The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-29
CHAPTER XII.
A

From the moment on which Sophy
received the young scholars letter,
with its all-important Enclosure, or,
at all events, when that interview
with her guardian had been con-
Guided, without her having had the
courage to confess her secret to him,
I think she had a pretty certain con-
viction that Adair would become her
husband. 1t was evidently his in
tention to win her, and his force of
will, she was well aware, was inf
nitely stronger than her own. She
had refused to acknowledge his vic
tory even to herself, and had fought
against her apprehensions, but with
the consciousness that she was fight
ing against fate, Jeanette, very
wisely for the object she had in view,
had not laid so much stress upon the
necessity Of the union as upon its
conveniences and advantages. Mrs.
Adair might not be, perhaps, so pas
sionately in love with her mistress
as another young gentleman had
once been; but from what had hap
pened in that case, passion, it would
seem, went a very little way toward
insuring happiness in married life.
A dinner party at the canon's had
all the effect that he had intended it
to produce, and more
1t not only brought Sophy "out OF
her SHE'LL" but MI. MAYORS out of his.
He called at the Laurels no less than
three times within the next fortnight
on the transparent pretext of wish.
ing to see the canon (known to be
glued to the concordance in his col.
lege rooms), and though he didn't
say anything particular to Sophy or
anybody else, looked Gas Miss Aldred
privately assured her brother)
volumes" Nor, although he
showed no unseemly haste to make
sure of the victory he had gained,
did Mr.. John Adair let the grass
grow under his feet.
Even with the power that his
knowledge of her secret gave him, he
understood his task was to be no
easy one; that he had to raise not
only a dead weight Of Indifference,
but to remove a certain sense of OPP
preston which his previous conduct
had produced. Jeannette's warning
words had in this matter been very
seasonable, and he had laid them to
heart. From henceforth he dropped
no syllable to Sophy that could have
suggested mastery, or that she was
in any way under his thumb. By
this judicious course of treatment,
Joined to a manner of great but re-
spectful tenderness, Adair succeeded
in inducing in her a feeling of ac-
quiescence; she began to contem-
plate the prospect Of becoming his
wife without a shudder, and even
nattered herself that it was not a
case of compulsion.
On a certain afternoon that young
lady had seen from her window
Adair coming toward the house as
usual, and when the door bell rang,
had gone down to receive him in the
drawing room. 1t had, become a
thing for her to do so, when, as was
generally the case at that hour, Aunt
Maria was not at home. She was ex-
ceedingly surprised, therefore, when,
instead Of Mr.. Adair, the butler an
nounced Mr.. MAYORS. He wore a
graver look than usual, and for the
moment it struck her that something
was amiss with the canon, which the
tutor had come to tell her.
you've had no bad news, I hope,
Mavors," she. said, with a little
futter at her heart.
II hope not" he answered, smil-
ing. us it so very strange, Miss
Sophy, that 1 should pay you a
VISIT"
at is not a favor we are accus-
toned to very frequently" she an
swered, smiling. "You are like an
order of merit, Mr.. MAYORS, of which
we are very proud, but which is not
put on save upon high days and holt
days"
And then only worn on the out.
side" observed the tutor, significant.
ly.
To be Continued.