Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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fe Q «»* COPYRIGHT, /EGOND EPL/ODE IN THE LIFE OF AMELIA BUTTED BY ANNA KATHAPINE GPEEN^* AUTHOR OF " THE LEAVCMWORTH CATt*; "DEHIND OOTED DOOC/" ‘THAT AFfAiC NEXT DOOR* 1897. BY ANNA 1C. ROHLfiT — CJC. ETC CHAI’TER XIV. I FORGET 1TY AGE OR—PERHAPS, REMEM BER IT. Mr. Trokiu did uot disappoint my ex pectations. In another moment I saw him standing in the open doorway with the most genial smile on his lips. “Miss Butterworth,” said he, “I feel too honored If you will deign to ac cept a seat in my buggy, I shall only bo too happy to drive you to the Knol- lys gate. ” 1 have always liked the manners of country gentlemen. There is just a touch of formality in their bearing which has been quite eliminated from that of their brothers in the city. I therefore became gracious at once and accepted the seat he offered me without any of the hesitation I might have shown to one personally as agreeable, but uot in my own way. The heads that showed themselves at the neighboring windows warned us to hasten on our route. Mr. Trohra, with a snap of his whip, quite youthful and gallant, touched up his horse, and we rode in dignified calm away from the hotel steps into the wide village street known as the mam road. The fact that Mr (Iryce had told mo that this was the one man I could trust, joined to my own excellent knowledge of human na ture and the persons in whom explicit confidence can be put, made the mo ment one of great satisfaction to me. I was about to make my appearance at the Knollys mansion two hours before I was expected, and I was thus enabled to outwit Lucetta by means of the one man whom I would have chosen out of dll in the town to lend me this assist ance. We were not slow in beginning con- vetsatiofl. TUc ^ air. prosperous condition of the town. tj^jmeij upon which wo found it quite easy to dilate, and so naturally and easily did our acquaintanceship progress that wo had turned the corner into Lost Man’s lane before I quite realized it. The en trance at this end offered a sharp con trast to the one I had already traversed. There it was but a narrow opening be tween somber and unduly crowding tjrees. Here it was the gradual melting of a village street into a narrow and less frequented road, which only after pass ing Deacon Spear’s house assumed that aspect of wildness which a quarter of a mile farther on deepened into something positively somber and repellent. I speak of Deacon Spear because ho was sitting on his front doorstep when we rode by. Being Deacon Spear and one of the residents on this road, I did not fail to take notice of him, though guardedly and with such restraint as a knowledge of his widowed condition rendered both wise and proper. He was not an agreeable looking per son, at least not so to me. His hair was sleek, his beard well cared for, his whole person in good if uot prosperous condi tion, but he had the self satisfied ex pression I detest and looked after us with an aspect of surprise I chose to consider a trifie impertinent. Perhaps he envied Mr. Trohm. If so, he may have had reason—it is not for me to judge. There had been up to now only a few scrub bushes at the side of the road, with here and there a solitary poplar to enliven the dead level of the grass grown road, bat after we had ridden by the fence which sets the boundary to the good deacon’s land I noticed such a change In the appearance of things on either side of the road that I could not but exclaim over the natural as well as cultivated beauties which every mo ment now was bringing before me. Mr. Trohm could uot hide his pleas ure. “These are my lands, ” said he. “I have bestowed unremitting attention to them for years. It is my hobby, madam. There is not a tree you see that has not received my careful attention. Yonder orchard was set out by me, and the fruit it yields— Madam, I hope you will re main long enough with us to taste a cer tain rare and luscious peach that I brought from France in one of my visits there. It gives promise of reaching its full perfection this year, and I shall ba gratified indeed if you can give it your approval. “ This was politeness indeed, especially as I knew what value men like him set upon each individual fruit they watch ripen under their care. Testifying my appreciation of his kindness, 1 endeav ored to introduce another and less harmless and perhaps less personally in teresting topic of conversation. The chimneys of his housci were beginning to show over the trees, ami I had heard nothing from this man on the subject which should have been the most inter esting of all tomcat this moment. And he wits the only person in town I was at liberty to really confide in and possibly the only man in town who could give me a reliable statement of the reasons why the Knollys were looked upon as kance by the police as well as the cred ulous villagers. I began by an allusion to tbe phantom carriage. “1 hear," said I, “that this lane has other claims to attention beyond those afforded by the mysteries connected with it. I hear that it has at times a ghostly visitant in the shape of a spec tral horse and carriage.’’ “Yes,’’ho replied, with a seeming understanding that was very flattering, “do not spare the lane one of its honors. It has its nightly horror as well as its daily fear. I wish the one were as un real as tho other.” “You act as if both were unreal to you,” said I. “The contrast between your appearance and that of some other members of tho lane is quite marked. ” “You refer”—ho seemed to hate to speak—“to the Knollys, I presume.” I endeavored to treat the subject lightly. “To your young enemy, Lucetta,” said I. Ho had been looking at me in a per fectly modest and respectful manner, but ho dropped his eyes at this and bus ied himself abstractedly, and yet I thought with some intention, in remov ing a fly from the horse’s flank with the tip of his whip. “I will uot acknowledge her as an enemy,” said he quietly and in strictly modulated tones. “1 like the girl too well—and her sister. ” Tho fly had been by this time dis lodged, but bo did not look up. “And William?” I suggested. “What do you think of William?” Slowly ho straightened himself. Slow ly he dropped the whip back into its socket. I thought he was going to an swer, when suddenly his whole attitude changed and ho turned upon mo a beam ing face full of nothing but pleasure. “The road takes a turn hero. In an other moment you will see my house.” And even while he spoke it burst upon us, and I forgot myself that 1 had just ventured on a somewhat hazardous ques tion. It was such a pretty place, so beauti fully • nd exquisitely kept. There was a charn about its rose encircled porch that is only to be found in very old place. that have been appreciatively caret, for. A high fence painted white inebsed a lawn like velvet, and the hou 3 itself, shining with a fresh coat of How paint, bore signs of comfort in ts white curtained windows not usually to be found in the solitary dwelling of a bachelor. 1 found my eyes roving over each detail with delight and almost blushed, or, rather, had I been 20 years younger might have been thought to blush, as I met bis eye aud saw how much my pleasure gratified him. “You must excuse me,” said I, with what I have every reason to believe was a highly successful effort to hide my confusion, “if I express too much ad miration for what I see before me. I have always had a great leaning toward well ordered walks and trimly kept flower beds—a leaning, alas, which I have found myself unable to gratify.” “Do not apologize,” he hastened to lay. “You but redouble my own pleas ure in thus honoring my poor efforts with your regard. I have spared no pains, madam, I have spared no pains, and most of it, I am proud to say, has been accomplished by my own hands.” “Indeed!” I cried in some surprise, letting my eye rest with satisfaction on the top of a long well sweep that to me was one of the picturesque features of the place. “It may have been folly,” he re marked, with a gloating sweep of his eye over the velvet lawn and flowering shrubs—a peculiar look that seemed to express something more than the mere delight of possession, “but I seemed to begrudge any hired assistance in the tending of plants every one of which seems to me like a personal friend. ” “I understand, ” was my somewhat un-Butterworthian reply. I really did not quite know myself. “What a con trast to tho dismal gronvfeaftthe other end of the lane!” This was more in my amat vein even in its tone. He seemed to feel the differ ence, for his expression changed also. “Oh, that den!” he exclaimed bitter ly ; then, seeing me look a little shocked, he added, with an admirable return to his old manner, “I call any place a den where flowers do not grow. ” And jump ing from the buggy he gathered an ex quisite bunch of heliotrope, which he pressed upon me. “I like sunshine, beds of roses, fountains and a sweep of lawn like this we see before ns. But do not let me bore you. You have probably lingered long enough here and would like to drive on. I will be with you in a moment. Doubtful as it is whether I shall soon