The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-20

Well" pursued Dolly, eff you
really want to"-Jack made a wry
FACET will not stand in the way
not for the world. Go to work if you
like. No doubt work will do you
| good, and prove q novel experience,
The greater part is done, anyhow.
We have only to mop up the floor,
lay the rug, put in the furniture,
hang the curtains, and"
"Stay! Enough! enough! And
for whom are all these preparations
intended, for some Il is expected
I feel it in the air"
Dolly laughed.
"Quite a swell, no doubt. You
see, we don't really know, but sus-
pect that it is n of the sterner sex.
Papa just telegraphed to Aunt Jane
to expect a friend of his to-day.
Jack Bentley turned the empty
pail upside down. and coolly pro-
ceeded to seat himself upon the in
verted edge.
Dolly, how long have you had the
pleasure of my acquaintance" was
the apparently irrelevant question.
She laughed gayly.
Exactly three years and six
months" she announced, demurely.
"and 1 must confess I don't know
anything good of YOU" But the ten
der light in the merry brown eyes be-
lied her saucy words.
Jack continued loftily:
81 pass your insinuations by with
the contempt they merit. Rose of
the world, did you ever promise to
marry me-circumstances permitting
-or-did you not?"
She crept a little closer to his side.
Il am afraid l did," she said,
softly. But, oh, Jack! papa would
be furious if he knew. He will
never consent-because|"
Because I am as poor as the pro-
verbal church mouse, and he intends
that you shall marry Horace Dilling-
ham, the rich merchant"
Jack"
at is true, dear-quite true. Now,
listen to my tale of o I am here
here to stay! I an your Aunt
James expected guest. Are you will
ing, sweetheart"
Willing? Oh, jack"
Not another word; but somehow
he seemed quite content.
"Please explain" she ventured,
timidly, after a pause Of golden 81
lence.
Jack drew from his pocket an open
letter, addressed to himself, and
placed it in Dolly's hand.
1t began my Dear Friend" and
ended yours as ever" ("Quite ten
der" Jack declared, in parenthesis),
RUFUS THORPE"
In this letter Mr.. Thorpe, Dolly's
father proceeded to advise his "dear
friend" to make a trip at once to
hillside, in the Pontiac Hills, to his
sister-in-law's house - Miss Jane
Dean-slyly i%nsinuating that his
daughter, Miss Dolly, would warmly
welcome him there.
Dolly's face assumed a look Of be-
wilderment as she read her fathers
letter. What did it all mean?"
"Why, Jack, what has changed
papa so? He used to be so violently
opposed to you, you know, I cannot
understand it at ALL"
Il can" Jack answered, grimly.
"He wrote this letter to Dillingham;,
and one to me at the same time, only
mine was of an entirely different ma
ture, l imagine. In his haste he
made a common mistake; he inclosed
letter in the envelope addressed
to Dillingham;, and vice versa. The
invitation to MI. Dillingham;, in which
no name was mentioned, was received
by me. What could 1 do but &C
cept?"
What, indeed?" laughed Dolly.
And now that you are here, we will
just have a splendid time"
Taken into their confidence, Aunt
Jane could not find it in her heart
to object, for Jack was in every way
unobjectionable, save that he was not
wealthy. Yet he held a good posi-
ton in a prosperous firm, and his ad-
vancement was only a question of
time, after all.
Mr.. Rufus Thorpe was over
whelmed with CONSERVATION one day,
while sitting in his office, by the
apparition of the two young culprits,
with the astounding announcement
that they had been quietly married
that morning.
Il won her under false p%retenses;
but she's mine, all the same" the
young rascal unblushingly added.
But when Mr.. Thorpe had learned
that a distant relative of Jack Bent
ley's had just shufled off this mortal
coil, leaving him sole heir to a neat
little fortune, he thought better Of
the marriage, and in time expressed
unqualified approval.-New York
Weekly.