The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-02

"You are quite welcome, I'm sure y re-
turned Enoch," and trust you will make
my home your own as long as possible. NV
little grand daughter here is often lonely for
the want Of congenial company. She was
born In New York, and her father was
head book-keeper for the we'll known firm
OF Taylor & Co. Three years after his
death, her mother, brilliant, accomplished
woman, even If she was my only daughters y
(he added, with deprecating shake of the
head,) ''passed away, leaving this dear,
shy girl to me-"
"Well, Pop" exclaimed the Squire,
with the mixture Of Western slang, effron-
terry and civilized language which charac.
terized all his quaint idiomatic speeches;
81 must be Off MIR. Drury's conveyance IS
at the bottom Of the erik, and tomorrow,
II tine, we will see what we can do toward
fixin' the smashed concern. I recl'on the
shafts is done for, and I'll take the horse
home, as mayhap, you've none too much
room In your stable with all the COWS late
calVln'' and soforth. Good-day. Will
see you all again, friends"
Hasty adienx were exchanged, and early
country bedtime directly ensuing, Edna
led her young guest up to her room, which
was the most commodiDus in the house.
Aunt Sarah slept in small back cham
Der, and MIR. Drury in a spare one adioin-
.ng; while the old couple, disliklng to climb
stairs, occupied similar room on the
ground floor. This being the first time our
heroine had been intimately associated
with any one of her own age and acquire
ments for many years, they bade tare to
talk all night concerning people and scenes
III the dear city where Edna had buried
her parents and so many glowing schemes.
youthful, healthful sleep after while
oVerpowered them, and somewhat late the
next morning they aroused to find break
last already prepared. ....
During the condolences exchanged in the
night Edna told her new friend how her
mothers sudden illness and death by pneu
monia had deprived her of the chance of
attending celebrated college where it was
planned she was to enter the next term and
eventually graduate, and how the little
home and few comforts Mrs. Bruce had
striven to keep together were broken up.
This was Edna's great grief.
Her friend, 1t appeared, had received in
struction at the very seminary where Edna
wished to study and instead of remaining
10 graduate, had on her way back to school,
after Christmas holidays, run off with
young Leonard Drury to be clandestinely
married. This was told with many promi-
ses of secrecy and bushes. The break
down occurred just as they were on the
road to the parsons house in the Village
OF Waverly. Never having participated
IN any active romance before, feeling of
intense intcrst pervaded Edna's mind and
she was Immediately alive to the necessity
OF concealing the facts from her aunt's pene-
Ila'ihB 4uootione and aoid, marplOt ways
But the heavy drifting snow of the three
subsequent days not only completely ve-
toed the contamination of the clandestine
wedding ceremonies, but prevented all ac-
cess to the Nailor domicile from the world
outside. At last poor Edna was happy.
Emancipated from the light household
duties she regarded as drudgery, her sole
task was to devote herself to the enter
tainment of her impromtu lover guests,
and suppress all knowledge of their de-
lightful glorious secret. The old cracked
piano rang with such melody and the par
lor with such musical voices, that the aged
homestead seemed turned into veritable
orchestrion. -f 49,,
''Pop" Nailor, too, who was man
OF some education, and had studied the
rudiments OF medicine in his early youth,
was delighted to exercise his professional
knowledge on the partially drowned
young folks, and to discuss the modern
scientific and political them es of interest
with Mr.. Drury. To all his advice and
somewhat arbitrary opinions both submit
ted with graceful complacency, and sue
cessfully defied the persevering curiosity of
Aunt Sarah.
On the fourth day Squire Phelps called
with his large family sleigh with capacity
fol. holding ten or dozen slender young
people.
II reckon as yer wanted to 20 to Waverly,
you'd better come right along with me,
and you too Edna" bawled the squire.
There's room for all, and I'll bring you
back all right
Ten minutes waiting sufficed to find
our party equipped for the journey and
assisted into the vehicle by our burly friend,
who boasted while sr doing that he made
two fortunes and lost one, and would be
willing to risk the remainder on the bet
that he never saw couple more suited to
each other than Miss Rilla and MIR. Leo
nard were.
Speeding over the snow, they were at
tracted by the sound of slcigh-bells clang-
ing resonantly in the frosty air somewhere
in the rear.
'lt's my MOTHER" gasped Rilla. II see
her scarlet India shawl, and papa is with
her. They've found us out and are follow
ing. Hurry upl oh! do hurry up dear
squire.
"Oh What's all this, runaways, hey; well
I've sort of sympathy that way myself.
If ia ron off with the gal loved at your
age, wouldn't have wasted the fifteen
best years Of my life in the mines and
backs-woods of the far West, and returned
the rough, unpublished coon am at present.
Say, how old are yer, sls?"
I'm seventeen next month, and this Is
the second of February" replied blushing
anxious Avarilla.
"And what prospects have you got for
keeping wife3' questioned the squire of
young Leonard. 81 came ofage last Christ
mas, and then inherited $4,000 and two
houses left mo by my mother. But they
say Rillas too young, and want her to wait
for some richer mon," replied Drury
That's all right: you've youth and
brains and muscle besides. Now you Just
look here. I've lost no time while we've
linn, toll,