The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-31
CHAPTER XIII.
Continued.


"You are very generous TO speak to
f7ne like this!" she faltered. You don't
know how happy it makes me that you
should still remember our old days so.
1-I-never thought to have felt again
as ! have done this"evening"
And then followed other little broken,
Render explanations of a like foolish
and inconclusiye nature.
Mohun thought she had taken his
meaning seriously; and very unpleas-
antly hot the thought made him feel.
las it was impossible for him to so back
$ now, however, he thought he might as
well make a desperate rush at once,
and leave the issue in the hands OF
the fates.
eve got our courtship over long ago,
Jane. I could say nothing now as well
as I did then-when I was a boy. In
stead of attempting to act a part I'm
too old for, will you try to think OF me
as I was? You have not forgotten me,
J%ane?-you have not forgotten all it
cost me to part from you? You've got
that ring l gave you yet""
3, She looked into his eyes With some
Thing Of the same piteous yearning that
YOU may see come over a sick mans
face when m unthinking visitor speaks
ito him of the life and health to which
ne knows he shall never more come
back; then she burst into tears.
"Do I remember you?-have / got
your ring still? Have I eVer ceased to
think Of you?-have 7 ever parted from
st, day or night, since you gave it me-"
And then with trembling hands b
drew her wedding-ring from her breast
and showed it to him. Lob, MI. Mohun
oh, Clifford; dent bring back my bit
Herest sorrow to NEEDN'T tempt me
for a moment to forget what must
never be forgotten! Be my friend al
ways, and don't think ! shall ever mis-
interpret you, or any Of the friendship
that you show to me, l am quite apart
from the world, you know. l am
placed like no other woman living. We
can be true friends and neighbors; but
but I shall never look for any more.
q could less bear to. bring disgrace'upon
YOU now than I could have done When'
I first loved you, seven years ago.
Clifford, forgive mt if I have in any
way hurt you by saying this again.
Mohun forgave her readily indeed, II
ahe truth must be told, he was a great
deal more relieved than hurt by Eel
reply. He was not very passionate in
anything now; and It did not take him
many moments to decide that he had
come reditably out Of a somewhat haz-
ardous position, and that he would do
well to accept the friendship which
Miss Grand offered him. PhiiosophlZ-
ing over it all as he walked home that
might, he became more and more recon
;ciled to letting things remain in the
position where Jane had arranged
them. The disgrace Of her parentage
no longer Influenced him as it had done
when he was a lad; he had lived
enough to rate the worlds good opinion
Infinitely lower than his w personal
S%Hell-being; the question that really
concerned him was. whether it Wonlu
not be an intense mistake for him to
marry at all? Had he a taste for do
mestic cares and expenses? No. Had
he ever envied the condition Of any
married man out Of his whole %acQualnt-
sance? Cestainly not. Jane might
prove q very different person, as Mrs.
Nohun, to the humble, hopeless adorer.
that she was as Miss Grand. Besides,
like the immortal Frenchman-What
would he do with his evenings, as long
as he remained at YattoD, if he mar
ried her? Evenings spent like this one,
beside the open window of James little
room. Or loitering-Jane with him
Through the shady rides Of Yatton,
would, he felt, be ineXpresslvely I'll
live and pleasant in their effect tand
Clifford had grown wonderfully cpl
curean in all things pertaining to his
own material and Immediate comfort
now. In winter, If he stayed so long,
he would 60 to the cottage every night
when he had nothing better to Go, and
Jane should sing to him, OF he could
lay outstretched upon the sofa and look
at her as she worked-or to 30 10 sleep
Just as he chose! He would have all
the best part of domestic life, and one
of its annoyances.
Miss Grand had decided eXcn!lently
well. Friendship strongly favored
with love- for a Still charming woman
devotedly attached to you, but never
liable TO misinterpret your friendship,
or lead you on into matrimony, is an
exceptional good such as falls to the
lot Of few men.
How could he have been rash enough
TO run the risk of exchanging this
calm, unfettered state from which he
could break free at the earliest moment
that be grew tired Of i) for the ex-
pensive, troublesome, ncyec-ending
menotony of commonplace married
Rife?
Thus thought Clifford as he smoked
mis- cigar during his homeWard walk
through Yatton woods that night. At
the anne hour Jane Grand, in q rap
ture of delight, was thinking over every
word he had uttered in the curse of
THE evening; building castles Of exalted
friendship, wherein they should dwell
together and be blessed; forming plans
of reformation for him, of which she
trusted to be the humble but appointed
agent.
I am sorry to think how much more
of practical sense there was in Mr.. Mo-
A,n,s worry COARSE realism than in all