The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-01-29
A BARGAIN
OF LOVE.
BY AUSTIN MAITLAND.

And what will happen them? he
asked, with amusement in his eyes.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Father will keep an eye on me
and see that he takes me in to sup
per. He will point us out to every
one and make me feel horribly un-
comfortable" She threw her head
back in annoyance The sense of
duty about it all is so odious," she
added.
Il can quite understand it," he
said alphabetically, and then amuse-
ment crept into his eyes again as he
remarked: And what will you do?"
She clasped her hands about her
knees and looked out between the
curtains that protected the alcove in
which they were sitting from the hall
Through them she could see into the
ballroom, where gay waltz was in
riotous progress. Everybody seemed
careless and happy there. There was
no one condemned as she had been.
If there had been no binding in the
arrangement, it might all have been
so different, she might have felt even
her curiosity awakened to :ach
pitch that it would certainly have
been interesting. But to be COM
PEELED by circumstances VINO,
until the calamity had come to her
fathers financial affairs, had been
accustomed to every wish being graft
fied-to be compelled to marry a
man, whom she had only heard of
from very vague and indefinite
sources, merely because it was fam
lily understanding-it was quite a
different matter. Its advantages were
those which. at her age, she could not
realize at their full value That she
would be left pcnniless, if she did not
comply with the agreement, was al
most incomrrehensible to her. The
duty of supporting hersclf had never
fallen to her lot, and now when it
came TO self-interest - almost SELF
preservation-she felt the irksome-
ness OF its being thrust upon her
shoulders.
And lastly-to make it all harder
stili-Cyril Foster had been staying
with them for the Easter holidays,
and for the ball, which, for the last
few days, she had learned to look
upon as fatality. She had never
heard of him before as friend of her
fathers. 1t would have made very
little difference if she had, for he had
already won higher place in her es-
timation than any man had ever occu-
pied before.
In moment OF regret. as Sac
looked at his face, she had told him
all about the doom that was hanging
over her, and, unlike other mea,
whose sympathies would have Jared
upon her, he had tried to laugh i
into forgetfulness.
1T hasn't come 10 the point yet"
he said, "and people arc given mo-
ments like these to enjoy themselves
in"
AS she sat with her hands clasped
over her knees, she thought over his
question. What would she do? She
scarcely knew. 1t was really unkind
of him to ask her.
"Oh. should be a fool if I didn't
marry him." she said. She may have
hoped to make him Jealous, and he
may have seen the effort, for re
leaned forward and looked into her
face.
You will marry him if ne comes9"
he said.
= suppose so,' she said, as !ndif-
ferently as she could.
He took out his watch.
''Is he the only man who could
make" he hesitated, fearing q
hurt her feelings, who could make
you happy and cOmfortable?'
Happy" She laughed a little
in disgust. at the word being applied
to such case. IT'S the CID, old
story of his land being next to ourc,
and the combination would keep
father we'll off for tire rest Of his
life she said. Horribly sordid,
isn't it?' she added.
He looked at his watch critically.
but said nothing.
You don't help ne III the least"
she said. why don't you suggest
,somethins?"
II thought that :ou'd made ur
your mind?" he said, smiling.
She sighed petulantly, thinking he
might have known that she did not
mean it.
What time is he supposed to
Gomez" he asked after pause.
"Oh, no special time" she replied
"Most men turn up late-and I don't
suppose his anxiety is so very great"
Are you fond OF making bar
gains?" he asked--it seemed a little
irrelevantly. Most women are.
How Go you mean" she asked
locking at him in surprise.
He took up her program, whore it
was hanging from her fan. and toyed
with the pencil attached to it. well, "
he said, I've got a proposition to
make TO you
She felt almost an exaggerated Gu
riosity about what he was going to
say.
What is it," she asked.
He held his watch out in front Of
him, so that both of them could see it.
Its now quarter to H." he said.
She nodded.
THE possibilities are that he will
come any time betT cen this and u;