The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-16
IS ~
$L BY ANNIE EDWARDS. M
Bv ANNIE EDWARDS.

quickly to the farther end OF the
room; a certain dignity, child though
she is, in every movement of her poor
little ragged figure. Then she comes
back to the young mans side n
looks steadily with her honest eyes
into his.
Now, what in the name of heaven
can make you wish to marry me?"
she asks.
"I-I-because l love you," begins
Jones, stammering.
Tell that plague to some one
else" interrupts the girl with sudden
passion, mot to me! If you love me,
I should feel it here!" clasping her
graceful brown hands to her breast,
"just as I feel that Costa loves me,
and l would marry you yes,
even you - tomorrow out of
gratitude, and if you had only a
hundred a year instead of all the
thousands you talk of. But you do
not. You are no more for me than l
do for you, and So"
And so l suppose you will not
marry me-" says Jones, with mortif-
cation that he would fain hide under
an air Of banter.
Belinda observation-disclosures away
from him. She is a child, with all a
child's instructive craving for the
sweets of liberty; but she is a b.
hemian as we'll, with all a Bohem-
ian's keen appreciation Of money and
what money will bring. 1t would
it would be sweet, she feels, to wear
finer dresses, richer jewels than
Rosie's, to invite Rosie and Captain
Temple condescendingly to dinner,
lend them ones opera box, take them
for a drive occasionally in ones car
riage. And to bid goodbye forever
to Miss Burke! The thought of Au-
gustus Jones as a life companion may
be hideous, but half it's h~ideousness
vanishes surely if one remembers this
he would replace Miss Burke.
II am certain I shall make you
wretched, Mr.. Jones; but as you seem,
you and Rosie, to have set your minds
on this engagement-stop, though, l
must ask one thing first; is your name
on the doorplate, I mean Of the Clap
ham villa? That I could not stand"
my name-on a door plate?" says
Jones, as Indignantly as though the
blood of all the Towards ran in his
veins. why, what do you take me
for? No one but professional men,
apothecaries, or that sort of thing,
ever ticket their names outside of a
doorplate."
"Well then, I could suit you
nor you me, the whole thing is pre-
posterous; still, if you would like to
try it, just as an experiment."
He rushes forward rapturously.
"Oh, I thank you very much
obliged indeed" Belinda puts her
self in a not altogether u%nscienti6c
attitude Of self-defense. awe may be
engaged if you like, but I will have no
fooleries of that kind. Do you hear
mel will not! Mr.. Jones, you shall.
never kiss me-"
And then, quick as thought itself,
flashes on her the remembrance of
the moment when her eyes first met
Rogers this afternoon, of the hour
spent with Roger alone under the
| stars, of the moment when he praised
her-ah, with praise how unlike the
fulsome compliments Of this legitimate
Overland when vanity, shame, a
minglement of feelings such as her
life had never before known, held her
dumb.
Never kiss you! Not ever when
we are married, I s%uppose?" re-
marks Mr.. Jones, unwisely jocular.
"Married-who talks Of being mar
ried?" cries Belinda; such mutiny
against her own weakness, such dis
dain, such mockery CT her captor in
her eyes!
You talked a moment ago about
trying the experiment, did you not?"
II said that we might try being
lovers-no, not lovers either-that
We might try being engaged; and l
keep~to it. : You are going away to
visit the Ras de Roland, you know,
tomorrow"
Not now. I shall have no spare
time for sightseeing now" inter-
rupts Augustus amatively.
why not? Because Rose is here?
Oh, Rose has quite enough on her
own hands without you. You will
go to the mountains tomorrow, and
you will stay away four days, as you
intended, and admire every waterfall
and rock and ruin Murray bids you.
By that time I shall be used to the
thought of-of Chaplain, perhaps.
Miss Burke will be back for one thing
and I shall have had a good deal"
with a sigh, "of Rose. l shall feel bet
ter disposed toward any change. Mr..
Jones, if you will promise never as
long as you live, to kiss me, 1 dare
say I shall not be very sorry to see
you come back"
And not n other warmer word or
promise can Augustus wing from
her. She will try being engaged,
minus love-making, as an experiment;
and if he will promise never as long
as he lives to kiss her, perhaps after
four days absence she may not be
very sorry to see him return.
So much for his present chance of
IN alliance with the noble family Of
Vansittart.