The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-19

repeating my words with emphasis.
Then he is not living"
Mile. Rosalie is doubly orphaned
I said. Come, come, Fleetwood, we
may be doing the young lady an injus-
| tice il canvassing her so freely behind
| her back"
You are right, sir, as you always
are. 1 am very sorry l spoke"
But" l persisted, having gone so
| far, We may be adding to the injustice
by not carrying this conversation to
it's legitimate end. We cannot be 100
careful of regulations. Say what is
in your mind"
Very we'll, sir. Mile. Rosalie has
no parents, but she has relations"
81 think not, Fleetwood
"No sisters or brothers, SIR"
$50 l understand. She is alone in the
world, with not a soul 10 depend upon
except ourselves"
Then the man she meets, sir" said
| Fleetwood, lis not q relation"
81 was not aware" l said, that Mile.
| RosaIie was in the habit of meeting
any man. but, after all, it is no affair OF
ours"
mo, sir"
Go on, Fleetwood; you had best fin
ish. Are these meetings frequent"
Every frequent, l should say, sir. !
have passed them, by accident, at least
half a dozen times"
"How long has this been going on"
ut is four months since / first saw
them"
reflected. Mile. Rosalie had been in
| our service only five months, and it
was generally understood, through her
own statements, that she was a stran-
| ger in the neishborhood, and had no
| friends OF acquaintance. Here, then,
was another duplicity to trouble and
perplex NC.
'Where do these meetings take place,
| FLEETWOOD"
I'm Ivybush Lane, sir"
Ivybush Lane was, perhaps, the most
| secluded part of the locality round
about; but if Mile. Rosaiie and her
| friend were lovers, was it not natural
that they should meet in a spot where
they were least likely to be intruded
upon?
"And at what hour, in your observa-
tion," I asked, do they meet?">
always at night, sir, when there is
no moon"
You are quite sure" I said, some
what startled, that you are not mis-
guided by prejudice?
II speak of facts, sir, not impress
sions."
You have impressions-but of course
| you have; it is ridiculous to ask such
a question. What I mean is, that your
impressions are not favorable to Mile.
Rosalie"
They are not, sir. If she has a
sweetheart, what reason can there be
for such secrecy? When I have ap-
preached them-and l beg you to be-
lieve that l have always come across
them by accident-tEey have stopped
talking and have shrunk away from
observation, the man especially. Once
I am certain they we're quarreling."
"a lovers quarrel, FLEETWOOD"
perhaps, sir; but it didn't sound like
it. They seemed to be threatening each
other. That is al 1 have to tell, SIR
Have you met the man at other
times, when he was alone?
81 can't say, sir. l never saw his
face; lie seemed to take great pains
to hide it from me-"
You are positive it was Mile. Rosa
lie, and not another lady,"
II am positive, SIR .
zone more question, Fleetwood. Ivy
bush Lane is a lonely spot which one
would not traverse for pleasure on
darksomc nights. What took you
there"
ut is near the graveyard, sir, where
my wife is buried"
His voice trembled with emotion. I
pressed his hand.
LET us keep this to ourselves" l
said, presently. 1T will be the wiser
course. When my daughter is married
Mile. Rosalie will leave oar service"
AT this moment, as Fleetwood was
about to leave me-, Eunicc danced up
to us. 1t was q pleasure to look upon
her bright face, beaming as it was with
happiness. Loves summer was hers;
her life was filled with heavenly joy.
In her hand she held two posies.
mile. Rosalie arranged them" she
said. "She has the most exquisite
taste. One for you, papa; and II for
you, Mr.. Fleetwood"
Neither she nor my wife ever adj
dressed him as an ordinary servant.
He accepted the posy reluctantly. A
| gift from the hands of Eunice would
have delighted him; but this from Mile.
Rosalie, l saw. was repusnant to him.
"She has been speaking in such
praise of you, Mr.. Flectwood' con-
tinued Eunice. You have quite VOL
her heart. You ought to he proud; she
is so sweet and good. Papa" she said,
as we walked q little aside from Fleet
wood, you have q perfume abont you;
have you been seeming yourse;f?"
no, my darling, y | said, laughing
at the question. But now You men
ton it, l have had the fancy myself
that there was something more fra
grant than usual about me this morn
ing"
l shifted up, and Eunice followed my
example merrily.
"I know what il is mana she said