The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-02
CHAPTER IN.
"TIE BEST LAID PLANS O MICE AND
MEN AFT GANG AGLEE."

''TIIE BEST LAID PLANS O MICE AND
MEN AFT GANG AGLEE."
Indian Summer with all its soft lam
guorOus beauty has come to glOrify
| field and forest, town and country
i gorgeous ever shifting panorama Of
green and gold and crimson. :.
The air is heavy with the perfume
Of the late roses in Hannah Hilton's
garden, on this particular morning.
In pretty boudoir, arrayed in q
crimson wrapper with q white silk
girdlc and lovely lace cap that set off
her stately beauty to fine advantage,
Hannah lounges luXuriously, reading
the morning papers and occasionly
holding up warning finger at
noisy parrot Of questionable moral
character, which Horace had pur-
chased of an italian fruit vender.
The papers in the cause against
John Dalrymple had been served.
Neither had Hannah been idle in per-
sonal investigation for in reading
the local news Of country neighbor-
hood as reported by patient pains
taking school-teacher, in the Jones'
boro News she had come upon this
item. "Thcre is q fine quality of
granite on the old Craig place. The
supply seems to be practically mex
hausliblc. If this granite was near
Il city or even u railroad, it might
prove Il perfect bonanza to its owncr.n
Both the local and city press were
enthusiastic over the prospect of 1t
new railway with western terminus.
The line had been surveyed through
the Craig place several years before.
The newspapers were full Of railroad
matters and the very latest item was
to the effect that the road would be
completed at an early date. Horace
and Hannah had driven out to the
Craig property and rode over it and
made up their minds to ut least, have
portion Of it in the settlement with
the present claimant.
John Dalrymple was torn with con-
nicting emotions. His better judg-
ment told him TO settle the matter
without appealing to the law--of a
surety Hannah had nothing to lose
and everything to gain. But
after planning and plotting for years
to see it slip from his grasp without
struggle was. maddening daily, al
most hourly he changed his mind,
one moment he was for compromise,
the next lie decided to stand a suit
but an angel Of mercy in the shape Of
4 newspaper came across his path.
EIe subscribed to one paper-his |
church paper. No county, slate or
national paper cheered his household
now. This church paper happened
to have an article copied from his own
county paper written by the home
editor upon the folly of going to law,
illustrated by the actual case of two
men in Ohio who went to law about
four dollar calf, and the plaintiff, after
carrying it to the Supreme Court, lost
the original calf or four dollars, and
had several thousand dollars in cost to
pay.
John Dalrymple was q very obsti-
nate man, and his only vulnerable
point was his so-callcd religion, which
amounted to a sort Of man-worslip,
i. e., he sat on the front bench and
prayed loudly-was very polite and
really kind to the pastor and acted us
if he thought that so long as lie was
on good terms with the minister, he
was in the path that leads straight to
heaven. John went TO church with
unf;liling regularity, yes, and partook
of the holy sacrament regularly, and
never left Off plotting and scheming to
obtain, in the name OF the law, the i'll
herilance of his dead brothers daugh-
ter. After he read this newspaper
article the idea of Il compromise took
hold of his mind and altho' lie
groaned in spirit, he went at once to
sec Hannah.
She was in her pretty boudoir, roses
OH the table and mantel, magnifi-
cent Mashall Mel Nesting against the
lace ut her white throat and another
cleaning in the lustrous hair. Uncle
John came in and without any cir
cumlocumtion went straight at the sub
iect. He proposed an equal division
of the property, he was very particu-
lar to state that he wished Hannah to
to have fair and square half of the
estate.
II will take the mill property and
the home tract" said he.
"Hold your dealn screamed the
.arrot, behind him.
Uncle John looked around in gully
hotly, then wiping
his face in sanctimonious manner
hat he generally reserved for the big
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