The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-29

ing to the town.
Mary Horton" repeated the old
lady when greetings were over and
Tenton ventured an inquiry as to the
young woman. "She went past here
this morning. She was riding with
Jim Blake. Looks as Jim had cut
you out. Ted. In the last few months
he's been een pretty steady with
Mary. Before that she didn't go out
much
Tenton smiled a superior smile. In
the last few months he had been
rather lax in writing to Mary. It
might have been expected that she
would be piqued and take up with
one of the town boys, but now that he
was on the ground he assured himself
that he would send this man Blake
about his business.
He had only a week in which to
win. but that was time in plenty, so
that evening Tenton slipped into his
dress suit and went to call on the
Horizons. He gasped with surprise
as Mary came into the room. He had
thought of her merely as a pretty
child, a dainty. clinging little thing
in whose big blue eyes love shone
clearly. He was not prepared for the
tall. graceful young woman who
swept into the room with quiet dig
nifty. and who accepted his greeting
with the self-possession of Edith Man
waring herself. He had meant to
clasp her in his arms with an af-
lection of rapture, and have it all
over with in the first five minutes.
Instead he found himself bowling low
over her proffered hand, and present
ly he was sitting on a chair half way
across the room from her, with the
blood tingling in his ears and a
strange fluttering in his heart. He
had come to court a country girl, and
had found a GODDESS.
Il expected to see you at the sta
ton this morning." he said meaning
ly, when at last he found his tongue
again.
Il thought that I would come"
was the careless response, "but Mr..
Blake asked me to drive over to the,
Point, and it was such a beautiful
morning that it seemed a pity to
waste it standing around the gloomy
old station"
"And you went driving with Blake
when you knew that 1 was coming?"
he reproached. ut was not like this
last year."
"Other things are not as they were
last year." she reminded. II should
not be surprised to hear that you had
been running around with eve sc
many girls"
You can think that" Tenton's
tones were properly tinged with shock
and rep-oach. Don't you know that
there is but one little woman who
has lived in my thoughts these two
years. I have tried a hundred times
to come to you, Mary. At last I have
succeeded, and when I go back I want
with me your promise that I may
COIuS dSdll, SOOllCI ILLS IluIC, LIZ
claim you as my bride. Surely, from
my letters you could have seer that"
"Do people always mean what they
say in their letters?" asked Mary, al
most %lippantly.
81 do" assured Tenton impressive
ly. "You know I meant what I have
said in my letters, Mary, and yet I
find you out driving with this fellow
Blake the very day I arrive"
"It was because Of your letters that
7 have decided to marry Mr.. Blake"
she said, with a tender smile lighting
her face and making it even more
adorable. when I tell you that in
this package are your letters you will
understand"
Smiling oddly, she took from the
table a small, square package and
gave it to him. With trembling
hands Tenton undid the string and
opened the wrapper. AS he caught
sight of the first envelope, he turned
white to the very lips.
Edith Manwaring is my cousin"
explained Mary. "She asked me to
return these letters to you in compli-
ance with your request. Under the
circumstances, perhaps you would
like to take them home now and
mourn over your dear, dead love.
You must have been very much in
love, Mr.. Tenton. to copy your old
letters to me and send them to Edith.
She said she enjoyed them very
much"
Dumbly Tenton stumbled from the
room. For the first time in his life
he was very much in love, and in love
with Mary Horton, and he knew that
he had let the prize slip through his
hands, because he had not valued
what had been offered so willingly.
He bad asked for Mary's hand, and
in return had been given a package
of letters. At the gate he turned. A
man swung around the porch and ran
up the steps. The door was still
open. In a broad band Of light, the
man strobe into the hall and clasped
the hand from which Tenton had &C.
cepted the letters. That man was
Jim Blake.-New Orleans Picayune.
Cockney Talk.
An npljShmau who had crown