The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-24
NJ,
Continued.

You may imagine the menlal onu
ton of-the vicar-a man so many years
past his youth; incredulous. to q morDiu
degree respecting his own powers ol
pleasing, and possessing a perfectly
accurate knowledge as to the very airy
and ufsubstantial foundation upon
which his best hopes, were, in realty
based!
"I don't think the flowers are looking
ILL., Jane. I think it is yourself that IS
changed. You don't care for your
flowers now as you did a year ago"
"I don't care for my flowers" Her
hands, ceased from their employment IN
an instant. and she turned full around
TO the vicar. why, Mr.. Follettt, l
think they are all 1 do care for now
What have / left to care for but my
own poor, small, selfish pleasures, and'
and"
Was that sudden hesitation propi-
tious? The vicar deluded bimself int
thinking so.
"And what else, Jane? What else do
you care for, except your own poor
small, selfish ~pleasures"
"a memory, sir" looking straight
into his eyes. Not much, you will say
to live upon, but still all l have got
you know, all l have got"
And then she turned away and began
abruptly to walk up and down with
quick, short steps. along the garden
path. A habit that had rather grown
upon her since Miss Lynch's death, us
many such mechanical means for the
suppression of thought do grow upon
persons in whose minds ghosts walk at
times. and who live much alone.
Mr.. Follett watched her az she TOOK
two or three Of these short turns IN
silence; then he met her midway in the
path.
.Jane, child, 1 don't like to see you
walk like that. That walk is the few
erish action of one whose mind is i'll at
ease. I would not have your mind SO,
Jane, if I could help it."
The expression of his face quite melt
ed her. She held out both her hands
to him.
ooh, sir, how good you are to mel
what should 1 do without you? When
when some thoughts come to me, you
know, I begin to walk like this, without
thinking what I do; but I will try never
to walk again, as you don't like it. The
trick came upon me a night OF TWO
after auntie died, and I can scarcely
help it now. I would not do that or
anything else in the world to give you
a moments pain"
The pressure of her hands was warm;
real honest regard shone from her eyes;
and from one ordinarily so cold any ex-
pression of feeling ought to have made
an aspirant lover %rapturous. But the
vicar felt chilled as though q harsh
December wind had suddenly swept
upon him, standing there among the
summer roses. 1t is one thing to write
of the influence of kindly hands and
eyes, and another to feel it. Mr.. Fol-
lett vas sensible that nc woman ever
caught the hands and looked into the
eyes Of the a she loved as Jane was
doing now. She was grateful. dutiful.
affectionate to him, as to Z father-no
more.
} He hid his embarrassment, and Olsen
gagged himself from her cruelty kind
hands by. stoopingdown and picking up
one of her gardening gloves. AS he
presented it, he remarked, quite in his
usual collected tone-indeed, it struck
on james heart he spoke n little for
mally-that he always recommended
persons who lived much alone to break
themselves early from all the habits
that loneliness engenders. He had bad
n great deal of experience himself that
way, and he knew how apt all recluses
were to fall into habits and thoughts
unlike those Of other people, unless
they early forced themselves to associ-
ate with the world about them.
II feel that. too" said Miss Grand
81 feel that it will not take a great
many more years to make me as eccen-
trio and unlike any n else, as old
Miss Brown. And do you know, Mr..
Follett, l sometimes wonder if it isn't
a duty I owe to myself to give up this
lonely life and try-a terrible effort it
would be-to' bring myself to live with
others"
If ever a man had an opening made
for him, here surely was one. Without
waiting to think, the vicar broke forth
into speech - hurried, disconnected
speech very unlike any that Jane had
ever heard from his lips.
Jane, that is what I have often
wished to say to you. You are too
young to have done with life. 1t is
monstrous that you should waste your
best years oyer one lost hope. You do
owe it to yourself to try to be happier
and live in the world, and-and, Jane,
= single woman cannot mix in the
world-in marriage you might forget
lhe past-and be happy"
1t was the yaguest declaration of pas
sion probably eve made; but from the
fearful agitation Of the Wears heart,
he, beyond all doubt, meant it for n c.
For Jane, she simply looked at him
lghast.
MARRIAGE" she eXclaimed-"mar-
:iage? Great Heaven: mir. FOilett,
font misunderstood me so! meant TO
live in a family, q family containing
other staid persons of my w years,
and you speak as if ! wished to change
Ey state. So much Go the best OF men
know Of women" she added mourn
fully. $50 much do You, after all these