The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-07
NIX.

quite right-there'iS nothing like pow
erty to be seen among them, except the
food, which is so bad I shall dine in
future at the hotel. Mrs. Ferguson is
not at all improved from what she
used to be, and the other girl is very
vulgar in her manners, and 1 think
holder looking even than Matty. They
are very rapacious as to settlements,
and have got 4 cousin here-Hartiey
Ferguson, 4 solicitor-I remember the
: BLACKBOARD wei lat 'Baden-to back
them i'll everything. My dear Jane, l
:. have made a great fool Of myself, but
tits too late to go back now. They
: dragged me yesterday to a beastly
out-of-door thing given by Mrs. Fer
gusson's greatest patron, Lady
Churchill, a monstrous fast, bad style
of woman to my mind, and l had the
pleasure of seeing my future wife play
Aunt Sally at which game she got
very warm and excited. I thought of
you, and of your little hands and your
gentle face, and I can assure you l
felt sick rs I looked forward to the
future. However, Pm in for it, with
no hope Of getting free. Lady
Churchill is going abroad@in May, and
Mrs. FERGUSON suggests. If the settle
ments can be finished. that the we'd
ding shall take place before that time.
in order that her dear friend may be
present at the ceremony"
Clifford to be married in May! And
this day when Jane read his letter was
the last day of March. In another
month Clifford Mohun was to be mar
ried! And as she read she was looking
younger than she had looked for years,
and hope-hope so long dead-was Stir
ring in her breast with the warm beat
of life, and her heart was fiuttering at
every footstep that passed along the
lane, at every figure that Swallowed the
gateway in the indistilct cleaning of
the gray spring twilight.
1t would be a great deal too much;
it would, indeed, be against all estab-
lished canons, to say that Jane Grand
had already forgotten Mohun and was
feeling true and honest hopes regarding
another man: one. too, who, as far
as she knew. had no intention whatso-
ever of asking her to be his wife. So.
without scrutiny too deep. I will record
the fact that she did feel young, n
not without interest in life, on this
evening when the vicar had promised
to call and see her, and at the same
time remind any very exacting reader
that it was now many months since
the first insidious whisper Of heresy
with respect to Clifford had first crept
into poor James unsuspecting heart.
"Seven, and he was to be here at six!
He must have got letters by the same
post that brought MI Gifford's. n
have stayed to answer them. Probably
he won't come at all tonight. Well. it
matters little-nothing can matter
much to me now. Only I should JUST
like to have told him what mean to
do before taking any decisive step
about i'll should just liked to have
watched his face as I told him, and
have seer whether he really cares a
bit about my staying at Chesterford or
notr'
And then, oddly enough. seeing that
nothing mattered much to her now.
large tears began to float in James
eyes-tears of which Clifford Mohun's
approaching marriage was not, remote
1y Or approximately, the cause.
Dreaming, as usual, Jane? Dream
ing rs you have done all your life! l
wonder whether a time will ever come
when you will cease to live in the
clouds? Depend upon it,, the common
prrosaic. earth is a much safer ground to
rest upon. if you would only, once and
for all, bring yourself to- think it so.".
Jane started from her seat; then
shrank back. with 4 strange sensation
OF consciousness, las she found the
vicar close beside. her in that f%ast-dark-
ening little room.
II never heard you come in, Mr.. Fol
lett. How-how d%readfully stupid Of
Grace not to tell ME you were! 1 will
ring for the lamp at once. I thought
you did not mean to come tonight"
And after this very lucid and CO.
herent speech Miss Grand neither called
Grace to be reprimanded. nor rang for
the lamp. nor even gave her hand to
the vicar. but turned her face back
toward the window, and wished she
was q hundred miles away-with Gift
ford, with Matty-anywhere rather
than with Mr.. Follett at this hour and
in this place to which she herself had
bid him come!
"Grace did not see me, for the good
reason that I came in, without ringing.
by the side gate" said the wears quiet
voice. "a great liberty, Jane, was it
not? But I have q fancy that You and
I are going to return to DILL old life
now, and that you will not be angry
with me for coming in and going out OF
your house again, as I used to do in
the days when you were a little child"
Then she turned her face round to
his. and 4 great pain contracted her
heart.
ITO the old days." she stammered.
"Oh, sir. can that ever be? Can the
past ever come back to any of us as it
was?"
81 think it car to you, Jane. think,
whenyour present trouble is over. you
will be able to go back to a life more
like your childish one than you have
known for years. l think so because |
see you walking abroad daily, because
life and health are on your face. Signs,