The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, June 04, 1908, Image 2
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The Emancipation i
Of the Chaperons.
By ALICE LOUSE LEE.
0 i
Copyright. 19u5. by Alice Lsutisc L< e. i
*'? ? 1 n:" Aferri wet her stretched
I I his lops out luxuriously in
S jj front of the prate and polled
A A at his pipe. "A Christmas !
house party at The fines." Then after j
a pause. "Who are invited?"
llis nephew leaned against the mantelpiece
and stuffed his hands into his j
pockets as he enumerated the guests, j
the uncle keeping up a running and
caustie comment:
"Eugaged going to Ik* -introduced
for uiutriinonial purposes -engaged
the same." The numeration reused.
"Yes. I see myself helping to chap- |
erou youF house party. I stroll into j
the reception room and stumble over '
an eugaged couple. I sneak ink) the
library and am frowned out again, by I
a newly introduced couple. I bang into
the music room and overhear a proposal.
No. thank you. Roy; I shall
spend Christmas in peace and my own
room."
Roy picked up his bat and moved toward
the door. "Modern house parties
are not conducted along the lines
you've laid down, uncle. Change your
mind and Jndge for yourself." He
turned the knob. "By the way, I
didn't mention the other chaperon, did
I? It's Mrs. AngelU Bertha's widowed
aunt, you know." With this parting
shot, which he knew was effective. Koy j
discreetly retreated.
After he had gone Merriwether sat :
an hour staring at the fire and pulling j
away at a smokeless pipe. Then he
arose and looked earnestly at himself
In the mantel mirror. "We're apt to
run down." he apostrophized his reflection;
"apt to run to seed, we bachelors.
Now, rbis tie let's see. It's six
months out of style, and Gertrude used
to be hum." He stepped to the phone
I and called up his tailor, realizing that
bia mind had already undergone the
change Roy hoped for.
Ten days later he arrived at The
Pines Just iu time to dress for dinner.
Be was accompanied by a man and a
mart lot of luggage, accessories which
made so marked a change in his appearance
that when at 6 o'clock he de- ,
accntled to the lower hall Bertha Monroe.
awaiting her aunt at the foot of
tha stairs, surveyed him in delighted
amazement.
I "Why, Uncle Bruce." she exclaimed,
"yon look so fine I scarcely knew you!" j
Bertha was his nephew's fiancee and
already claimed relationship in private ,
to the uncle. "I'd make Roy wear
venlng clothes In the morning if he
bad such a splendid figure so filled
out, you know."
ilerrlwether. following her into the
living room, laughed grimly at the
doubtful compliment. "Ob. he'll tip the ,
scales at 220 soon enough, don't worry!*^
"You surely don't look that Rtout," !
began Bertha and, turning abruptly
toward the entrance, finished with.
"Does he. a untie?"
Gertrude Augell swept past her niece j
and met Merriwether's outstretched 1
I hand cordially. "i^ook. r wny, ne toots
urprisingly like the Bruce Merriwether
I used to know so well."
"Fifteen years ago," was on the end
of Merri wether's tongue. but he check- j
etl himself Just In time. Gertrude prob- i
ably Ignored lapses In time as women
have a habit of doing, he thought. But
forely hers was a face, a form, a bear- !
log, which bad so successfully with- j
Stood time as to eutitle her to the ap- i
pellntion of youth. Her brown hair j
had not lost its luster, nor had her blue
eyes lost aught of their sparkling In- i
terest In life, while she carried herself
with her old tiiue spring and vivacity, j
Merriwether noted all these things as >
he sat opposite her at dinner. Ills;
memory flashed picture after picture
before him the primary days in their i
Old home school, their grammar room
betrothal, the warm friendship of later
i y vears. which had meant something
more to him; then lier marriage and ;
life abroad. As he looked at her he ;
I had the uncomfortable feeling that, although
her birth had antedated his by
one year, she was many years his
i"' Junior.
He was just characterizing himself
ai "old" wheu his nephew's voice
aroused him and added point to his
reflection. "Tomorrow morning we
skate." announced Hoy Joyfully. "I've
had the pond back here cleared for
action, and the ice is O. K!" Then he
added carelessly, "By the way. Unclej
Bruce. I forgot to tell you to bring J
akates along, but I can easily provide i
you with a pair."
Merriwether quaked inwardly, but :
made no reply until after dinner, when
he backed his nephew into a corner
and addressed him privately and force-1
fully, "I've not been on skates for ten !
vMrs and I dou't intend to make a
spectacle of myself now by any I
means."
