Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-12-22

families who had come TO row the
boats or to join in the good time.
And there were seventeen folded
slips of paper in q little willow basket
on eight stand;" folded because on
one of them was written "Rags''-the
potent sign that made it the winning
slip.
Old Mrs. Jake Hamor spoke sud-
denl;y'. in thin, high-keyed voice,
drawing her little rusty-black shawl
nervously around her STOPPING shout
ders. cit isn't right to draw lots!
I've been talking to the minister, and
he says it's setting bad example to
the young folks, and so It's, for moth
ers in Israel to be gambling for rug
rags"
"rve been thinking, myself, that I
didn't feel to have anything that's so
like gambling take place in my house, f"
said Mrs. Viola Bracey firmly. ST
move hat wo return to the old plan of
going by a b c's. And if there's any
among the first letters that have had
the rags lately, why, maybe they'll
give way to the next letter"
There was a chorus of assent; only
old Miss Saulsbury's and Eunice
Young's assents were feeble; they were
both over seventy, and with initials
so far down in the alphabet it seemed
unlikely that they would ever get the
rags. Mother spoke up real chirp,"
said Leah to hers.if. "She's SO proud
she won't let anybody know how she
wants them rags She looked at her
mother, who sat very near the "light
staud," but in the shadow of the green
paper window shade, and saw that she
was trembling. "Well, I guess they
belong to me fast enough, then, for
I'm the only Al" exclaimed Mrs. Lot
Appleby, "anl sha'n't have to give
them up on account of ever having
had them. I never hooked a rug iu
my life, and I don't know as [ ever
shall, but Fin going to make some
good, solid, braided ones that I've
been needing good while"
Mrs. Lot Appleby was large aud
buxom woman, with q face that was
placid in spite of many lines of care.
Her husband was the most prosperous
man on Barberry Island, aad her sor
Nahum owned part of o coaster, and
expected to so in her MS captain onhis
next voyage.
Mrs. Trull sat next to Mrs. Apple.
by, but her small, worn back was os
tentatiously turned upon her. Whe1
Mrs. Appleby avowed her intentions O
making braided rugs, Mrs.. Tl7al
lookel at her with Mortified exc!a
nation. "I don't expect I am as am
bilious rs house afire," said Mrs
Appleby with little embarrassed
laugh.
:. ."Them that can buy store carpet.
needn't be, said Mrs. Bracey.
And the Sympathetic murmur which
followed this remark showed the es
teen in which Mrs. Lot Appleby wa'
held
AS for little Mrs. Trull, no one bu
her daughter observed her. 1t wa!
generally understood that she wa!
"high- minded" to an absurd degree
and wanted things that people on Bar
berry Island never thought of having
She was amongst the poorest of th'
islanders, too,. for Leander Trull wa
of the kind that, mysteriously "neTe,
seem to get along"
As for the way in. which SIZE lat
openly scorned braided rugs, that say
ored of the old enmity between her ant
Mrs. Lot Appleby.
Grandma Fisher, Mrs. Trulp
mother, had tried to have Grandm;
Hamor, Mrs. Appleby's mother
"turned ont" of the church for knit
ting in prayer meeting. Graudm'
Hamor was of the old Puritan typ
whose Sabbath began at sundown Sat
r;rday night. And she couldn't en-
Jog her meeting privileges unless hel
hands were employed"
Grandma Hamor's godliness re
NAMED unquestioned, and the congre
CATION bore patiently the clicking o
her knitting needles until one evening
Grandma Fischer erose-she Away.
spoke in meeting-aud openly rs
serted that "Satan had come alst
among them" in the person of on,
who worked Sunday.
The warfare that resulted was long
and threatened to divide the church
Grandma Hamor was finally &C
quilted of Intentional wrongdoing, bu
Mrs. Lot Appleby, in those days Of
lively temper-her placidity had COM
only with her ffties--gave Grandm,
Fisher what was locally known as
piece of her mind.
Grandma Fisher died that year re
suit Of the church quarrel, people said
aud her daughter had never forgiven
Mrs. Appleby.
1t was an open secret that younl
Nahum Appleby, when he was athome
had never had eyes for any girl bu
Leah Trull, and it had been remarked
that it would be ga real good chanc
for Leah, but Leah was her mother
loyal daughter, and had never ever
allowed Nahum Appleby to walk hom
with her.
One reckless soul had whispered Il
Mrs. Trull that opinion that Wahur
Appleby. would be "a real good chanc
for Leah;" and the little woman ha
fercely gazed upon Leah, and adiure
her to promise that she would "neve
have anything to say to them that ha
brought her grandmother to he
grave"
Leah had promised, although he
face had whitened while she did sc
People wondered why her family ''gav
in 80 to that little mite of woman;
it was either because of her stron
will, or because she was SO devoted t
them.
ST must say I could have stood
better if it had been anybody ,br
Esther Appleby that got the rags,
said Mrs. Trull feebly, as they entere
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