The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-10-10
The Delayed Courtship
Enter Lovely Girl Stern Father and Persistent Lover
BY LULU MOODY


Il have to hurry" BY this time he
had reached the turn of the lane.
where he paused and looked back.
She stood as he had left her. sweet
ly smiling. Lifting his hat again. he
ran rapidly down the hilI.
by George" he said to himself.
"waht a pretty girl, And l had to
rush oil like beast" He groaned
aloud. III l only had a little time or
a decent horse"
He climbed into the buggy like a
man in a dream.
Well" said Jake, took you some
time. Did YOU get it?"
What" asked Cowden absently.
The other stared.
Why, the water"
The water, Oh, yes. yes Ger
tainly got the water" They jog
ged along in silence for while; then.
who lives in that house," asked
Cowden with elaborate carelessness.
who? Back there? Old Major
Townley" Jake spat with delibera-
tion and exactness. Who'd you
see,"
"A young lazy gave me the water"
'Umph-hump! That was Sairy.
She lives there with her pa. A good
locker. wasn't she?"
Cowden stiffened.
'She was a very handsome young
woman"
That was Sairy. They don't none
of them beat her for looks. She's
we'll disposed too"
Well disposed! Heavenly kind
Cowden called it,
Didn't see her pa. did you?"
"No."
Jake chuckled, and then shook his
head gravely.
Il reckon Sairy has a pretty hard
time. Old Major used to own all this
land around hyar, but run il through
They got some swell kin. but thew
don't none of 'em bother with the
Major. Sary takes care OF her De
The old mans pretty cranky. Git
up"
What an Internal shame. and what
sweet woman she was. If / were
ever to marry" thought Cowden.
Il should like just such a wife" He
longed to know more OF her. but
could not bring himself to question
the countryman. How extremely
sensible, for instance. il would be 70
ask, say. if she were engaged, He
smiled grimly and was silent
To his amazement the old nag
proved to have staying qualities. and
though she never altered her sham
ping gait. or perhaps because of that
TACT. COwden was enabled to swing
onto the last sleeper just as the train
was pulling out. He set to work at
once studying the notes of an i'm
portant case, but all the while a
blue-eyed girl thrust herself dis
tractingly before his eyes. Later
when snugly in his berth. he found
himself repeating. Sarah Townlev.
shall come back for her-that is
If | ever marry"
The next day he was home again
and his flying trip South seemed like
dream. Serious work. on which he
Focused his every mental faculty. alb
sorbed his time and thought for sew
eral days Occasionally. though. like
e rift OF sunshine or burst of sweer
music there would come the thought
OF the cottage on the hill far away
where lived the sweetest little woman
IN the world. After while it all be-
came unreal. somehow, pleasant
thing to think Of in idle moments.
IKE an air castle one might build for
the pleasure of it and not because il
might ever come true. At last weigh
ter matters called for his every
thought. He was making wonderful
strides in his profession. His ambi-
tIon Deckoned him on like a beacon
light. and in its pursuit he was en-
tirely satisfied.
Weeks and then months went nv
and he would not think OF Sarah
Townley. Finally he forgot her.
IL was ten years after that Henry
CoWden. sitting one day at his desk
in his private Office. gazed idly and
moodily at the sunlight which
streamed in at the west window His
hair had grown gray on the temples
ana there was abOut him Tho oaIn,