The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-25
CHAPTER I.

I woman spiritless and
HOD worn beyond her years;
EeH e|lk with sorrowful eyes deep
sunken; complexion
white with the very whteness Of death
itself; and her hair already lusterless
and thin, although of that blonde-au-
burn color, when all other charms Of
youth are faded or which, in most
women, survives unchanged, dead.
Yes; this was Jane Grand, as first
saw her dressed in deepest black, and
walking wearily along the weary vii
lage street of Chesterford st. Mary!
But when Clifford Mohun first saw her
she was in the pride and fulness of her
youth; a soft-faced girl Of twenty,
standing beneath the shade Of broad
leaved forest trees, and with the glow
of a June sunset lighting UP her lips
and eyes and hair with radiant gold.
Clifford was the last of long line of
country gentlemen who had borne the
name of Mohun, and inherited the oaks
under whose shade he fell in love with
Miss Grand.
Few people, perhaps, are disposed to
be cynical in the case of young and
handsome lad, heir to such an estate as
awaited Mohun. Whether his nature
was a noble one or the reverse, Jane
Grand's story will show forth. 1t is
certain that during the two or three
terms which Mr.. Mohun kept Tin boat
ing, hunting and running prodigiously
into debit at Cambridge, he had just
as many friends and imitators as he
liked to reckon; and also that, when
the day arrived for him to take pos
session Of Yatton, there was scarce a
dissentient opinion in the country as
to the upright, generous and open
hearted country gentleman which the
new Mohun Of Yatton promised to be-
come.
mot model hero, hope" was Jane
Grand's remark, after she had been
long demurely listening to the joy-bells
that were ringing in honor of .Giford's
birthday II shall never take the
slightest interest in young Mohun if he
is such perfection as every one seems
determined to make out. Model young
gentlemen are quite beyond my powers
of admiration"
"My dear Janew cried Miss Lynch,
raising her hands - knitting and all
in the mildly deprecatory gesture
with which for fourteen years she had
been accustomed to receive the faintest
departure from commonplace on the
part of her pupil. "My dearest Jane,
what very extraordinary remark!
AS if any one-and above all any young
man-could be perfect! I am sure it
quite made my eyes fill last Sunday
when Mr.. Follett alluded, SO beauti-
fully, to the young heir, and all that
the parish might hope and expect from
his return"
please don't expect me to join, dear
auntie," said Miss Grand. II think l
could cry little over the return of
very prodigal son, indeed; but the eX-
cellencies of the heir Of Yatton are
quite too superhuman to allow of such
fooliShness as tears. Dry your eyes,
good old lady, and put up your work,
and come away with me to Yatton
woods, instead of weeping any longer
over the virtues of their possessor. We
shall find it deliciouSly cool when we
are once away up the hill, and the bells
won't sound so rnpleasantly exuberant
out among the trees as they do at
hOme.'
"And the school-feast, Jane? prom
ised Mr.. Follett most particularly that
We would not be later than C."
"Auntie, l don't like school feasts.
The schoolroom is always so close, and
there is combined odor Of heavy
buns, and hot weak tea, and brown
sugar, that makes me faint. But you
shall so. You dote on the whole thing
heavy buns, and Mr.. Follett, and
weak tea, and uneXceptionable heirs,
and all. Yes, you shall so and i'm
prove your mind listening to the
speeches, and I'll follow my own evil
inclinations and get as far from the
sound of the church bells as I can.
You needn't be afraid if am not home
when you are. There won't be crea-
ture but myself in all Yatton woods
tonight, and, very likely, shall go
up as far as Haldon to see the sunset"
1t was Miss Lynch's custom to demul
at James lonely evening walks among
the woods of Yatton; but she only op-
posed faint and conventional show
of resistance on the present occasion.
The noise, and heat, and windy
speeches, and general fussiness and
gossiping incident to all public rcjoic-
ings of the kind, We're just as con-
genial elements to Miss Lynch's nature
as they were repulsiye and Wearisome
ones to James.
II can't turn you, my dear child"
she remarked to Jane, as they departed
half an hour later on their different
ways to the garden gate; "but must
say think it a dreadful pity you
should miss such delightful, such an
improving occasion as this. Mr.. Follett
will speak, ard Mr.. Tenant will
speak"
"And Mrs. Tenant will speak," in
terrupted Jane, laughing, 'and the
Miss Tenants will smile. and look
bashful, and you will all of you try to
win the approval Of the model heir,
and fiatter him, and admire him. and
smile upon him to his hearts content.
No one will miss me, auntie-and, in
deed, should be fearfully out Of my
element in such an assembly" added