The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-08-11

| IN Tommy's class at Harvard. bun
hxd decided to take up medicine In.
stead or law. and had established a,
Anderville for some months when
Tommy finally blossomed cut into q
promising young lawyer. and settled
down in his native town.
All three met, naturally, for their
parents had all been playmates long
ago; and, naturally, Tommy's love,
dormant so long. revived at the first
sight OF Elsie, with Dana IS a ia
vored attendant. A mans desire for a
girl Is increased ten times by the
sight OF another mans desire for her.
Tom threw himself into the lists with
all the ardor that one would expect
from Harvard boy and a lawyer at
that.
But, somehow. try as he would, he
could not regain his old position. At
their first meeting, the glad light in
Elsie's eyes promised well; but after
that one blissful night, she was never
the same to him. She seemed 10 dread
being alone with him, and turned to
Orcutt with every appearance OF re-
lief and welcome whenever. as some
times CHANGED Tommy managed to
get her to himself. She would not lis
ten to him. she would not even an
swer when he begged her to tell him
how he had offended her At last. he
grew as eager as she was to avoid a
meeting.
He took to going on on long. lonely
rides: and 1t was when he was re-
turning from nf ~
moodily. his head down, the reins
banging loosely in his hand, while
he wondered and wondered over Ell
sizes strange avoidance. that he fell
again.
The forest pathway through which
he was riding. was thickly strewn
with pine needles, which deadened
the sound OF his horses foot falls,
and he was close upon Elsie before
she noticed him. She was seated at
the foot Of tall pine. her face was
buried In her hands. her shoulders
hsaving with suppressed emotion. AS
she glanced up and saw him, her face
grew scarlet, and she sprang to her
feet as II on the point Of hurrying
away.
In a second Tommy had-I was go
ing to say he had thrown himself
from his horse. but, to tell the truth,
the horse, a hired brute, dead-beat
! from his long trip, gone half-asleep
while he padded slowly through the
cool, forest aisles and rudely awak-
ened by Dommy's sudden jump. threw
his careless rider violently forward.
Tommy shot through the air like q
catapult. and with his usual luck, fell
at Elsie's feet. Only this time it was
not whole and sound. but with a
twisted leg and broken collar-bone
/ Hard luck, almost any one would
have said. but Tommy always de-
clared 1t was the luckiest thing that
ever happened u him, for. as he lay
stunned, half unconscious. he felt Ell
Sie's tears on his face and heard El-
sizes voice murmuring distrac'edly:
Tom! Dear Tom! Answer me
Oh! do answer me! II you are killed,
| shall die too!"
Then-he felt the soft pressure OF
her lips on his. and thea--he slowly
and deliberately opened his eyes to
see Elsie's white face turn scarlet.
Elsie" he said. catching her hand
as she turned away, Fate has thrown
me at your feet three times. think
you will have to take me-"
And Elsie. forgetting all that Dana
Orcutt had told her of the girl to
whom he said Tommy had engaged
himself while he was reading law
with the old Judge, whispered as she
helped him to his feet:
Perhaps I'd better. Tommy. Then
I shall always be on hand to pick
you up."-Boston Post.