"Why. uncle--er you know, that,
makes things rather awkward, for Mrs.
Angell does all those things so well,
and er we don't want her to feel
bored here."
"Oh!" groan in 1 Merrl wether. "In that
case I'll try, hut watch out f?r a repetition
of a chapter in the 'Pickwick i
Papers!'" and lie turned abruptly into
the ballroom.
"Are you looking over the scene of j
former triumphs?" asked a gay voice |
beside him. Aud Mrs. Angell moved !
across the room to straighten a candle
in one of the candelabra.
Merriwetlicr noted with admiration
her free, light step. She was a superb |
specimen of womanhood, but he fer- 1
vently wished she had appeared older, j
?*Wbv Is it." he asked Impulsively, Igi
tj
h
.. r ?inu:. "thai women re\oath
so much longer than
.( paus'-tl with her hand on the
a;. "< and 1<? kml hark. "I think." she
. :< ir.i ihouv'httuily. "it's because they
i -i-: on hoinjr youthful things."
>?"fo S* ?\ ??"*1 in *** lw? f1l?it1?rlir with
::n iiiVi'i!;.! groan. He would be obliged
to : i .ate Mid dance and do all the other
tun ooiforial'le things which forty years
and 'Jlii pounds shrink from. Still as
he watched her move about the room
the burden of it did not seem so onerous
after all.
1 herefore he danced not badly, but
laboriously, all the while admiring the
graceful ease of Certnale Angell's tme
tious.
"At least." he determined resolutely.
"I'll not be caught skating, as I was
dancing, without a bit of practice." It
was 1 a. in. when he made this resolution
and issued the command to his
man. "Peter, get me up at 7 unless,"
in sudden inspiration, "it should lie
storming."
Promptly at 7 he was awakened in a
reliellious frame of mind. "Stiff as a
eart horse." lie grumbled. "I hope it's
snow ing like blazes."
The man rirised the shade and looked
out. "Sky clear as a whistle, sir."
So. with his sleep rut short two hours
at both ends of the night. Merriwether
dragpsl himself and the pair of skates,
produced h.f\ his thoughtful nejiliew.
out to the poud behind the bill. For
an hour lie skinned his knees, huni|>ed
his head and disturbed the equanimity
of his temper U'fore lie was able to
move alone with moderate speed and
keep his feet under him.
When he went in to breakfast he was
thankful for a few moments alone in
front of a plowing prate fire. He
stretehed his aching legs toward the
heat and rubbed the back of his head
where a bump was appearing which i*
not laid down lu phrenological charts
and pains from which were darting in
every direction. He listened idly to
voices in the hall until bis attention
was chained by two comments made
just outside the door.
"Isn't she a perfect delight of a chaperon?
And so young too! She 'can't l?e
thirty."
The reply was given in a doubtful
tone. "Why- e e. yes. she must be all
of thirty."
"Forty-one," muttered the listener
doggedly, the light of his new resolve
shining again in his eyes.
At 10 o'clock the entire party went
out to the pond, and Merriwether skated
ind skated and skated until his
teeth were clinched in desperation and
bis forehead knitted in hip efforts to!
bold out as long as Mrs. Angell did.
That he was becoming a man of one
idea he acknowledged to himself that
aftemoou on the sleigh ride. "What
Gertrude dares. I dare." he told himself
in feeble jest. That sleighing party
was a nightmare to him for days
afterward. The drifts were deep, and
the sleigh was overturned again and
again, generally with Merrlwetber at
the bottom of the heap, owing to the
fact that sleighs incline readily in the
direction of 22<i pounds. Then, to vary
the monotony of the tip-overs, there
were miles of hillsides with a southerly
exposure where the sun had melted
the snow and obliged the party to
walk.
Merriwether toiled up the slopes, husbanding
liis wind l>v maintaining silence.
watching Gertrude's elastic steps
ruefully and feeling his resolutions in
respect to youthful ncvs ooze from his
chilled finger tips.
"All out for our last climb!" cried
Roy as the horses stopped at the foot
of a steep rise. "This is our last hill."
"Thank the Lord!" said Merriwether
devoutly liehind his mustache. He
She paused and looked hack.
watched his chance when the attention
of the others, especially (iertrude,
was directed elsewhere, and then, assisting
his pedal extremities laboriously
over the side of the sleigh, he fell ou
them heavily, trusting to luck rather
than to his tired legs to keep him up
right.
Near the end of their climb he remarked
to Mrs. Anirell. with all the
nonchalance lie could command. "I
should think you ladies would be a bit
tired."
