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

| friends we car for him. For my
own part, I like the place very well, "
Beaufort said. And then, there is
your sister SO near at hand. You
must try to forget the little accident
that has disguised you, Garry. Think
of the pleasure of having Edith so
near at hand, and that excellent fell
low John-though he's too much of
an M. P"
1t was with purpose that Beaufort
laughed, with that gentle and friend
ly ridicule of his brother-in-law, to
carry her thoughts away from the
accident-from Toms escapade,
which he thought was the foundation
of Carry's trouble. And what could
| she say more? She did not, could
not, tell him that Toms look had re-
minded her of another, and that Tor
rance himself, standing in full length
in the hall, claiming its sovereignty,
master of all that was within, kept
the miseries of her past life and her
unsatisfed heart too terribly before
hCl. vi IudI ohC Soulu Say hOIhlu6
to her husband, nor of Janet's rebel
lion, nor above all, Of what was in
tolerable in Edith's gentle society, the
sense of her superior happiness, her
pity for pcor Carry! He might have
OWNED what it was which made the
house intolerable to her; but If he
did not, how could she say it? Thus
Lady Car gradually achieved the
power of living on, of smiling upon
all who surrounded her, with some
thing which nobody comprehended in
her eyes, but which some few people
were vaguely aware of, though they
comprehended it not.
"Poor Carry" Lady Edith said, in
the very tone which Lady Car heard
in her heart, but it was said in John
Erskine's library at Dalmylian, with
the windows closed, five miles away.
why poor Carry?" asked her hus-
band; "if you were to ask her, she
would say she was a happy woman,
happy beyond anything she could
have hoped. When I think of her
with that brute Torrance-where she
is now, but in such different circum-
stances"
"Oh, John, the circumstances are
different; Edward is very nice;
but"
But WHAT"
Garry is not like you ana me-
said Edith, shaking her head.
mo, perhaps 70 much the better
for us. She is fanciful and poetical
and nervous, not easy to satisfy; but
the comparison-must be like heaven
after hades."
Edith continued to shake her head,
but said no more. What was there
to say? She could not perhaps have
put it into words had she tried, and
get John to understand TIA man
immersed in public business, fearing
that soon he should need a private
secretary, which was an expense quite
%unjustifed by his means. She patted
him on the shoulder as she stood be-
hind his chair, and said; poor John,
have you all these letters to answer"
Every one," he said, with a laugh.
"You are in a compassionate humor
to-day. Suppose you answer a few of.
them for me instead of saying poor
John"
This was SO easy! If she had not
been so busy with the children she
was the best of private secretaries!
Alas. there was nothing to be done
for poor Garry in the same simple
way. Nor in any way, Edith reflected,
as she sat down at her husbands
table-a sympathetic sister must not
even venture to show tina: she is COM
passionate. She must conceal the
consciousness of his fathers look in
Tom Torrence's face, and Of the fact
that B%eaufort's book had never been
written, and that his name was alto
gether unknown to the world save as
that of Lady Caroline Torrance's Sec
ond husband. Oh, poor Carry! Edith
said again. But this time only in the
depths of her own heart, not to John.
The only other person who saw the
change in Lady Cars look was Janet,
who had defied her mother. The girl
was in high rebellion still. She spent
her life as much as she could with
Tom, seconding powerfully, without
being aware of it, the watchful super
vision Of Beaufort, who, if he had
failed her in so many respects, was
anxiously and %zealously acting for
Lady Car in her sons interests. Janet
seized upon her brother on every oc-
casion when it was possible. She
managed to ride with him, to walk
with him, to occupy his attention as
nobody else could have done. 1t is
true that Tom had no delicacy on the
subject Of Janet, and sent her away
with a push of his elbow when she
bored him without the least hesita-
ton; but in her vehemence and pas
sion she did not bore him for the
short period of his holidays which
remained. She had told him of her
rebellion with a thrill Of excitement
which shook her from head to foot.
The crisis was the greatest that had
eve happened in her life. She could
not forget it, not a word that had
passed nor a look. Tom had contem-
plated her with an admiration min
gled with alarm when he first heard
the tale of her exploit. You checked
mother" He had scarcely done more
himself, though he was a man and
the master of all. And Janet was
only a little girl of no account at all.