The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-06-05
LIZZIE'S ELOPEMENT.


But there was no an>werto her call,
nor did the door open.
Lizzie. Elizabeth she called more
sharply this time.
But still there was no reply, and
she went back into the kitchen with
a vexed look, and began to beat an
omelet for breakfast.
The outer door opened, and Deacon
Blake came briskly in from the gar
den.
'sFine morning" he remarked as
he looked cheerfully around. "lfthis
kind O weather continues there IL be
plenty of strawberries in L day or two.
Some of EN- are beginning to turn al
ready. Breakfast ready. Cassie.
No answered his wife, somewhat
petulantlv; $ and not likely to be this
fifteen minutes. I've had all the work
on my own hands this morning.
where's Liz"
Not come down yet, and its near
" Z o'clock. She's getting lazier
every day, and we allow her to have
her own way too much.
Il s'pose she's tired out with the
frolic at Cynthy's last night. Let her
have what rest she needs.
s'She's had as much as is good for
her by this time, I guess. Here Pat
ty," turning to small help, who was
bustling about the kitchen, very much
in everybody's way. Run up stairs
and wake her. She can be ready IN
time for breakfast, as it's so late today.
Where's Tom?,'
'sNot back from the mill yet Time
he should be, said the deacon looking
from the window
Patty, in her zeal, dashed up stairs
like small tornado
They could hear her rafting the
door knob and calling:
Miss Lizzie. Miss iz'beth. Yer
aunt says to git up. It's mos seven
o'clock, and breakfus' mos ready.
No answer came.
Then followed an irregular drum
ming on the door, and Mrs. Blake,
with an anxious face, turned to her
husband.
s.Joseph, hope there's nothing the
matter with Liz Why don't she an
swer?"
Patty came running down with big
eyes
'sPlease m, Ican't wake her, and the
doors bolted.''
Before Patty had concluded Mrs:
Blake was half way up stairs, followed
by her husband
''Lizzie.' he called in stentorian
tones which would have awakened
the soundest sleeper.
Then, after pausing for an answer,
he said, hurriedly:
cassie, haveyou a key that will un-
lock this door? No? Then run down
auckland bring up my basket OF
tools.
His hands trembled a little, as with
the assistance of the tools he piled op-
en- the door-no difficult task, as the
lock was slight.
His wife stepped hastily within the
room, and uttered an exclamation at
once of relief and alarm.
''She isn't here The bed hasn't
been slept in. Why, Joseph, she
hasn't been home all night"
Mr.. Blake stared round blankly as
he took off his hat and wiped the
drops from his brow.
s'Mebbe," he said 'mebbe she's
stayed all night over to Cynthy's.'
'sWhy should she2 It isn't far,
and there was nothing to keep her. "
UNLESS she was sick, he suggested,
anxiously.
an that case they'd have let US
know last night"
Mrs. Blake suddenly paused, and as
suddenly sank into chair.
Joseph, hope-I hope it ism t that
young man from the city-that Or
Vile Parker. you know"
'::Why. Cassandra, she'd never
think of such a thing
'sShe might. There's no knowing
what Liz would do when she's in one
of her freakish moods. Parker was
desperately attentive to her when he
first came here, but she didn't care to
have anything to do with him, SO he
went over to Elvira Jane. But lately
she seems to have been encouraging
him, and she and Tom had pretty
sharp talk about it Sunday night,
when Parker walked home with her
from church. I took Toms side-I
never could abide that stuck up city
clerk-and Liz got veNed, and said
she'd marry whom she pleased, and
that if we didn't want her here she
could support herself in the city-for
that Parker had told her there were
elegant young ladies of good families
and education employed in the stores
there"
seAnd what did you say"
Il was vexed, and said she could go
when she'd mind to; but of course
she knew / didn's mean it.
How could she know that? Cas-
sic, Cassie, I've warned you more than
once or twice that your impatient
temper would bring trouble at last.
Elizabeth is like what her poor mother
was-proud and easy hurt. And she'd
not been long enough with us since
her mother died to get familiar with
your little irritable ways, and to know
that at the bottom there's a good and
true woman's heart Cassie, doubt
but you've driven the poor child off. ;"
Mrs. Blake burst into tears.
What's to be done, Joseph. God
knows, Lizzie is as dear to me as if she
was my own And did hope. She
added, in lower tone-'I did hope
to be able to call her mine some time.
Tom"
And here she choked and burst into
fresh sobs.
''Yea, yea: Tom will be dreadf1Ily
cut up by this" said the old man,
slowly shaking his head as the two
proceeded down stairs. But | wish
he'd hurry home now, for until he
comes I hardly know what's to be
done"
''Hadn'twe bettersend over to Gym
thia's: Maybe they'd know something