The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-02-03

surround ourselves with everything
that is delightful and pleasant, be-
sides the mere fact Of being together,
able to help our poor neighbors in a
practical way; thanks to you again.
Not so much as a crumple in our bed
of roses-not a thorn. My dear, that
is what you would think Of If you
were middle-aged, as you say
Then let me be a silly girl as in
the old tines" she said, though 1t
was all nonsense, nothing but non
sense, as you say"
Softly, SOFTLY" he said, taking
her hand again; "1et us discriminate,
Garry. Love can never be nonsense
which has lasted like ours. My love,
you must not blaspheme."
Love-" she cried. Carry's whole
frame was trembling; her heart beat
ing to her feet, to her fingers, IN her
throat. She seemed to herself only
to be a slim sheath, the nearest 90
ing to that convulsive heart. There
was something like-could it be
scorn? in the infection Of her voice.
He took her by both hands, now,
throwing down the cigarette which
had betokened the entire care OF. his
mind, and drew her toward him.
Something like alarm had come into
his tone, and something like indig-
nation, too.
Garry" he said, holding her fast.
Garry, what do you mean? Not
that my love was nonsense which
was wooed from you, notwithstand-
ing everything-not that you dis
trust me?"
The darkness is an advantage in
many an Interview like this. 1t pre-
vented him from seeing all that was
In Lady Cars Yface, the i%mpetuous,
terrible qu~estiondthe impulse of wild
skepticism and unbelief, the intoler-
able impatience of the idealist not to
be altogether restrained. Her eyes
asked what her lips could not say.
Why did you leave me to be another
mans wife! Why let me be stained,
troubled, trodden under foot? Why
expose me to all the degradations
which nobody could impose on you
and why, why? But Garry said none
of these things. She could not.
There are some things which the re-
ligion of the heart forbids ever to be
put In words. She would not say it.
He might have read it In her eyes, but
the darkness kept that revelation
from him which would have been
more startling than anything Beau
fort had ever encountered in his life.
Finally, Carry, who was only a wo-
nan and a sensitive and delicate one,
fell into the universal feminine anti
climax-the foolishness of tears.
How often do their irrestrainable
tears put the deepest reasons out of
court, and turn the most solemn bur-
den Of the soul into apparent foolish
ness!-a woman's tears, which often
gain a foolish cause, but as often
lose a strong one, reducing the deep
grief to the level of the shallow, and
placing the greatest offender. in the
delightfully."- superior position of the
man who makes allowances for and
pardons. Beaufort gathered her in
to his arms, made her have her cry
out upon his shoulder, soothed aid
Gained and caressed her out Of her
passion of feeling. If anyone had
whispered in his ear what was in the
passionate heart that throbbed on
his shoulder! But he would have
smiled and would not have believed.
She was a little enthusiast; still the
same young ethereal poet as ever, a
creature made up OF lovely impulses
and sympathies and nerves and feel
ings, his sweet Garry, his only love.
After this evening Lady Car had a
little Illness, nothing Of any cohse-
quence, a chill taken sitting out too
late on the lawn, a headache, prob
ably neuralgia. A little ailment
quite simple, such as ladies often
have, keeping them in their rooms
and dressing gowns for a day or two.
A woman scarcely respects herself
who has not these little breaks from
time to time, just to show Of what
delicate and fragile stuff she is made.
But she emerged from her room a
little different, no one could quite tell
how, with a different look in her
face, quieter, less given to restless
fits, more composed and gentle. She
had always hoen gentle with the
softest manners in the world, SO that
the change was not apparent to the
vulgar. Beaufort perceived it for
the first day or two, and ut gave him
a faint shock as Of something invis-
ible, some sudden mystery between
them, but the feeling passed over
very quietly with a conviction Of the
utter %absurdity Of any such impress
sion.
To be Continued.