agaiu be so fortunate as to be able to offer you any hospitality, I would like to bring you a glass of wine —or, for I see jrour eyes roaming long ingly toward my old fashioned well, would you like a draft of water fresh from the bucket?” I assured him I did not drink wine, at which I thought his eyes brightened, but that neither did I indulge in water when in a heat, as at present, at which ho looked disappointed and came some what reluctantly back to the buggy. Ho brightened up, however, the mo ment he was again at my side. “Now for the woods,” said he, with what was undoubtedly a forced laugh. I thought the opportunity one I ought not to slight. “Do you think, ” said I, “that it is in those woods tho disappearances take place that Miss Knollys has told me about?” He showed the same hesitancy to talk I had seen in him before. “I think tho less you let your mind dwell on them the better,” said he— “that is, if you are going to remain long in this lane. I do not expend any more thought upon them than is barely necessary, or 1 should have to leave my roses aud my fruits. Aud that—Miss Butterworth, they are all that keep me in this neighlKirhood. I wonder—par don me the indiscretion—that you could bring yourself to enter it You must be a very brave woman. ” “I thought I had a duty”— I began. “Althea Knollys was my friend, and I fi lt I owed a duty toward her children. Besides’'— Should I tell Mr. Trohm my real errand in this place? M^. Gryco had intimated that ho was in tho con fidence of tho police, and if so his as sistance in case of necessity might be of inestimable value to me. Yet if no such necessity should arise would I want this man to know that Amelia Butter- worth— No, I would not take him into my confidence—uot yet I would only try to get at his idea of where the blame lay—that is, if ho had any. “Besides”— He smiled after wait ing a minute or two for me to continne. “Did I say besides?” was my innocent rejoinder. “I think I meant that after seeing them my sense of the importance of that duty had increased. William es pecially seems to be a young man of very doubtful amiability.” Immediately the noneommittal look returned to Mr. Trohm’s face. “I have no fault to find with Wil liam,’’said he. “He’s not the most agreeable companion in the world per haps, but he has a pretty fancy for fruit —a very pretty fancy.” “One can hardly wonder at that in a neighbor of Mr. Trohm, ’ ’ said I, watch ing his look, which was fixed somewhat gloomily upon the forest of trees now rapidly closing in around us. “Perhaps not, perhaps not, madam. The sight of a full bunch of honeysuckle hanging from an arlxir such as runs along my south walls is a great stimu lant to one’s taste, madam, I’ll not de ny that. ” “But, William,” I repeated, deter mined not to let the subject go, “have you never thought he was a little indif ferent to his sisters?” “A little, madam. ” “And a trifle rough to everything but his dogs?” “A trifle, madam.” “The girls”—I was almost angry— “on tho contrary, seem devoted to him?” “Women have that weakness.” “And aot as if they would do—what would they not do for him?” “Miss Butterworth, I have never seen a more amiable woman than yourself. Will you promise me one thing?” His manner was respect itself, his smile genial and highly contagions. I could uot help responding to it in tho way he expected. “Do not talk to me about the Knollys It is a painful subject to me. Lucetta— you know the girl, and I shall uot be able to prejudice yon against her—has conceived the idea that I encourage William in an intimacy of which she does not approve. She does not want him to talk to me. William has a loose tongue in his head and sometimes drops unguarded words about their doings up there, which if any but William spoke— But there, I am forgetting one of the most important rules of my own life, which is to keep my mouth from bab bling and my tongue from guile. Influ ence of a congenial companion, madam —it is irresistible sometimes, especially to a man living so much alone as my self. ” I thonght his fault very pardonable, bnt did not express it lest 1 should frighten his confidences away. “I thonght there was something,” J said. “Lucetta acted almost afraid of you this morning. I should think she would be glad of the friendship of sc good a neighbor. ” His face took on a very somber look “She is afraid of me,” he admitted, “afraid of what I may see or have seen —of their poverty,” ho added, with an odd emfihnsis. I scarcely think he ex pected to deceive me. I did not push the subject an inch further. I saw it bad gone as far as he would