The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-08-21
PENNY WISE AND POUND
FOOLISH.

"We will express our trunks, I sup
pose," said Amy, rising from her knees
with a sigh, where she had been strap.
ping said baggage, till her little fingers
were bruised with the strain-''w we will
express our trunks" she repeated, "and
have nothing upon our minds"
express our trunks, Amy! what
n%onsensel I shouldn't think of it for
an instant" cried Aunt Kitty. cit
would be a wicked extravaganza, for
which we should deserve a visitation of
Providence. I've travelled miles and
miles in my day, and I've always taken
care Of my own things, and expect to do
it as long as the breath's in my body"
The trunks we're sent down to the sta.
ton early next morning on a wheelbar-
row, and as the distance was short, Amy
and her aunt followed on foot, arriving
in season to see the wheelbarrow give
out, like the "one-hoss shay" and spill
its contents upon the highway. Aunt
Kitty was obliged to pay a quarter on
the spot for a second pair of masculine
arms to convey the trunks into tho sta
ton, she and Amy being supplied with a
bag, an envelope box containing sand
wiches, a waterproof in a strap, and a
novel each.
"We might as we'll have taken a car
rage" suggested Amy, "and have
, started in some style, if only for the
confusion of the neighbours and even
then there would have been a balance
in our favor" Aunt Kitty did not ap-
pear to be affected by this economical
view of the situation, her mind being
engaged at that moment upon the CO.
nundrum whether she should be obliged
to buy a new wheelbarrow for Neighbor
Cramp, or if the old M could be re-
vamped to his satisfaction; but before
she could arrive aS q. solution the con-
ductor cried, Gail aboard" and they
were pluuging through the tunnel, fly
ing across the bridge, hurrying past
everybody's back.door, past the old
burying-ground, ont into the clear coun-
try, with the distant mountain peaks
outlined against the sky, with fringes of
reddening sumac, and burning bushes
of maple and beech, and the ragged
ennon of creepers and blackberry
vines closing in about them.
"Jerusalem Centre !" shouted the
conductor. Passengers change cars
for Boghampton."
While Aunt Kitty was maneuvring
to avoid the s~moking-car in her entrance
into the Boghampton train, Amy re-
checked her trunks, and smashed her
eyeglasses in the attempt. At the next
point of connection Aunt Kitty trans
acted the business with dignity and
composnre, but found, after the train
had started, that she had left "The
Last Days of Pompeii" behind her.
"And it belonged to your book club,
too," sighed ANY.
At the third station where they were
obliged to change Amy secured the
checks without any mishap, and being
now fairly launched on the road to Bos'
ton, they disposed themselves to dine
from the envelope box, and Aunt Hitty
produced the silver cup from which she
had eaten her bread and milk when she
was in pinafores, and her grandmother:
before her.
"I'm glad I brought it." she said; 81
doesn't cost any more to drink from sill
yer than from glass, when it's an heir
loom. How any one can use that pro
miscuous tumbler passes me-"
"There's Dorset Travis, Aunt Kitty
sure as you live. Oh. I do wish he would
look this way p whispered Amy.
II would rather you shouldn't let OF
you saw him. People are 50. apt to &c
intimate on a Journey" returned he
aunt. "Read your novel, child. A Van'
wasting a thought upon o Travis! Sucl
a thing was never known in Borrowdale
it would make all your ancestors groal
in their graves. In your great-grand
fathers day there vas the Travis ARM
and the Vane Hall. We were of tn
best blood in the county; nobody know
II they had any ancestry; their famil.
tree is an acorn yet, for all I know
When your forebears were living il
clover and faring sumptuously ever.
day, old Martin Travis was toe poor t.
buy himself q second suit"
"And now the tables are turned. W
have the poverty, and they have tn
money"
"But we are Vanes, while they vii
be only Travises to the end of tn
chapter"
Gas the case star DIS, aunty, I woul'
rather be a Travis, thank you"
"Don't let me hear You utter sue!
blasphemy again, Amy Vane!"
sI'm sure the girls in Borrowdale ar
always talking about him as if he wer
the great Mogul. I'm sure he is yer
nice I met him once at Miss Cabot's
you know; we spent a fortnight there q
the same time. I may be obliged t
speak to him, you see. If you'd onl
turn your head, Aunt Hitty, and look a
him, you'd say he was a prince in dis
guise. Did you ever see him
"Never. The idea of old Marti
Travis's grandson aspiring to an equa1
ity with the Vanes! Why, he has BLACK
ed your reat-grandfather's boots, fc
aught l know!"
II can't help it if he has BACKED m
Observation-Disclosures eye. [ wish hi
grandson would come and talk to ut
And how he can talk don't believe
Vane could hold a candle to him
There he goes into a smoking car s
my prospective pleasure ends in smoke.
"Amy Vane, remember who you are!
And then they relapsed into silence, an
Aunt Kitty took a nap, while Am
watched the gay autumn world walt
past her-tbe fields where cattle grazei
the broken walls festooned with the vii
grape, with gaudy vines; the swolle
streams chatting over their pebbles; th
rich vistas of woodland, like glimpse
into some cathedral crusted with gol
and inlaid with jewels; the saucy lit,
chipmunks darting among the nut-tree
the whir of wild wings among the unde
brush: the bursting pods of the mile
weed; the drifts of purple asters an
g~olden-rod. How delightful it 'migl
be to travel in October with somebod
like Dorcas Travis to. talk with, an
ones baggage in the express!
"Have we collided ?" cried Aunt Hi
ty, waking with a sudden jerk, "or VIII
isit2"
"Boston," said Amy.