The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-01-14
MISS SCAMPER.

Springs knew who Miss Scamper was, and
few cared to know. She came with al
old gentleman. who registered the pail
as IS. Scamper and granddaughter,
New York city" They were doubtless
poor folk on a holiday. They had no
servants with them. The old man wore
a suit of rather rusty black, and his
trunk. an antique leathern conveniency,
bore the letters S. S. in brass headed
nails. The young woman's trunk-she
had but one-was large enough. and OF
modern make, but it was apparently not
we'll filed. since she had shown but three
dresses all the three weeks she had re
manned. One of these. of rich material,
she wore evenings: the other two, Of
some washable material, worn alternate
" in daytime. She had no jewelry be.
yond a plain gold brooch. One of the
eligible young men there said that "the
Scamper had one Sunday-go-to-mcetin'
and two. work day suits" for which his
neighbor should have kicked him, but
didn't. The eligible young man was
looking for an eligible mate in the per-
son of Miss Bolsover, the great heiress,
whom the society paper had said was
coming to the Rappaquah: though, as
she hadn't come, the Browns young man
of the society paper labored under a de-
fusion. The match making dowagers
did not fear this modest, pretty, and
we'll cultured young woman, for the
gilded youth. who were also lying in
wait for Miss Bolsover, much more gilded,
did not dangle in her train. Indeed. she
had no train. Her business was to look
after her poor old grandfather, who was
not in good health, and with whom the
waters seemed to agree. Didymus Dodd,
who had scraped an acquaintance with
old Scamper, as the fellows irrever,
emily called him, seemed to be her
admirer: Didymus was nobody. He
was well-made, tall, handsome. and
of good address; but he was only an
upper clerk in a Philadelphia insurance
company. To be sure, he would be
superintendent after January, vice Hig.
gins. retired and superannuated, and
would then draw a salary of $4,000 a
year. But no one knew that, and the
possible good fortune to poor Miss
Scamper; and had they known, five
thousand a year vas no great matter. Sc
the field was left to poor Miss Scampel
and welcome.
Didymus only began paying attentions
to Miss Scamper out of courtesy, ano
because no one else did; but the more
he saw of her the moro
he liked her, and it ended in his being
badly hit. AS he and she were the only
~impecunious people at the old and old
fashioned ~resort-the other visitors
counting their dollars we'll up in hun
dred thousands-thc matter attracted at
t%ention, and by way of getting both ou'
of the way of manageable sons anC
daughters, scheming mothers lent TIT
affair all the quiet encouragement posi-
BILE. And this passed into a more active
nature from two little incidents that oc
CURED about ten days before the emf
of the two months vacation O.
Didymus.
There was a Mrs. De Nys'
at the Springs, who was we'll
known as an amateur vocalist of merit
and whose voice, though a little read,
in the upper notes, had been trained 81
we'll as to make her worth a hearing
One evening, when a few were in thu
parlors. her friends besought her t.
favor them, and so on, and she expressed
her readiness, but there happened to b'
no ~accompanist. Miss Scamper. wht
was chatting near by with Didymus
looked up, and quietly said, "Perhap
I can serve that way, Mrs. De Nyse."
"Can you play at sight, Miss ~Scamper?'
inquired Mrs. De Nysc.
Miss Scamper nodded assent, and seated
herself at the piano-forte, and accom-
panied the voice with such good judg
ment that the singer was delighted.
81 wish | could carry you about Will
me, my dear" she said. but do yo'
not sing2 You surely must"
GA little
Urged by all around, Miss Scamper, t
her W accompaniment, sang an ari;
from ell Trovatore." Her voice PROVED
10 be a rich soprana, of full register, clea
as a silver bell, and admirably cultivated
There was a moments pause when sh
had done, as though not to lose a note
and then a storm Of applause.
Here was a sensation. Evcrybod,
talked of her method. and the gildct
youth were in raptures. The mamma
conferred, and concluded that Mis-
Scamper was a member of some churcl
choir, or attached to some English opcr;
troupe, who knew Dutthey were civil
There was a party going ever to Almont
Colonel Parisfalls place, next day
Would she 60? Shml5Rnted. Didymu
said to her in a loWTHce:
st is a riding party, Miss Scampcr.
know the best horse in the livery-stabl
here, and if you'll permit me, I'll secur'
it for you"
To which she replied in the same tone
"Thank you, Mr.. Dodd; you are yer,
kind but Ihaye one at command already
Get that for yourself"
Somewhat rebuffed, Didymus cclorea
but she added, mine shall not disgrac
you," which was q distinct intimatiol
that she expected him as escort. Tn
spirits of Didymus rose from zero t.
blood-heat.
The next morning, as the riders wer
ready to start, a groom, known to be on
of Colonel Parsifall's, rode up, leading
magnificent blooded bay horse, equipped
with a ~side-saddle. AS they were admir-
ing the animal, Miss Scamper, in a nea
riding-habit, made her appearance. TIL
groom took off his hat. Didymus, not
little astonished, put forth his hand, ant
the lady vaulted to the back of the hors
with easy grace. The cavalcade set out
Miss Scamper and Didymus together
and being better mounted than the others
were o o at the head of the column.
About a mile from the Springs Their
was a bar in the way. \ lofty tulip. tire
had been blown down during the night
and had fallen &C IS the road, the trun]
we'll up on accouA. of the wide roots
Some one had already cleared n way b.
lettinp down fences on the road side: bu