The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1907-05-16

'NHERE was q custom or Cdnaan,
time worn and seldom honored
in the breach, which put Ariel
L that afternoon in easy posses
sion Of a coign Of vantage command
ing the front gate. The heavy Sunday
dinner was finished in silence ION the
part Of Judge Pike deafening) about 8
o'clock, and soon after Mamie tossed
q number of cushions out upon the
stoop between the cast iron dogs, Sam
Warden having previously covered the
steps with q rug and placed several
garden chairs near by on the grass.
These simple preparations concluded,
Eugent sprawled comfortably upon the
rug and Mamie seated herself near
him, while Ariel wandered with appar-
ent aimlessness about the lawn, fol
lowed by the gaze Of Mr.. Bantry until
Miss Pike begged her little petulant-
" to join them.
She came, looking about her dream
lily and touching to her lips now and
then, with an absent air, a clover bios
som she had found in the longer grass
against the fence. She stopped to pat
the neck Of one Of the cast ron deer
and, with grave eyes, protssred the
clover top first for inspection, then as
food. There were those in the world
who, seeing her. might have wondered
that the deer did not play Galatea and
fnYla
She had put on her hat after dinner,
and Mamie now inquired II she would
not prefer to remove 1t, Offering to car
~ it indoors for her, to Ariers room,
to insure its safety. you look 50
sort of temporary, wearing It," she
urged; "as II you were only here for a
little while. It's the loveliest hat I
ever saw. and so fragile, too, but I'll
take care
T am wearing my hat" answered
Ariel. because at any moment may
decide to go for long walk"
"Oh. hope not" said Mamie.
There are sure to be people. A few
still come. even though I'm an en-
gagged girl. expect that's Just to con-
sole me, though" she added, smiling
over this worn qulp Of the betrothed
and shaking her head at Eugene, who
grew red and coughed. "There'll be
plenty today. but they won't be here
to see me. It's you, Ariel, and they'll
be terribly disappointed II you weren't
here. l shouldn't wonder II the whole
town came. It's curious enough about
your
And now the young men Of the town,
laboriously arranged as to apparel.
began to appear on the street In small
squads, making their Sunday rounds,
the youngest working In phalanxes OF
threes and fours, those somewhat old
er inclining to move in pairs, the
eldest, such as were now beginning to
be considered middle aged beaus or
(by the extremely youthful "old bach
elors," evidently considered it advan-
tageous to travel alone. or all these
there were few who did not before
evening fell turn in at the gate OF the
Pike mansion. Consciously. shyly or
confidently, according to the condition
Of their souls, they made their way
between the cast iron deer to be pre-
sented to the visitor.
Ariel sat at the top Of the steps and.
looking amiably over their heads, talk.
ed with such as could get near her.
There were many who could not, and
Mamie, occupying the bench below,
was surrounded by the overflow. The
difficulty of reaching and maintaining
q position near Miss Tabor was In
creased BY the attitude and behavior
of Mr.. Flitcroft, who that day cooled
the feeling Of friendship which several
Of his fellow townsmen had hitherto
entertained for him. He had been the
drst to arrive. coming alone, though
that was not his custom, and he es-
tablished himself at Ariel's right. upon
the step just below her. so disposing
the great body ana the ponu-ro--
arms and legs the gods had given him
that no one could mount above him
to sit beside her or approach her from
that direction within conversational
distance.
Norbert, not ordinarily talkatve, had
nothing to say. He seemed to find suf-
ficient occupation in keeping the place
he had gained, and from this close
vantage he fastened his small eyes