The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-05-28

He started. 1t was q. bolt from q
clear sky. "The deucel"
eyes," she went on in the most cas-,
ual tone, mothers had her heart set
on it for months. You were supposed
to be mine at first sight, I believe
Please don't look SO uneasy. I'm not
going to propose to you" She laughed
her little ironic laugh.
$50 that is the way things stood,
eh?" he said, still little amazed by
her candor.
Eyes. And what is more to the
point, am quite sure I should have
said yes if you had asked me. Sounds
odd, doesn't it? Rather amusing, too,
being able to discuss it so unreserved-
", isn't it?"
Good heavens, Viv!" he cried un-
comfortably. I'll had no idea you
cared"
Cared" she cried, as he paused.
'I don't care two pins for you in that
way. But would have married you,
just the same, because you are worth
marrying. I'd very much rather have
you for husband than any man
know, but as for loving you! Pooh!
I'd love you in just the way mother
loves father, andI wouldn't have been
a bit more trouble to you than she is
to him.
Cad, you don't mind what you
sayp'
Failing to nab you, Brandy, dare
say I'll have to come down to a duke
or, who Knows? maybe a mere prince.
Il. isn't very enterprising, is it? And
certainly it isn't gay prospect. Real,
ly, { had hoped you would have me.
I aatter myself, I suppose, but, hon.
lestIy now, we would have made q
rather nice looking couple, wouldn' t
we?" =
fyou hatter me" he said.
.tButt tButt," she resumed. calmly exhal.
ing, ayou very foolishly fell in love
with some one else, and it wasn't
necessary for me to pretend that I
was in love with you-which I should
have done, believe me, if you had
given me the chance. You fell in love,
first with Hetty Castleton."
"Frst?" he cried, frowning.
'.And now you are heels over head
in love with my beautiful sister-in-law.
Which all goes to prove that l would
have made just the kind Of wife you
need, considering your tendency to
huctuate. But how dreadful it would
have been for sentimental, loving
girl like Hetty!" !,
He sat bolt upright and stared hard
at her.
'See here, viv, what the dickens are
you driving at? I'm not in love with
Sara-not in the least-and-" He
checked himself sharply. What an
ass I am! You're guying me-"
.'In any event, 1 am right about Het,
ty," she said, leaning forward, her man.
ner quite serious.
'If it will ease you mind" he said
stimy, 'I plead guilty with all my
heart"
She favored him #zeina slight frown
Of annoyance.
"And you deny the auctuating
charger
Most positively. can afford to be
honest with you, Viv. You are a
corker. love Hetty Castleton with
all my soul"
She leaned back in her chair. Then
why don't you dignity your soul by be-
ing honest with her".
What do you mean?"
For half-minute she was silent
Are you and / of the same stripe,
after all? Would you marry Sara
without loving her, as I would have
done by you? It doesn't seem like
you. Brandon
Good heaven, I'm not going to
marry Sara!" he blurted out. "It's
never entered my head"
Perhaps it has entered hers"
Nonsense! She isn't going to
marry anybody. And she knows how 1
feel toward Hetty. If it came to the
point where I decided to marry with
out love, pom my soul, Viy, believe
I'd pick you out as the victim"
Wonderful combination" she said
with a frank laugh The quintes.
sence Of no love lost But to resume!
Do you know that people are saying
you are to be married before the win.
ter is over?".
LET 'em say it," ne said gruf1y.
"Oh, weIl,' she said, dispatching it
all with gesture, eff that's the way
you feel about it, there's. no more to
be said.'
He was ashamed. 'T beg your par.
don, l shouldn't have said that"
you see," she went on, reverting to
the original topic, people who know
Sara are likely to credit her with mo.
tives you appear to be totally ignorant
of. She set her heart on my brother
Challis, when she was great deal
younger than she is now, and she got
him. II age and experience count for
anything, how capable she must be
by this time
He was too wise to venture an opin.
ion. 81 assure you she has no designs
on me-
Perhaps not But fancy that even
you could not escape as st. Anthony
did. She is most alluring."
you don't like her"
Obviously. And yet don't dislike
her. She has the virtue Of consist.
ency, if one may use the expression.
She loved my brother. Leslie says
she should have hated him We have
tried to like her. I think I have come
nearer to It than any Of the others, not
excepting Leslie, who has always been