A light laugh put iiim to shame, and
a pair of dancing blue eyes met his
in a glance which stripped hini of fifteen
years and led him back to the
days when he had walked beside her
with never a thought of fatigue.
"Tired!" she returned carelessly. "Ami
by such a little trip as this':"
That reply, coupled with the day's
unparalleled exertions, turned the tide
of Merriwether's resolutions. In his
room before dinner he eased his aching
bones iu a morris chair ami delerniineo i
to return to the city early next morn- ;
ing. lie would lip old and sensible and j
comfortable once more. He would for- J
pet (Jertrude as long as he cotild u ?t ,
keep up with her youthfulness.
But alas for his deterniination! He j
nearly forgot his bruises and sprains i
that evening iu the charm of Mrs. An- j
I goll s prcseuce, and he noticed. too.
with a pang of something very like j
jealousy, that Briggs. the youngest i,
man in the party, occupied his spare ,
moments looking in her direction.
"I'll see what the weather promises i
for tomorrow," was tws irresolute com- :
inent as lie reached liis room at mill- !
night ami noted that I'eter had oho- i'
dienlly packed his things ready for the ;
train. "If it should storui, may
lie" was his last eouseious though
and then he drifted off into a lam
where t.'ertrnde spent her Christmases
with iiiin lieside a quiet hearthstone
and eliaperoned house parties no more.
Next morning, when he awoke, the
snow was driving against the window,
while the wind whistled savagel*
through the trees. Merriwether turi
ed over with a deep grunt of satisfae
tion. There eould Ik- no sleighing. u<?
skating, no tohogganning. such a day j
us this, and that night was Christmas
eve and the Christmas tree. He had j
pureluised an exquisite copy of "Maud"
for Mrs. Angell. It was a po"iu they '
had mice read together, and lie won- j
dernl if hi* memory of (lie fact would j
touch her. With these thoughts he
drifted back into sleep, and the morn- !
ing train went thundering cityward j
without him.
But his triumph over the state of the
weather was short lived. At the breakfast
table his nephew curdled his blood
by the announcement of the plans for
the Christmas trees, which yet stood in i
the forest a mile across lots. "Two of |
the men are sick this morning. follows,
so we'll hare to fall into line and fetch !
the trees." Itoy proclaimed, with a relish
l>om of twenty-three years and
warm blood.
The "fellows." Including Merriweth- !!
er. worked In the storm until noon before
the trees were properly cut. trim- 1
med. cleaned and set un In t'"? ballroom
ready for the decora'Ion* and j
gifts. The ladles had the decn-ition* I
In charge, but Merriwetber fonnd there |
was no rest for the weary. He hnl
anced himself perilously by the hou.
on the top of steplndder*. which swayed
and creaked ominously under his
weight: he climbed stairs to fetch pack- *
ages from the billiard room: be searched
for lost hammers and knelt on mis1?I?1
fns>L-a until li? pplomtwt Christmas i
and house parties to the lower regions. i
At last the trees were decorated, and
Roy called the party Into the music <
room to practice Christmas anthems. '
Merriwether saw his fellow workers i
safely into the music room: then he j
draped himself upstairs for a solacing |
smoke, only to find his fire out and his I
clum tier cheerless.
Shoving his aching feet Into slippers, i
he got himself Into a smoking jacket I
lit his pipe and descended to the library.
The library lay back of the living .
room, far from the music, and It con- '
tained au Inviting couch, at which
Merriwether had looked longingly, but ! ]
had not found time so far to occupy.
He pushed aside the curtains at the
entrance with a broad sweep of his .
hand and stepped within. Then he '
stopped "abruptly. The oonch was occu- |
pied. "I l>eg your pardon, Gertrude. !
I thoueht you were singing." j <
"Pinging!" she responded crossly. |
struggling into a sitting posture. "Why, J
I've not a shred of voice left to sing !
with!" She did not smile, but passed
her liaud across her eyes in a gesture
which caused a great light to break in I
on Merriwether.
"You're tired!" he accused in a ring- | *
fug voice of triumph. j}
She leaned back, resting her head |
against the wall. "Tired?" she repeat- }
ed in an Intense voice. "I'm half dead
with the awful pace of these two days. 1
If 1 were a big healthy man now," '
glancing resentfully at the proportions !
of the man l?efore her. "I might be ' j
able to endure everything and yet feel i
fresh, but. Iteing a woman and forty- j .
one .
"Gertrude." interrupted Merriwether ! I
in a tone of solemn joy. "are you forty- |
one?"
