The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-10
A APATCHWORK QUILT.

from falling out Win ettch oliAei 4O4iS
enough at a time.
But Charity was pretty and liked to
fiirt-at leas: Bob thought she did
and Bob was jealous, especially, OF
Jake Hargood.
Il don't care for him, Bob" Chari-
ty said once, glancing up at him, with
soft depreciation, from under her
curled brown lashes.
Then tell him so, said blunt Rob.
What a big silly you are, Rob.
she answered. He might say | better
wait till he asked me 10 care. The
time to refuse anything is when 1t IS
offered.
But Rob shook his head, and failed
to see the logic of this.
Better let him know before he does
ask" he said, sagely.
Notwithstanding this good advice,
Miss Charity very reprehensively went
buggy-riding that same evening with
Jake Eargood. But as she tied On
her hat and smiled at the pretty vision
of blue ewes, corn-silk curlS and baby
pinkness in the looking glass, the
thought of Rob did come up and
trouble her peace and her conscience:
Hes a dear boy, said she, ''and
it's too bad to be treacherous to him;
but it shall be the last time. After
this evening III reform right straight.
But the ''last time often proves the
fatal one time too many.
Rob saw them as he was driving up
the COWS from pasture, went home IN
a rage, and did not &C near Charity
that week
'sReckon you're about to lose yer
beau, Charity" said Aunt Hulda
Pitcher, who dropped in one day to
borrow yeast cake. Il hear tell
how Rob Redwood is going off to the
Injies or some sich furrin place, to
stay with a uncle"
''Lawsy." said good Mrs. Meadows,
concernedly. Il hope not. That's
awful hot land. He'll get plum
scorched up yaller.'
''Oh, I reckon he won't stand no
chance of that, " replied Aunt Hulda,
cheerfully. ''Betwixt the wild ami
miles and the savages. he'll git eat be-
fore he gifts scorched.
Anything at all ''furrin" necessarily
embraced cannibals and wild beasts in
Aunt Hulda's mind.
81 don't believe it, said Charity.
to herself. II don't think Rob would
make up his mind to 60 off there with
out letting me know about 1t.
But the next day Rob's mother was
over.
Charity saw her from window
where she was sitting, busily engaged
in putting squares of patchwork to-
gether with blocks of pink and white
muslin for quilt
She was going to have a quilting
the next day, and had not quite
finished her own work on it; so she
did not go down stairs now, but she
could hear the conversation on the
porch below.
This here they're a-tellin about
Rob a-goin' off to the Injies amt true,
is ita" Mrs. Meadows asked, as she set
out the big cushioned rocker for her
visitor.
Eyes, shouldn't wonder if it was"
returned Mrs. Redwood, shaking her
black sunbonnet dolefully. His I'm
Gle 'Lijah, he got rich out there, and
wants him to come mighty bad, and
he amt plum made up his mind,
but he's a-studyin' about 1t consldera-
ble."
s'Shucks. hate to see him a-goin
off there. He'll get baked to crisp.
I low to tell him so. I s,pose him
and Tilie'll be over to Charitys party
tomorrow
.'Tillie will, replied Mrs. Redwood.
81 do'no whether Rob will Or not.
Ee says maybe he might and maybe
he mightn't It'd depend on circum-
stances"
Now, that's too bad of Rob-, said
Charity, dropping her head on the
window sill and brushingaway sud
den tear with square of patchwork,
when he's went and stayed away so
long already. He's just right cruel to
me! But if he don't want to come to
my party he needn't, and III dance
with Jake Hargood till drop on the
floor"
According to the Higginsville eti-
quette regulating outings, the ladies
usually assemble in the morning, and
on the principle of duty before pleas
ure, devote themselves wholly to the
task of getting the quilt done.
BY the time that is accomplished,
the young men begin to drop in, and
so continue to do until dark, when
1.-The fiddler" arrives, and the grand
fun of the occasion commences.
The morning of the quilting while
Miss Tilie Redwood was embellishing
her charms as betitted the occasion,
her brother Rob sought the privacy
of the smoke-house, there TO address
himself to the business Of writing
note to Charity.
After an hours hard work ne wiped
his perspiring brow and surveyed the
following:
DEAR CHARITY: I want every
thing to be settled tonigh: for good
and all. If you care for me more than
for Jake Hargood, and will drop him
and set our wedding day, send word
by Jimmy Tibbs before night, and Ill
come to your dance too happy to live,
for you don't know how good love
you. If you're ordecided-like and
want to stick to Jake, don't send no
word nor look for me- III 60 to the
Indies, and don't keer if I scorch and
all s'rivel up and die.
Your loving ROB.
''P. S.-Please send Jimmy quick if
it's yes. I'm awful narvous-ike.
''Look-a-here, Tillie, said Rob,
waylaylng his sister at the gate as she
was setting out for the feStal gather
ing, you give this here note to Char
ity, but not till you find her alone.
You hear
Il hear, said Tillie, securing the
note in her blue bprdcred handker-
chief, which she tucked through her
he1f land all richt -