The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01
CHAPTER II.
Continued.

do you see the Tenants house, Mr..
Mohun? Look straight away TO the
right, across those last larcheS which
divide Yatton from the moor. 1t used
to hide its intrusiveness and look al
most respectable when the great elns
were standing; but that old Goth, Mr..
Tenant, had them all cut dowE last
autumn, and the effect is, as you see
DO, as you do not see. Are you really
docking for the Tenants house in the
centre of your own woods, Mr.. Mohun?
or haven't you heard a word of all
the interesting country news ] have
been so busily telling you?"
Now, Clifford was thinking neither OF
Mr.. Tenants house nor of bis own
1arches, but of his companions fair
little outstretched hand.
Very pleasant hands to hold between
ones own, Clifford thought.
An almost irresistible impulse oyer
came him, then and there, to take her
hand in his and kiss it, and ask her
to give it to him for good. But he did
not. Something in the girls soft, un-
ruf1ed face held him back from going
to such fierce extremes just yet; and
all he did do was to sigh very deeply,
and then, blushing, 1 believe, to say he
had not quite heard what Miss Grand
said-and-and-he rather thought he
must have been attending to something
else.
1.-THE Tenants have grown up ex-
tremely pretty" remarked Jane. very
quietly, and without blushing at all.
"Aggie, in particular, the n who used
TO be thought so plain when they were
children. Have you seen them yet?"
Yes, Clifford had seen them. The
Tenuant family had been at Yatton
that morning, and the young ladies
had kindly assisted in presiding over
some Of the outdoor festivities.
"Ah"-and the slightest shadow
passed over James heart. "Aggie is
very pretty, indeed, isn't she? 1 don't
think I ever saw such lovely eyes in
any other face"
"Well, they are neither Of them beau
ties" said Clifford, indifferently; "and,
of the two, Miss Tenant, is the hand
somer. The little one-Aggie, did you
call her" (he had had quite a firta-
ton with poor Aggie that morning; and
her mamma and sister had already
speculated upon the advantages of her
future position as Mrs. Mohun of Vat
ton)-'the little one laughs too much,
and ~inclines toward fat"
you think Miss Tenant very hand
some, them"
Better looking than her sister, GER
tainly; but I an not in raptures about
either of them. My taste in beauty is
difficult to please, Miss Grand" And
Clifford tried hard to look sentimental.
your taste will be very unlike that
of all the rest Of the world if you don't
admire the Miss Tenants. l hear no
girls get on so well at balls as they do:
and both of them have received what
Miss Lynch calls most eligible offers.
Yes, indeed, Mr.. Mohun, in real practi-
cal earnest, although you do look so
skeptical. Mr.. Tenant is so near
about settlements and money that
every one of the engagements have
been broken off; but that the offers
were made is certain. Robert Nash, of
tic Craig, was the last. He wanted to
marry Agsie."
"a Nash would do anything for
money" said Clifford, with a somewhat
supercilious uprising Of the eyebrows,
''even down to marrying a daughter OF
old Tenants"
"You are very severe upon the Ten
nants, MI. Mohun. 1 suppose you think
it a thoroughly degrading thing for a
man to have made his money in trade"
Jane spoke quickly, and her cheeks
grew hot.
II was not thinking of trade at ALL"
answered Clifford. Il vas thinking of
common honesty when I spoke of the
kind Of feelings a must have who
could. wish to inherit Mr.. Tenants
money, or to become the husband OF
one of Mr.. Tenants daughters"
But at least Bertha and Aggie are
innocent of all that their father may
have done years and years ago. 1t is
very hard to visit the sins Of fathers
upon their children, I think"
"Well. you need be under no fear of
parental transgressions being too harsh
ay remembered in the case of the Miss
Tenants" said Clifford, laughing. Il
give a little eccentric opinion OF my
own when I say that I would rather
marry the daughter of any honest
farmer in the county; but there are
plenty of men in the world-Mr. Rob-
ert Nash at their head-who hold q di-
rectly opposite opinion. AS many thou
sands of pounds as Mr.. Tenant pos
sesseS can cover a multitude of sins
81 think charity forbids us to impute
evil to any me-. Mr.. Mohun."
"But I don't think charity compels us
to become Mr.. Tenants so~n-in-law,
Miss Grand. A man with a good,
broad pair of shoulders, like Mr.. Rob
ert Nash's, could find better ways of
getting his bread than by buying it
with ill-gotten money"
"And, if he really should happen to
care 4 little for Aggie, as we'll as for
her fortune:" Miss Grand persisted.
"Wcll, if a man fell in love with one
of the Miss Tenants, without knowing
Mr.. Tenants history, and found it
out afterward, he would be placed in a
delicate position, certainly-that is to
say, if he was a man Of decently honest
feelings, not a Robert Nash"
.sApl hnuy would uo,, hoyn hin, opt Q