Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-02-18

J
me, he did, Fetch the doctor in time,
Teddy, Ct it kills your horse an hisn,'
All knowed be meant it too"
'Is dee sent fer Miss Sairey an Miss
Alioe2" Luce demanded. Again Teddy
nodded. "You bet they're thar, large
as life," he said; then. with u sudden
snigger, Il oughter not say it at sech er
time but Joe's dead ef it don't console
Mrs. Winfold er heap fer her grief ter
know that now she can see all that g in
side Louizy's bureau drawers.
"S-h.h Here comes Miss Alice" one
Of the white customers said as Luce
smothered giggle. The stores back
door stood wide, and through it he had
seen Mr.. Topmark's niece, the daugh-
ter Of his widowed sister, walking
across tho grass, with her handkerchief
to her eyes She was plump, pale
girl, with big, appealing eyes, who had
no claim to beauty, though she was
never less than good looking. She had
soft, fine hair, thick and Of pale flax
Ell brown. The eye color matched 1t cx-
aotly, and there was tone Of tho same
indebtedness in the thick, smooth skin.
Her hands We're soft and small, but had
fingers that forgot to taper If her fig
ure was full Of soft curves, it lacked the
grace Of plant motion.
Everybody liked her, she was SO neat
and smooth and had such O way of
stroking you right. Her mother, Mrs.
Winfold, had tongue and temper of
her own. but her daughter was the
cream Of amiability. AS such she was
first in the neighborhood's heart, espe-
cially tho feminine and elderly mascu-
line part Of it. So there was respectful
sympathy in all eyes when she said be-
tween sobs:
"Sho's-gone! Poor, poor, dear, good
Aunt Louizy! Oh, what shall we-do-
without her? Oh, Mr.. Barton-I can
Observation-Disclosures Ben says
will you please send for-Colonel Tai
bot9 Somebody must-see after things
and poor uncle is so heartbroken
"I'll send right off," Teddy began
briskly, though there was choke in his
throat Glancing up the road. no hur-
ried on: "Oh, no need ter send. Thar's
Jack now, All he'll do better'n the colo
nell"
1T was so kind Of him to come"
Miss Winfold said, wiping her eyes,
There was a gleam of satisfaction at the
bottom Of them. Perhaps that was why
she held them docorously downcast,
while tall, slim young fellow crossed
the porch, hastily clasped her hand and
said huskily:
II SEQ it Is true-the i'll news we
heard Father bade mo como at once
Tell me, please, is there anything We
or anybody can do for poor Mr.. Top.
mark?"
"You can do everything" Miss Win
fold said. her sobs breaking out afresh.
"Do como to tho house and SEQ poor un-
Gle. Oh, 1t is so torriblel To think only
yesterday poor Aunt Louizy'-
Jack $ eyes grew dim. He came OF a
strain too brave not to be tender. His
father, Colonel Talbot of Luray planta
tion the rich Van of Walnut Greek be-
fore tho war, had como homo from the
fighting with only life and honor. AS
bravely as he had fought he tried to
face the new conditions, but for that he
had not strength. Debt had piled on
debt. He must have been swamped but
for his son Jack who gave over all
thought Of college and at II took upon
himself the management Of affairs That
was eight years back. Now Luray was
full of prosperous thrift, very nearly
tho model place it had been under tho
old regime.
1t lay upland from Topmark's and
adjacent to it. Mrs Winfold's little
farm, which her brother managed along
with his own, sat snugly in the angle
of the two wider holdings The Win
folds were indeed the nearest women
neighbors of Mrs Talbot, gentle, mar
row, motherly woman. good and sweet
to the core, yet full Of small, spiny, So
cial prejpdices. They were not those OF
caste, else she would never have toler-
ated the WinfolGs. Old Mr.. Topmark
had been an ovcrscer until, after the
fashion of his sort, he invested his saw
ings in negroes and set up for himself.
He made hard, driving master, and
oven after the loss Of his slaves had a
pretty penny in hand when he came to
die But tho late unlamented Winfold
made holiday job Of spending his
wife's share of it. Then he had the good
taste to die and leave his wife and two
daughters to Mr.. Topmark's care.
Very excellent care it was. Tho most
captious admitted so much. In fact, this
care for his helpless kinfolk covered,
with Mrs. Talbot and her like, multi
tude of commercial sins. 1t was unlike
ly, they thought and said, that Benja-
min Topmark would so look out for peo'
pie completely at his mercy if he were
the hard, gripping, unscrupulous man
common report made him out to be.
Mrs. Winfold herself 80 incessantly
voiced her gratitude and thanks for all
her mercies that even her near friends
could not help but laugh over big Matt
Taylor's saying:
"When Mrs. Winfold says her pra 'ers,
why, the Lord he amt nowhar's at all
compa. .ared ter her brother"
Walnut creek, you see, ran through
middle Tennessee county where at the
era of this chronicle the old social order
was breaking and the new was not yet
firmly established. For the most part its
indwellers came Of Virginia or Carroll
ma stock. and among the uppermost of
them there was q potent belief in blood
and breeding. There was, too, the finc
courtesy evolved by the old conditions,
sort Of obligation Of nobility to be
kindly oonsiderate of those less we'll
placed in life. Innocent herself Of social
wiles as she was free of social guile, it
never occurred to Mrs. Talbot that any
ulterior purpose lay back of Mrs. Win
folds words or actions, not even when