The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-12
CHAPTER VI.
Blue-Stockings a la Mode.

That civilized man, with all his re-
sources, cannot attain to q new sensa-
ton was a truth guessed at by think
ers some time before exhausted young
gentlemen of the nineteenth century
had reduced it to a maxim.
Still, without making pretence 10
such an anachronism as absolute new
ness, the relative position of Sir John
Seyerne and Mrs. Chester must, l
think, be admitted to contain some un.
wonted elements Of originality.
For a young and beautiful woman,
modest as she is beautiful, to sink at
your feet and in the first hour of &C.
uuaintance cover your hands with
kisses is an experience that, I make
bold to say, falls not to the lot OF one
man out of a million, and as regards
that millionth-well, unless he be a
very hardened cynic indeed, let him
look to it narrowly that he become
not on the instant a slave!
Sir John Severne is ive-and-twenty'
less Of a cynic than some lads VINO
have not left off their Elton jackets,
and with a heart, up to the present
time, untouched by ~passion-Jes, al
t though he signs himself the most de-
voted Of Clementina Hardcastle, and
for three years past has worn Glenn
entina's portrait against his w%aistcoat.
So. when on the day succeeding
Paups fishing expedition the young fell
low finds himself again approaching
Mrs. Chester's presence, sees her, afar
off, quit the band Of workers in b
hay field, and walk unabashed toward
him, her hand outstretched, the frank
est smile of welcome on her lips
when this moment comes, young Sew
erne, to his surprise, discovers the
meaning Of the word "shyness" for the
first time in his life, and colors.
II was beginning to think the lanes
were playing you false again, or-or
that you had gone away to England
without remembering u.s." Thus she
greets him, her round, soft face, with
it's halo of pale gold, its ~full-looking
hazel eyes, seeming as the face of one
Of Raphael's virgins, in Severn's sight.
"And I wanted so much to thank you
aeriously for your great goodness. L
could not sleep last night for thinking
how cold, how poor my words must
have sounded; but indeed" her voice
sinking in q way that threatens tears,
81 was too wild with terror to know
exactly what I said or did"
Happily for Sir John, who can feel
quickly enough-too quickly, perhaps
in situations. where 'twere wlsest to
feel nothing, yet possesses the true
British incapacity for uttering graceful
sentiments at the fitting moment, Paul
just now runs up beside his mother;
Paul with his clothing reduced to a
minimum, his tattered straw hat a
few degrees more tattered than yes
terday, his sunburnt Murillo face
aglow with excitement.
"HuIlo, Mussieu pAng'laz," he cries,
all the neatly framed Thanksgiving
speech that Daphne has laboriously
taught him forgotten. Gallons done"
Holding out his hand, patronizingly. to
Sir John. "Allons jouer q 'pousse me
j'quGrai' avec les babouins"
And in five minutes time Severne
finds himself among q crowd of girls
and children, now pulled this way. now
that, through the mazes Of catch-me'
that-catch-can, while Paul, sturdily
grasping his hand, shrieks aloud with
triumph over every fresh instance in
which Mussieu rAng'laz shows his ig-
norance Of the game.
All throughout the n~eighborhood OF
Fief-de-la Refine the farming is strictly
cooperative, the ideas as to paid labor
held by these peasant lords of the soil
being pretty much on a level with
those. Of small English farmers of q
hundred years ago.
To be Continued.