The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-31

making of the second Tom Torrance
of the Towers. And the parents who
thought, with q softened considera-
ton of all the circumstances that had
been against him, that a daughter of
theirs might perhaps have that mis-
sion to fulfil, had certainly much less
to tolerate and forgive than Lord
Lindons had when he married his
daughter to Toms father. Therefore
everybody accepted the Invitations
that were sent out, and for a week
the house blazed with light and rang
with festive sounds, and life stirred
and quickened throughout the entire
neighborheod. The long interregnum
was over, and Tom had come into his
kingdom.
Happily an event of this kind ex-
ercises a certain influence on all
minds. Perhaps Lady Car allowed
herself to be moved by her husbands
optimism, and was able with him to
believe that Tom might do very we'll
Notwithstanding his youthful indis-
cretions; perhaps it vas only that
mild and indulgent despairswhich had
taken possession Of her Utmost soul,
and which made 1t evident that moth
ing that could be done by her would
affect her boy, and that all she was
now good for was to tolerate and for
give; but at least she presided over
all the rejoicings with apparent pleas
ure, sparing no fatigue, thinking of
everything, resuming to a wonderful
extent the more active habits Of for
mer years. And Beaufort played to
perfection the role of the pere noble,
the digniied, ~disinterested paternal
guardian giving his support and coun-
tenance to the novice without ever
interfering with his ~pretensions as the
real master of the house. Indeed,
Beaufort, with his fastidious superior
ity, had much greater influence over
Tom than his mother had, and over
aWed him as 10 one else vas capable
of doing; SO that everything went
we'll during mis- great era, and the
young Laird appeared to the best adj
vantage, making those parents. of
daughters say to each other that
really there was nothing that May or
Beatrice need object to. Such birds
of prey as hung about the horizon
even in these moral regions perhaps
sharpened their beaks-but that was
out of sight. And the only one Of the
party who did not wear a guise of
happiness was Janet, about whom
there hung a v haze of sup
pressed feeling altogether alien to her
character and which 40 one could
fathom. Perhaps it would have been
more comprehensive had any one
heard the occasional word which now
and then dropped from Tom, and
which he repeated with a mischievous
boys pleasure in the trouble he could
create. Are you going on the pony
to-day" he would ask in Lady Cars
presence, with a significant look and
laugh. Are you off for the Easton
road?" No one but Janet knew what
he meant. He threw these stones at
her out Of the very height of his own
triumph. And Janet dared scarcely
go out, even in the protection of her
mother S company, lest she should see
Charlie Blackmore turning reproacn-
full eyes upon her. He did pass the
carriage on one occasion and took off
his hat, but the s%alutation was so uni.
versal that no one noted who the in
dividual was, and Janet alone saw
the look. Yet even for Janet nothing
disagreeable happened during these
eight days.