The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-07-06
SINCE TIME BEGAN.
By CHARLOTTE BANGS!
@@"~@G LGl"~5I

say, but | cant get up much enthus-
iasm over a small man"
"How can you think him small?
He may be rather short, now that I
think of it, but he>was acknowledged
the finest athlete in his class, and he
certainly is fine looking. And he's a
thoroughly splendid fellow, which
counts for more than mere exter-
nails"
The first speaker cleared her
throat as if irritated.
81 have yet to be convinced that
a small man hasn't a small nature
and little manly courage. 1t is pos
sible for al athlete to be a coward,
you will probably c%oncede."
The man on the other side of the
wall, lazily reclining behind a clump
of spruces. wondered at the acrimony
in the voice. He felt for the moment
that it would give this girl pleasure
to know that he heard her scathing
remarks of him and that they hurt.
He half arose. upon an ironical i'm
pulse to make his presence known,
then drew back as the voices receded
down the country road.
Why did she dislike him so BIT
terly? He had been greatly attracted
to her upon his arrival at this place,
and a strong sympathy had seemed
to spring up between them at once
BY a mutual drawing together they
walked and rode and golfed and
talked day after day in close associa-
ton with one another until the ad-
vent of Stephen Bates upon the scene,
who, as Foster was told, was an old
friend between whom and Rose
Glynn there existed a perfect under
standing. This story was borne out
by the cordiality of their greeting
and the attitude of Bates. Guy had
then felt that she had taken him up
as a pastime, and with a disappoint-
ment deeper than he at that time
realized, he had thenceforward given
up the field to his favored rival. Miss
'Glynn's manner toward him under
went a marked change. She treated
him with sighting Indifference, Dor
derilg on scorn. He could account
for it only upon the ground of the
wanton cruelty that a certain type
of woman INDUCES toward the victim
of her charms.
Her words cut him to-day. Yet,
strange to say, it vas the shaft at
his physical stature that was barbed.
The slur against his nature" and
courage" seemed trifing; but the
other ranked. Rose Glynn was very
tall, and Stephen Bates stood a head
above her. With the thought of
Bates the furies suddenly seized him.
Handsome as a prince, of winning
personality and great wealth, what
chance could Foster ever have had
against him, ever if he had not been
too late in the field? He felt a con-
Stunning, unreasonable hatred toward
the accepted lover of the girl, and in
the fire of his passion there lared up
into his vision the revelation that he
himself loved her with all the in
tensity of his life.
1t was late in the evening when.
after a long swim in the cooling sea,
he returned to the hotel. The
rhythmic strains of dance music beat
softly upon his weary senses, and he
paused for a moment at the door of
the ballroom on his way upstairs.
Fascinated, he watched a certain tall
couple moving gracefully among the
throng. They were we'll matched, he
had to admit. A startled look came
into Miss Glynn's face when she saw
him, and remembering his rough ap-
p~earance, he quickly withdrew. Go
ing to his 0 he packed his trunks
for he intended to be gone on the
morrow, and then went to bed.
He awoke, sitting. The room was
full Of smoke. Some twenty minutes
later, standing with a solemn crowd
in a n%eighboring field, he, watched
the doomed building. By a strange
and unconscious mutually of action,
ne and Rose Glynn we're standing
side by side. Suddenly he remem
bered.
where is Bates" he asked sharp,
~.
Nobody had seen him. Miss
GlynG had sunk to the ground and
covered her face.
Foster bent over her. Courage,
he said firmly. Il will bring him tc
you-if he is to be found
Soon the awe-struck crowd saw
ladder raised and the figure of a mai
swiftly ascend to an upper story ant
disappear within the burning struc
ture. After an agony of waiting
they saw him reaDpear. bearing The
limp form OF a NAL upon his shout
der. As he slowly descended the,
saw, with mute horror, the fashin!
play Of flames in the oom from
which the pair mad emerged.
Shortly after sunrise Guy Foste
was pacing the floor of the 'bes
room" in Il ne%ighboring farmhouse
his face ana hands swathed il whit
linen. His eyes and mouth alOn
were uncovered. Miss Glynn. he
eyes badly swollen with weeping
tlmidly entered.
How is he?' came hoarsely fror
the b~andaged face.