The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-26

T. 4 oil VI
modern Medea.
The Greytons
lived in pretty old manor house OF
the Bloomingdale road, just a pleas
ant drive out of town.
They liked pretty draperies, and
cultivated rare roses, and painted
lovely little amateur pictures, and
basked, in sort of unthinking way,
in life's sunshine.
They didn't know quite how much
income they had, nor exactly where il
came from. They only knew that
everything was in the hands of "poo,
papa's lawyer-a darling, white.
haired old philanthropist, who was
devoted to the heather, and who Of
fciated as Secretary to half dozer
foreign missionary associations fAnG
whenever they wanted money they
went to him for it.
And one day, when Mrs. Greytor
and her daughter Lila went to the
city Office with bundle of unpaid
bills to get Mr.. birmingham to write
check for them, the door was pad
locked, and little paper notice "Tc
Let" was tackled upon it.
Where had Mr.. Framinghem gone
Nobody knew.
When would he return? Thepublic
was densely ignorant on that subject.
Why had he gone? And in answer
to this question there was very uni
versal struggling of shoulders, and q
whisper about general "smash.up.
Poor Mrs. Greyton! She and Lila
were both as ignorant and inexperi.
enced of the world as a pair of white
kittens, and it was some time before
she could comprehend that Mr.. Fran
ingham was thorough faced villain,
and that she and her little flock were
penniless.
"What shall We do?" murmured
Mrs. Greyton, after she had wept
through her whole supply of pocket
handkerchiefs.
"Couldn't We sell our hand-painted
china?" said Clarice, a swarthy
browed girl of eighteen. 81 de.
signed every piece myself. And Mr..
Favalli said"
"Pshaw!" eurtly interrupted Fen
ella. "Just look at the china stores,
crowded full of far finer work. Poor
Clarie! they wouldn't Epay you the
price of the mineral paint it took to
do them for your plaques and vases. I"
''I can do art embroidery very nice
ly," suggested Mona, tall, shy girl
with liquid black eyes. and ietty hair
growing low on her forehead.
"The embroidery market is over
FULL" said Fenella, who was the incar-
nation of common sense for the fami-
ly. eff you could do housework now,
Mona"
Mona looked down at her slim,
white hands, all sparkling with rings,
and shuddered.
But Bess, the youngest, came bravely
to the rescue.
"The first thing" said she, sis to
send all the servants off except Ann.
We can't afford to pay four girls and
a man any longer"
''But who is to keep the garden in
order," cried Clarie, eff we discharge
the man?"
cit must so without being kept il
ORDER" said Bess, ''or else we must de-
it ourselves. "
"My poor roses!" sighed Mrs. Grey
ton.
"Mamma's roses shall not suffer,
said Lila. 81 will look after then
myself"
"And old Mrs. Playford, who spend:
q month with us every summer?" sale
Mona. "And the Bideoo girls, who
always invite their frienes here to the
midsummer picnics-and all the peo
pie who drive out from the city *
lunches and teas"
"We must make clearance of tht
whole of 'em !" said Fenella, crisply-
"unless, indeed, they would like tc
make business matter of it and pa
their board"
"Oh, Fenella!" cried Mrs. Grey
ton.
"Well, why not, mamma? So ia
as I can see, We haven't got money t
buy our own bread and butter-s
how can We afford to order ices, AIT
frozen puddings, and pates de fol
gras for other people? But if we hat
s regular income, I am almost sure
with AIMS help, that we could set
very nice table for boarders.
Lila looked terrified.
"Mamma," said she, ''has it com
to this?"
Bess frowned savagely.
"Lilla," said she, ''don't be fool
unless you think you would like t.
starve."
And while the family we're still il
committee of-the-whole, old Mrs
Playford's huge, old-fashioned ba
gbuche rumbled up to the door, witt
o Leaning Tower Of Pisa strapped o.
behind in the shape of trunks!
"I'm little earlier than usual, m.
sweet girls" said she, with smil
that revealed the golden hinges of he
false teeth after most ghastl
fashion. ''But the season is in
tolerably hot, and my doctor decla1s
r. <o