morning in the village church,
Cousin Ethelberta acting as witness,
the parish clerk giving me away, and
have lived happily and %contentedly
ever since"
The bride pauses.
"And your own ,amily?" asks
Daphne, "the people who care for You
most? Has your marriage been kept
a secret from them all?"
"Well, in time, naturally, we had to
write penitential supplications, not
only for forgiveness, but for money;
Mrs. Hardcastle sent me down my
rousseau, without a word or message
the irony OF twenty-four silk dresses.
all with trains, to people who want
bread! Papa inciosed a check for five
hundred pounds, and begged we would
look upon the gift as a final one. These
are our material prospects, says
Clementina, cheerfully. "Ethelberta,
however-who looks as If she would
live another half century-hints that
we are to be her heirs, and Felix
thinks he will some day be made Sec
end Secretary. with a salary Of three
hundred and fifty pounds a year, in
Vienna! For this winter, we are going
to economize in Italy. You look grave
still, Mrs. Chester?"
Il am thinking of your f~ather-and
Of Sir john" is Daphne's answer.
Papa has begun to relent already.
I had a kind little note from him,
written, you may be sure, without Mrs.
Hardcastle's leave, the evening before
I left Devonshire. As for Sir John-I
confidently look to the Lady Severne
of the future. that unknown but not
impossible She,'" says Ciementina.
with meaning, 'to restore his hap.
piness. Do you despair Of my predic-
ton being fulflled:"
But Sir John and Paul having by
this time reached the parlor window,
Mrs. Chester's answer remains fore:er
uDSpoken.
(Tbe End.l