allow it at this time. We were by this time in the heart of tho forest and rapidly approaching tho Knollys house. As the tops of its great chimneys rose above the foliage I saw his aspect suddenly change. “I don’t know why,” said he, “but i hate unaccountably to leave you here. ” I thought the prospect somewhat un inviting n.ysclf after the plea.iant ride 1 bad had aud tho glimpse which had been given me of a really cheery home and pleasant surroundings. “This morning I looked npon you as a somewhat daring woman, the progress of whose stay hero would be watched by me with interest, but after the com panionship of the last half hour I am conscious of an anxiety in your regard which makes mo doubly wish that Miss Knollys had uot shut me out from her homo. Are you sure you wish to enter this house again, madam?” I was surprised—really surprised—at tho feeling he showed. If my well dis ciplined heart had known how to flut ter, it would probably have fluttered then, but happily tho restraint of years did not fail me in this emergency. Tak ing advantage of the emotion which had betrayed him into an acknowledgment of his real feelings regarding the dan gers lurking in this home, despite the check he had endeavored to put upon his lips, 1 said, with an attempt at na ivete only to bo excused by the exigen cies of the occasion: “Why, I thought you considered this domicile as being perfectly harmless. You like the girls and have no fault to find with William. Can it be that this great building has another occupant? I do not allude to ghosts. Of them neither you nor I can think it worth while to talk.” “Miss Butterworth, you have me in a corner. I do uot know of any other occupant which tho house can hold save the three young people you have men tioned. If I seem to feel any donbt of them—but I don’t feel any doubt. I only dread any place for j n which is not watched over by some one interested in your defense. The danger threatening the inhabitants of this lane is such a veiled one. If we knew where it lurked, wo would no longer call it danger. Sometimes I think the ghosts you al lude to are uot as innocent as mere spec ters usually are. But don’t let ma frighten yon. Don’t— Ah, William, I have brought back your guest, you see! I couldn’t let her sit out the noon hour in old Carter’s parlor. That would be too much for even so amiable a person as Miss Butterworth to endure.” I had hardly realized we were so near the gate aud certainly was surprised to find William anywhere within hearing. That his appearance at this moment was anything but welcome, at least to me, must be evident to any one. The sen tence which it interrupted might have contained the most important advice or at tbb least a warning I would be the better prepared for having. But destiny, which was against me, said no, and bo-, ing one who accepts the inevitable with good grace I prepared myself to alight, with Mr. Trohm’s assistance. The bunch of heliotrope I held was a little in my way or I should have man aged the jump with confidence and dig nified agility. As it was, I tripped slightly, which brought out a chuckle from William that at the moment seemed more wicked to me than any crime. Meanwhile he had not let mat ters proceed thus far without putting more than one question. “Aud where’s Simsbury? And why did Miss Butterworth think she had got to sit in Carter’s parlor?” “Mr. Simsbury,” said I as soon as I could recover from the mingled exertion and embarrassment of my descent to terra firma, “felt it uecessjiry to take the horse to tho shoer’s. That is a half day’s work, as you know, and I knew that ho and especially you would be glad to have mo accept any means for escaping so dreary a waiting. ” The g.unt he uttered was eloquent of anything but satisfaction. “I’ll go tell tho girls,” ho said. But ho didn’t go till ho had seen Mr. Trohm enter his buggy and drive slowly off. That this did not add to my liking for William goes withont saying. This story will be continued in next Friday’s issue of The Ledger. Consnmption Tbreuteoed. “I was troubled with a hacking cough for a year and I thought I bad consumption,” says C. Unger, 211 Maple street, Champaign. 111. “I tried a great many remedies and I was under the care of physicians for several months. I used one bottle of Foley’s Honey and Tar. It cured me and I have not been troubled since.” 