Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-01-30
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this period of her life. Once,

this period OF her lie. Once,
it is said, at an accepted
suitor's jealous remonstrances, she
slipped his ring from her finger,
tossed the costly bauble through the
open window, and left the wretched
man, metaphorically, to follow. She
quarreled with another only few
days from the altar, and distributed
the costy trousseau, the talk of the
country, among her servant girls.
And SO they went, all these traditions
all OF them telling how she and
wealth and wit and beauty and inso.
lent pride were one--she whose all
was now within the four walls of q
room over q barber's shop;
Old Christ Church had again come
into fashionable favor, and its sittings
were in demandS so much had been
done for il by the presence of . new
and young assistant rector and d sur
pliced choir. Years had passed since
rent had been paid for the Inskip
pew, yet no one had thought to ques-
tion Miss Lavinia's right to sit there.
To-day her generation was fast thin
ming out. The old rector was abroad ;
Miss Layinia's pew was wanted, and
tho young assistant, calmly assuming
the prerogatives and duties OF the
sleepy and inert vestry, saw no reason
why it should not be taken. There
were numerous single sittings
vacant, he reasoned, and in
a prettily worded note to Miss
Lavinia he intimated as much, at the
same time neglecting to mention the
matter to his vestry.
Did Miss Lavinia ever receive that
note? 1t would have been hard for
those to decide who saw her walk into
church that next Sunday, her India
shawl SO adjusted on the sloping
shoulders as to make the best display
of the old silk dress, her slender hands
folded on the faded velvet prayer book,
her once auburn hair streaked to a
yellow gray, but her eyes as bright as
in the days of their insolent youth.
With the old stateliness, and just a
touch of the old abandon, she walked
the length of the aisle, and her strong
soprano voice rose in the chant rs
usual, from the cushioned interior of
the Inskip pew.
That week it was whispered around
that q piece of the Inskip burying
ground in the cametery was offered
for sale-that large entrance plot with
it's famous purple beeches, which in
the old days boosted such display Of
flower beds and shrubbery. After
wards it came to light that the young
rector had called on Miss Lavinia that
same week to explain the point, and
to request her to resign her pew for a
smaller one. Miss Lavinia received
his views IN silence, made no protest,
and he left, apparently sure of her &C.
quiescence. Yet on the following Sun
day she took her usual place with an
air which those who knew her recog-
nized as Inskipian, and could have in
terpreted as declaring defiance to the
last degree.
That very week the ground in the
cemetery was disposed of, and the en-
tire proceeds of the sale were protfe1 ed
the vestry of Christ Church in pay
ment of tho debt on the Inskip pew,
to the unbounded astonishment of
that slow-going body. Had the young
minister known of this transaction,
the matter would have ended there )
but as it happened, he did not, Miss
Inskip not considering him at all in
connection with the matter. But in
the meantime, regarding his audience
with her as final, he had signifed to o
new and wealthy parishioner that the
large rental offered for the pew. was
accepted, the details of the arrange
ment to be referred to the yestry at
their next meeting.
About this time two contrary YER
sions of the story began to be whis'
pered abroad. On the following Sun
day, which happened to be Easter
Day, the large congregation felt IN
apprehensive thrill as Miss Lavinia
entered-perhaps intentionally-a lit
tie late. 1t watched her sweep up
the long central aisle, it saw her
stop as she reached the Inskip pew,
filled to the very door with the
family of the rich parishioner, hap
PLY unconscious of the position they
had unwittingly assumed. Here its very
pulse seemed to pause with Miss La
vinia. She stopped. Her face was
deadly pale. The pews on either hand
were filled. She threw her head back !;
she turned to go.
Then the pulse of the congregation
came back with a bound. Judge AL
exander-once the young Richard AL
exander-had stepped into the aisle as
she came down, had met her, was
pointing through the open door to his
empty pew. She faltered, she raised
her glance to his. Could it be tears
in an Inskip's eye. Then she shook
her head, walked with stately haught-
mess down tho aisle of old Christ
Church and out of its doors.
Overcoat deliberately folded upon
arm, silk hat in hand, the Judge closed
the door of his pew and left also.
Throughout the church, here and
there, old members rose and silently
followed his example. The young
reotor stumbled, repeated himself, and
the Easter service went on.
Miss Lavinia lad gone home on