The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-05-12
A FREAK OF FATE.

Mrs. Sylvester's drawing-room, with
its ruddy glow from the crate fire, send
ing warm lanccs Of light all over the
cream and crimson carpet; the raw SALE
furniture Of cream and pale bl1e and
crimson; the velvet and satl1-llneo
drapery at the four French widows;
and ali the numberless objects OF ele-
gance and luxury that went to make II
such a charming place. 49,.
1t was six O'Clock ola March night,
bleak and clustering outside. with
streets filled with flying dus.. n Mrs.
Sylvester leaned back in her chair, with
a sigh of selfish comfort, as she held
the japanese screen between her oen-
cate face and the ardent ire. t&'
She was a handsome woman, VINO
wore diamonds and velvet as q queen
wears her royal robes; a wealthy
woman used to command and cohtrol;
naughty and dogmatic in her positive
ness.
And this evening she was in her most
positive. imperious mood, as she sat
there, making her decision about Iheo
Vincent. Then she rang fo1 lights, and
by the servant sent Il message for Miss
Vincent to wait upon her as soon as
Master GARNER and Miss Giralda could
dispense with her services.
1t was ten minutes later when Theo
obeyed the summons, and came into
Mrs. ~eylvester's presence slender,
pale-faced girl of sixteen or seventeen,
with lovely brown eyes, soft rs velvet,
and a great mass Of brown hair on her
small, graceful head-adelicate. refined,
thoughtful looking girl, who bore the
indisputable traces of having worked
almost beyond her strength.
She came quietly near to Mrs. Syl-
vester, and stood awaiting that iady's
pleasure. a 9 :.
sent to have aword%with you on a
subject very distasteful to me, inoeed,
Miss Vincent" Mrs. Sylvester began,
eoldly. IL refer TO a display of for
wardness and boldness, on your part to-
ward certain gentlemen7E might name,
which Las been called to my attention
more than once. | desire TO say that 1
shall not tolerate any further attempts
on your part. Miss Vincent, to airt with
gentlemen visiting at the house-notably
with Doctor Pennington-Ah, do not
interrupt me, and am Indignantly sorry
to say, my son also"
"Mrs. Sylvester, you Q
Theo attempted to gasp. her protest;
but the cold, relentless voice resolutely
hushed her.
"Deniais are more than us, less, Miss
Vincent. 1t is a notorious fact that you,
a mere servant, a iommon nursery
governess and seamstress, boldly at
tempted to engross Doctor Pennington S
attention last night, and n or two
evenings last week, when You were
ordered to attend the. .chi.dre n in the
drawing-room. Again, uponmore than
one occasion, you have mveigled my son
into conversations with you-you, whom
his mother hires as a servant! Miss
Vincent. / have" z
Tbeo was standing there. white and
shivering, her eyes Iull OF a Mortified
modification and insulted pride.
MRS. Sylvester" she interrupted,
hotly. 4" cannot permit o to launch
such o torrent of abuse ut me: 1t is NOT
true that I have tried to sfirt with your.
suest OF yoar son. Doctor Pennington
spoke 70 me, and I answered, rs any one
would nave done. AS to your SON."
And her lips curled involuntarily-a
gesture which cid not escape Mrs. Syl-
westerns eyes.
1--WE will not discuss the subject fur
ther. You haTe acted disgracefully,,
disgraceluliy, and, In justice to my little
innocent children, I have decided to re-
move sou from your care over them:
You are discharged from tonight, and
in place of a months notice, you can
have a months wages-:s is my custom
with all my servants AS to a charac-
ter" and the cold eyes took a malicious
look at the pale trembling girl, "of
course that is out of the question. You
are excused, Miss Vincent"
She pushed a roll Of bills toward her,
but Theo did not touch it. Instead. her
face grew suddenly cold and naughty,
and she walked out without a syllable Of
further protest. ~. >.
And, somehow, Mrs. Sylvester real
lied that she had done something more
than simply discharge a servant.
-
cts a shame-a burning shamc"'
Aunt libby said, indignantly. I" 1t seems
to me that nowadays therich.do moth
ing but grind the poor. You poor
. GUILD YOU don't ryiny more about it.
That Sylvester woman isn't any very
great shakes herself, you take my word
for it. or she'd not he thinking such
things about you. Don't cry, Thee.
Chirk up. ana we'll go out for l. walk
to Central Park this afternoon, eh?"
But Theo could not "chirk" up, nor
did she 60 With dear old. Aunt Ibby for
a walk to Cent, u Park. Instead, she
had cried and We. -ried herselfinto a hot
fever that deied all home remedies
fever that ran hi hec and hotter, unit.
even AuLt libby thought it was best to
send for a doctor; and q doctor was
sent for by little Tim Magutfin, next
floor above.
And b,vquick about it. too" she
said, slipping i penny in his grimy lit
tie paw. You can run around to
Doctor Perry's Office in u few minutes,
know. and tell him to come right
around"
But Doctor Perry want home-out
of town for several days and Tins
wits were puzzled to know whether, so
long as Hiss Theo was SO awfully sick,
one doctor wasn't Just NJ good rs an
other; and, in that iull belief, he rushed
off for his mothers family physician,
to find Doctor Calender also not avail
able.
And then, to stand disconsolately on
a street corner, wondering what on
EARTH would become of Miss Theo,j u st
as a Actors carriage passed him-evl-
IDENTIFY a doctors, and a well:to-do one,
too. rs witness the colored man with
folded arms, the proud.stepping horse,
the handsome robe. &c a.. Z.
And ragged little Tim. all unaware
he was an instrument Of unalterable
fatcs, succeeded i'm attracting Doctor
Pennington's attention.
"Say, you! you're wanted down to
Miss The0 Fincent's-No. 81 Pollard
~street-sharp, too! GoiG'?"
Thec Vincent. Clyde Pennington
was surprised. and conscious Of q pleas.
urable sensation along with it..
All right, my boy. I'll be there be-
fore you are. = 80 o.,
And sure enough. when Tim reached
home. there stood the doctors carriage
at the door, an object Of nnvious admir-
alton for a score of urcbins; while Dr,
Pennington was sitting in Aunt lbby's
snug little parlor, exp. aiming the, cause
of his appearance, and listening to her
account of Theo's illness.
and now. if you'll allow nc to see
nv . ,tient." he said.
AID then he went in, to find Theo de-
lirious and talkative;and entirely IN
conscious.
"Of course it is not true" she said, as
he cat down beside The pure white cot
1T ncyer firted with Mr.. Harry Syl.
voster or DR.. Pennington either. ],
uaan,t faif of her to turn me OH with.