The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-12-28
CHAPTER Vll.-Continued.

CHAPTER Vll.-Contlnued.
: Freer had returned from his visit
TO the ruins and was endeavoring to
interest the rest of us, Arch and
> Agatha Sixth and Dearest and my
self In a dissertation upon rose-win-
dows, when Agatha First interrupted
us by running up and exclaiming:
do come and see the waterfall.
Peterson says there's a beauty over
there in those woods!" She had been
down to the road with something or
other from the spread, where the au-
tomobile and the chauffeur awaited
u return.
"a WATERFALL" said Archibald.
Dear me! How jolly! Let's go and
see it,"
Come on, them" cried Agatha
First, pausing and looking at him
expectantly. He rose obediently, but
before he could mor than utter the
words Delighted, I'm sure!" Agatha
Sixth had risen also, and was now
confronting him, as she coldly and
haughtily reminded him that he had
promised to go and look for wild
flowers with her. 1t was putting the
old boy in an awkward position, I ad-
NIT, but that's no excuse for his sub
seQuent behavior. A tactful speech
would have saved the day, but that
something perverse about him, which
he has in common with most men,
made him want most at that moment
the girl who wanted him least. And
that girl was certainly Agatha First,
for without waiting to see whether he
came or not, she had run off by her
fall.
Without considering the rashness
Of such q speech, Archibald repl. to
Agatha Sixth's rebuke by remarking
casually: $50 I did promise to so
and look for wild flowers, but I didn't
know about the waterfall then;
wouldn't you rather come and see
that first?" We shuddered to hear
him, Dearest and 1. It was pretty bad,
you know. Yet. as I say 1 thought
I understood just how he came to say
the fatal words-just what spirit
prompted him. But Dearest thinks
not. She says that he's far too cal
culatlng-far too much or the look
out for his own interests to run the
risk Of losing Agatha Sixth deliberate
ly. She. thinks he vas only embar-
raised. But we both thought that
the most peculiar thing about the
whole affair was the fact that Agatha
First, having left the group immedi-
ately her unfortunate invitation was
given, must have been quite ignorant
Of the trouble 1t had caused. She
seemed, indeed, the whole time to be
absolutely oblivious to the situation
in regard to Agatha Sixth and Ter
hume. And this was the more ex-
traordinary because any else, any
impartial observer with his eyes
open, must, it seemed, have been
aware of an affair of some kind or
other between the two. But Miss
Epdicott. 1t appeared, walked with
hgr eyes shut. like a person in a
dream, her thoughts upon some other
world or scheme of things removed
from ours.
AS matters stood, however, the re-
suit of the waterfall proposition and
Terhune's mismanagement OF the
crisis it brought about, was a fat re-
.fusal on the part of Agatha Sixth to
accompany him anywhere, and his
frightened and tardy pursuit Of
Agatha First, who was reckoning
him to follow from the edge Of the
woods. By, Jove, it made me feel
inclined to go after him and tell him
what I thought Of him then and there,
Miss Lawrence looked so forlorn and
wretched as she watched them disap-
pear into the woods together.
1.-THE BEAST" l began, "he ought
to be" But Dearest interrupted me,
and I realized it was because the
young lady was still standing within
earshot. Don't, Wilfred!" she said.
Agatha doesn't mind a bit-do you,
dear?" And she smiled confidently
and encouragingly into the other
woman's face. 1t was the required
tonic evidently, for Miss Agatha Law
rence-sometimes called Agatha
Sixth-at once controlled her CULVER
ing lip with a display Of self-com-
mand upon which I inwardly compli-
mented her. It's a trait of the Amer
lean girl, I think, that fine self-con-
troll, and something that I admire
greatly in my wife.
"Of course not" she replied stead
", and turning upon the bewildered
Freer, who was standing by, with the
sweetest possible smile, asked him
II he would mind hunting wild flow
ers with her. The invitation, l
need not say, was accepted with
servile gratitude by that undis-
eliminating and impressionable young
man. Like the little dog under the
table, Freer was never too proud to