8old by Cherokee Drug Co. WOMEN AND SOCIETY. [All communication!! to this column should be adriresHedito P. O. Box 304. | Hhirt waist suits made with skirts that clear the ground are in the heighth of style for walking, out-door sports and general run-about use. A stylish suit of this kind is made of meteor blue linen simply stitched in tailor style. But the heavier goods can be used such as foulard and shepherds, plaid taffeta, and both waist and skirt can be suited to sep arate material. Miss Elizabeth Goodwin, the effi cient stenographer for Mr. J. C. Jeff eries, has returned from her vacation which was spent with her family in Greenville. Mrs. John Holler, who has been visiting her father, Mr. Foag, has been called to her home in Rock Hill on account of the illness of her hus band. Miss Etta Webb, who has been vis iting Mrs. W. Peeler, has returned to her home iu Mooresboro. Miss Eleanor Wolf, a charming lit tle Indy of Fort Motte, is visiting Miss Mignon Walker. ♦ ♦ ♦ -» Quite a party left this week for Asheville: Mrs. J. A. Carroll, Mrs. Arch Cree, Miss Lula Garrett and Master Charlie Sam Copeland. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Miss Anna Lou Wingo, of Campo- bello, is the guest of Capt. and Mrs. Richardson. Miss Mollie Robbs has gone on a visit to Union. • Miss Claudia Smith, who has been visiting friends in the city, has re turned to her home in Charleston. Mrs. 8. B. Crawley and daughters have returned from a pleasant visit to Greenville. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Gray, ac companied by Mrs. Thad McArthur, have gone to Piedmont Springs. Miss Emma Stoughton, of Augus ta, is a guest at the home of Miss Ollie Scott. . Miss Fannie Fort arrived home Wednesday after a pleasant visit to friends in Chester. Mrs. W. J. Milkins entertained a few friends Wednesday in honor of her father, Mr. Montgomery, of Jacksonville, Ala. Miss Ethel Sarratt is visiting in Union. lie Kind to the Horne. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Abbury, Aug. 15.—I notice in the columns of your paper that Columbia has a society for the protection of cruelty to animals that ought to be in force everywhere. There has been much said and written concern ing that most noble and useful of all our domestic animals, the horse, and experience teaches that the subject should be agitated more than it is, for the much abused horse is one of the best, if not the best, of our dumb beasts. He is capable of great en durance. If carefully managed he is also by nature kind and gentle, if so treated, but how many vicious horses there are, and made so by vicious drivers through unnecessary whip ping and brutal usage. In many cases the whip on all occasions is used whether tbe horse is doing the very best he can or not, which is all wrong. For humanity’s sake never strike a horse when be is doing the best he can under the circumstances, but instead give him encouragement, make a friend of him, and let me say, if thou wouldst have tbe horse for thy friend show thyself friendly at all times and under all circum stances; keep your own temper, for if you lose your self-control you are not in a fair way to anything else, much less the horse who is more in telligent than many of the drivers The horse is a very intelligent animal He is very qu*ck to learn either the right or the wrong way of doing things, and tbe only way is for the driver to bo watchful and never let him take the wrong course for there comes much of the trouble. The jerking at the mouth and tbe appli cation of tbe whip or goad, still worse than ail, the use of a chain and crow bar, Out on such cruelty! The man that does such things is not worthy to be classed w^th men but with the brutes themselves. If any one wMI study the following lines they can very readily tell the age of a horse: To tell the Hire of any horse Inspect the lower jaw of course. The six front teeth the tale will tell And every doubt and fear dispel. Two middle nippers you behold Before the colt Is two weeks old, Befor eicht weeks two more will ••ome, Ki^ht months the corners cut the gums. The outside grooves will disappear From middle two In just one year. Two years from the second pair, Three the corners too are hare. At two the middle nippers drop, At three the second pair can t stop: When four years old the pair goes. At five a full new set he shows. The deep black spots will pass from view At six years from tl • middle two, The second pair at seven years. , At eight the spot each corner clears. From middle nippers upper Jaw At nine the black spot will withdraw: Tin* second pair at ten are white, Eleven Unas the corner light. As time goes on the horseman knows The oval teeth three sided grow, • They longer get, project before Till twenty when we know no more. —Ran. Ituater to Itachelor. