Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-05-07


hanging round Lucy for I'VE years at
least. Then she must have been be.
cretly engaged to him! Her furtive.
messy in not telling me aroused the
bittsrest anger in me. I am afraid
that we did not part good friends.
It must have been three months
later, about the time when I received
the firRt quarterly installment, that I
read the account of Mr.. Richardson's
marriage to Miss Bunting. Oddly
enough, ] experienced a sudden light
ening Of my emotions. as though I
had BEEN relieved of some dreadful
BURDEN And then understood. Al
though ! had not been aware Of It I
had actuallS teeh jesJnls Of Mr.. Rich.
srdaon! Yet Lucy and 7 were utterly
Incompatible IN temperament, as we
had agreed a Thousand times.
We ran across each other at Attain
tic City that summer and stopped to
chat.
Dear old Uncle Jabez!" said Lucy
ecstatically. DO you know. Arthur
don't mind corfessing 1t to you
now-at one time positively had .
sort of tender feeling toward you
That was long time ago, Of course,
or else I wouldn't have told you. I
really believe the keen old man must
have detected it. Wasn't it. provi-
Dental, that clause in his will?"
YES" 1 said, and I was thinking
all the time that Lucy's eyes were
bluer than any eyes had ever seen.
And her hair was positively coppery
in the sunlight. I really could have
fallen in love with Lucy. If she had
given me the least encouragement!
when did this feeling possess
you?" / asked her.
20, ages ago." she said evasively.
Long, long before dear Uncle Jabez
died. 1 wouldn't have told you, only
well. may be engaged shortly"
who is he?" yelled, starting out
of my chair.
you are very impertinent," she an
swered, and walked away with her
head in the air, looking like a Titan
angel.
l don't know why it was, but felt
gan to realize what was the matter
with me. was in love-and with
Lucy! Yes, positively my heart was
beating like a boys when he first
experiences the divine passion. She
meant everything in the world to me!
l couldn't wait; / hurried after her.
I found her entering her hotel upoi,
the arm of q smart, dark-haired fe{
low in that sort Of suit that is adveT-
tised as "a fo3tysdollar suit for nine
teen fifty."-,&Sbowed to me ard
man! A girl, OF Lucy'ss taste! W
sickened me. At least hoped thai
| she would have shown a little dis
elimination In her choice of a mate
instead of selecting or being select
ed by tailor's dummy! 1 wrote her
letter asking for an appointment
next afternoon at three o'clock.
spent a night of torture. I passed
the morning walking up and down ~
board walk. At three o'clock wa&t tt
her hotel. Her maid handed me| q
letter. I opened it.
II am sorry, Athur, but ! have} an
engagement with Mr.. Clements this
| afternoon" I read. Perhaps some
other time will do? I am leavins this
evening for"
1 dashed the letter upon the floor
and strode out Of the room. had
reached the front door of the suite
when I heard a voice calling me. I
looked back. There stood Lucy at
the door. dressed all in waite and
looking like saint.
20, Mr.. Bowen, I didn't 60 out after
all. l had headache" she said.
What was it you wanted to see me
about, Arthur"
reached her in four strides.
Lucy" I said, making no bones
about it, 81 have founi out that I
love you. Will you mary me and let
Uncle Jabez go TOTO the deuce?
l was SO keyed up that / didn't
know what I was saying. But Lucy