"Of course I am." she responded al- j (
most irritably. "You know that I am." ,
"Ye-es," he replied vaguely,'-coming '
nearer, "hut I didn't know that you
knew it!"
"I have every reason to know it"
the tears were near the surface now !
"when skating gives me the rheumatism,
and dancing the headache, and .,
that sleigh ride" She spread her
hands out in a gesture of despair. "I
can't endure it any longer. I'm going '
home tomorrow on the 9:10 train and i
leave you to chaperon. Nothing seems to i.
tire you." The tears had reached her ,
lashes, and she turned her head away.
Merriwether sat down heside her uninvited.
"Gertrude." he began in, a ]
voice iu which rang a satisfaction out
of harmouy with his announcement,
"the exertion attendant 011 chaperoning
this house party aud keeping up I
with you has given me the rheumatism '
In every joint and uiuscle, and not only
the headache the effect has pcuctrated
to my disposition, wmcn js
A door opened somewhere, and a
burst of music interrupted him. "Peace \
on earth, good will to men."
The door closed, and silence reigned
iu the library. A realization of the
spirit of the words came to Merriwether.
His light manner dropped from
him. He leaned over and laid his hand ^
on (lertrude's. "Let's be old and peaceful
together, dear. Don't go back tomorrow.
Spend Christmas here with
me."
The firelight played softly over the '
woman's face. She glanced up with a
smile which was tremulous in spite of <
her mocking words, "Now that I think
of it, Bruce. I haven't bought my ticket
yet, and it is more comfortable to
be old!"
i
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Correspon So.icited. j
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Surveying Notice!
At present my postal address
is as below. Those
needing my assistance
should direct letters accordingly.
Laurence H. McCullough,
SURVEYOR,
Nesmith, - - South Carolina:
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Cleorgetown, - - - 5. C.
Civil Enalneerlng
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R A Q<5 Jtr HINnq I
Vb M. MM*,
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KNGSTREE, S. C. j
>-20-tf.
Lake City, S. C.
Zrown and Bridge Work a Specialty.
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LAKE CITY, S. C.'
Dr HJ McCabe
Dentist.
HNGSTJ1EE, - S. C.j
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26 Evans 'Phone 1962
FLORENCE, S. C.
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Building and Superintendent of work
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Beulah and residence at National
Cemetery. : : : : :
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If you wish a high-class hair
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?AMI THE PRIIVCI
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There will be a number of sub
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ipleudid crop prospect we are rep
nlarge our floor space, and rathei
iueen Stoves and Ranges from wa
>rice
SO Pei
We have just received a carlo;
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ain Moore & Co's Paint. Also, v
Cutlery and Razors. The Robeso:
>reciate our friends' patronage an
>nued confidence.
L,ake City H
LAKE CI'
'A dollar
is a dolh
There is no better way t
dealing with
J. L. Stuckey, the oh
man.
I have a splendid line ol
Slits, Willi
? rif f j x?
tnat in view ot tne nara limes
above cost.
A nice bunch of HORSES
at prices to suit.
J. L Stuc
BANKOF^
Kingstree. Sou
CAPITAL. 830^000
===== DIRECT
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D C Scott
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TO SHOOT WELL YOU MUST BE EQUIPPEO WITH
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Our Line: RIFLES, PISTOLS, SHOTGUNS,
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Ask your Dealer, and insist on the
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I Aentl for 1-itl I I
catalog. AalndUpcouiklcbook of 1
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tamp* to cover postage. Beautiful <
Ten Color Hanger forwarded for b
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J. STEVENS Aims & TOOL CO. -4jjB
Chlcopee Falls,
Maes., U. 8. A.
S KING
E REGENT 18mOCO.
ijects of both in Lake City this
them. In anticipation of the
iairintf our warehouse so as to
* than remove the stock of O.K.
irehouse we have reduced the
Cent.
ad of Wire Fence, which is ofve
are headquarters for Benja7e
offer exception^1-.values in -c
Razor can't be bea We a?>-.
d will try to merit t? *
/a
ardware C 1
rr.tft -yM
saved
ir made" i
o save your dollars than by Jl
J reliable live-stock i
s ill Him, ]
am offering at 10 per cent H
and MULES always on hand
Lake City, S, C. t
LNGSTCEE 1
th Carolina.
SURPLUS, 8 7100
ORS ~~
R H Eellahan
.
J A Kelley
le on approved security.
.
E R S
in*
I u
ES
YOUR
:0R A X
HICK A
D RAKE
and hay begin to waste.
_OAD
Rakes now in transit,
usiness,
LIVESTOCK CO.,
South Carolina.