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Li.mkhtovk Mi-kings, Aug. 21.—In anstfir to request of Buffalo’s Bache lor Bill concerning his disease, wb give him gratis the following diagnoA sis and peracriptioL. U'o fiod joub temperature quite high, your pulse rapid, tongue coated, also symptoms of ehctric lights and torpid liver, caused, no doubt, by some pretty lady jilting you for a three by three dude. You, doubtless, also have symptoms of being hatched in an incubator, hence your adversity to the society of ladies It will ‘take several more jilts to rouse vou up to a sense of your duty. We recom mend that you practice calling on your best girl every afternoon for ten days, i succession, this will make you n ore appreciative of her company and visa versa. Love must be culti vated. 11 is I ike the grain that grows in thd field, it must have attention or it will surely die. Also you need a compound combination of sweetness to tender your poor old hard neart. For further instruction call on us at our home office. ’Tis lucky you have such a specialist to attend to your case. We have given 20 years study to just sucti complicated compound diseases as yours and we still believe in salts and vermifuge to a great extent. Yes, Brother, we remember t he night in tbe school house, also remember hov good sweet potatoes was over there, and muny other incidents of that night. Tbe election is drawing rear and some poor candidate is going to wonder why it was that he was left out. Now brother candidates don’t get angry because you believe you are the best man in the race and every body else believe different and leaves you. Somebody is going to be left but we can boast of the fact if it isn’t us. IfJi mlill man is nominated wonder if E. H. DeOamp will vote for the nominee? If our notion don’t charge we are going to vote for Mr. Ansel for Gov ernor. We extend a warm invitation to our old friend to come over. Busier. Gaffney Defeats Shelby. Gaffney defeated Shelby yesterday afternoon at Limestone by a score of 13 to 2. The features of tbe game was tbe battery work of Hopper and Wyatt for Gaffney, and Williams’ work at short for Shelby. A World Wide Keputaion. Chamberlain’s Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy has a world wide reputation for its cures. It never fails and is pleasant and safe to take. For sale by Cherokee Drug Co. Two thousand three hundred car rier pigeons recently took part in a race from Rome to Ghent. Henry L. Sbattuck. of Shellsburg, Iowa, was cured of a stomach trouble with which he had been afflicted for years by four boxes of Chamberlain’s Stomach aud Liver Tablets. He had previously tried many otiier remedies and a number of physicians without relief. For sale by Cherokee Drug Co. The wife of the governor of New Borneo has a baby rhinoceros for a pet. Dickey’s Dyspepsia Cure cures in digestion, sour stomach, heartburn, costiveness, gnawing and burning pains at pit of stomach, sick head ache. Try it. One bottle will give you relief 8. B. Crawley & Co. Talk is cheap; yet some people will give up a dollar to bear a tiresome lecture. Dickey’s Blood Cure eradicates all poison and impurities from tne blood. It cures scrofular, rheumatism, syp- billis, old sores, tetter pimples, and all diseases arising from impure blood. 8. B. Crawley & Co. Rainbows never surrender, but al ways go down with their colors fly ing. Many persons in this community are suffering from kidney complaint who could avoid fatal results by using Foley’s Kidney Cure. For sale by Cherokee Drug Co. A man never knows whether a wo man’s bat is on straight or crooked. When Other Medicine* Have Failed Take Foley’s Kidney Cure. It has cured when when everything else has disappointed Cher >kee Drug Co. When a woman misplaces anything she always thinks it has been stolen. Foley’s Kidney Cure is a medicine free from poisons and will cure any case of kidney disease that is not be yond tbe reach of medicine. For sale by Cherokee Drug Co. When some men talk they don’t believe a word they hear. When Vou Go Into a Drug Store to get a bottle of Painkiller, examine it carefully to see if it is made by Perry Davis, aud don’t be persuaded to take something ‘‘just as good” because it is a few '-ents cheaper. There is only one Painkiller, “Perry Davis’.” Large bottles 25 and 60c. Why? Why have a vacant house on your hards when a Ledgtr for rent ad. will rent it? Why let your unused rooms remain empty when a Ledger to le„ ad. will fill them? Why want for more boarders when ft Ledger want ad. will get th> in? Why do without a desirable hoard ing place when a Ledger want ad. will find one?