The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-12

he paid the promised visit to the farm.
He drove Aunt Sabina to the park. He
took her to see all the sights.
Once or twice, meeting some of his
gentlemen friends, they had thought
"the queer old party is some rich rela.
tive, Gorman is so very attentive" and
had delighted Sabina by their deferen'
tial attention.
Once-Fred had not counted on that
in picture gallery, Cornelia Caldwell
sauntered in alone. She had heard OF
Sabina through the disgusted comments
of Lucilla, and knew she had no prop
erty but o "miserable farm" but she
greeted Fred with smile far more cordial
than she gave her admirers. A great
lump came in Fred's throat. Then he
gravely introduced the stately beauty in
her rustling silk to the little old fash.
ioned figure on his arm.
"My aunt, Miss Gorman-Miss Cald'
WE'LL"
They admired the pictures together,
and the young lady was cordial and
chatty.
After they came down the steps, Miss
Caldwell said:
"You must let your aunt drive an
hour or two with me, Mr.. Gorham.
am going to do some shopping, SO will
not tax your patience by inviting You tc
Join us, but I shall be pleased if Miss
Gorham will dine with me, and you will
call for her this evening""
Then she smiled again, made Sabina
comfortable in the carriage and drove
off, leaving Fred forty times deeper in
love than ever, as she intended he should
be.
"He is a very prince of men," she
thought, "and will give him one days
rest. Bless the dear old soull she has
such blue eyes as my dear old grand,
mother had"
Then she won Sabina's confidence,
and found she was worrying about the
purchase of certain household matters
that would not 60 in the black leather
trunk, and she did not like to worry Fred
about it.
She drove to the places where the
best goods could be had, keeping guard
over the slender purse against all i'm
position till the last towel was satisfac'
torily chosen and directed. Then she
drove her home and brought her in the
room where grandmother " was queen,
knowing the stately old dlady would make
the country woman welcome.
In the evening that followed Fred s
heart was touched and warmed till,
scarcely conscious of his own words, be
told his long cherished secret and knew
that he had won her love.
Aunt Sabina stayed two weeks and
then went home, to the immense relief
of the Gorhams, and carrying no regret
at leaving any but Fred and Cornelia.
It was not even suspected that Cor
nelia spent four weeks in the height of
the summer season, listening to the
praises of Fred at Sabina's farmhouse
and Fred did not know it until he came
too, after she was gone, and had his
share of listening to loving commenda-
tion of one he loved.
He wore the necktie and made him.
self so much at home, that Sabina wept
some of the bitterest tears of her life
when he left.
"To have you both and lose you p
she sobbed.
"Next time we will come together,
Fred whispered, and so consoled her,
But alas the next time Fred came
was to superintend the funeral of the
gentle old lady; and though Cornelia
came too, his happy wife, there was no
welcome in the pale lips, or the blue
eyes closed forever,
But the will the old lady left gave all
her worldly possessions to her I" dear
nephew, Frederic Gorham "-the farm
and farmhouse.
It was apparently no great legacy,
and Cornelia smiled at many of the old
fashioned treasures she touched, all
with the tender reverence death
leaves.
Ten years ago Sabina was laid to rest
in her narrow coffin, and there is busy,
flourishing town around the site of the
old farn..
Mr.. Frederic Gorham lives there now,
and handles large sums of money-the
rents of stately buildings.
"Made his money, sir, by specula'
tion," you will be told, if you inquire
as to his source of income. "Fortunate
purchase of ground before the town
was thought Of"
But tell you that the only specula'
tion he made was in the kindness of his
heart, e1ter ding loving attentions to his
fathers sister, and that the only land he
ever owned was Aunt Sabinas farm.