Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-03-07

Fannie Lloyd was n very charming
young girl, and would in time be $50 il
was supposed) her fathers heiress
There was, however, strong bond o.
affection existing between Fannie ant
her father, and she desired nothing
more than that his life might be long
spared.
Herbert, the nephew, was II son of the
bankers younger sister; his parents
had been dead some years, and they
had left him little but the name he bore
and poverty, so his uncle had taken hin
beneath his roof, educated him, and
now he was cashier of his bank.
One morning in the early part of Feb
ruary, he was in his accustomed plac,
Mt the cashiers window, when an ap
parently middle-aged man advanced t.
the window: Good morning, Her
bert"
Good morning, Mr.. Hill. Can 1 dt
something for you?"
81 wish to see Mr.. Lloyd, Herbert. Is
he in?"
"Certainly-Andrew," to colore,
porter, "show Mr.. Hill into my uncle.
Office"
This was soon done.
Mr.. Lloyd was seated at his desk, writ
ing, as they entered. "Ah, good morn
ing, Squire Hill. hope see you we'll
how goes all at Orton, how is the mad
am, the fair Clara, and your boys?'
"All well, John, all well-but called
to see you on financial matters to-day
you see, l bought another plantation
last year, something like a couple Of
thousand acres, and that together will
the money 1 paid out for dozen addi
tional negroes, just about cleaned W
my bank account. Present prices dom
justify the sale of rice, and will wan
TO put in this years crop, and rum m,
through the season."
VERY good, squire, you can have It,
the Carolina bank vaults are at youl
command"
Thanks, John, thanks, will proba
bly, not want more than So 900 or $40 900
by the way, why don't you come dow1
and see us? Bring the young folks
Clara told me I must be sure and bring
Fannie back with me-"
II can't spare her to-day, squire, but
we will come down Sunday, with Capt
Harper, on the Sunshine-Andrew, tel
Herbert to honor Squire Hills checl,
for what money he wants-good day
squire"
Good day, Mr.. Lloyd, we'll look fol
you Sunday" and Abner HILL. the owner
of Orton, the largest rice plantation in
the Carolinas, and 100 negroes, walked
out into the bank, drew check fol
what money he needed, pocketed the
same. and took his departure.
After paying number of calls tc
various merchants around town, the
planter proceeded to the wharf, and
took the steamer to Orion. AT the land
ing he was met by Cudgo, one of his
negroes, with saddle horse, which he
mounted and rode home, while Cudgo
with team, followed on with divers
bundles and packages.
The family Of Abner Hill consisted OF
himself and wife, Clarence, the elder
son of %, Thomas, the second son, who
was at the military academy Of West
Point, and an older daughter, Clara
who was 1s years Of age.
Abner Hill belonged to one Of the old
time families Of the state, and his plan.
tation and negroes had largely de.
scended to him from his father, as had
they indeed from father to son, fol
several generations; each adding to the
broad acres of the ancestral home, anL
to the number of slaves, until now many
thousand acres were included in the
tract, which consisted, on the lowlands
Of the river, of vast rice fields, which
were hemmed in on the one side by al
immense dyke that fronted the river
for many miles, keeping off the salt wa
ter of the Atlantic, which at flood It'd,
would otherwise have converted tn,
fertile fields into an inland sea.
While on the other side, some two
miles from the river front, the surfac,
of the earth gradually arose, and fol-
a full mile width was q sloping ridge
which then descended to what woult
have been vast plain, but for the fac
that here grew in all their grandeur
the yellow pines of the Carolinas-
rearing their heads aloft, while theil
green boughs bent beneath the pressure
of the sea breeze, which comes moan
ing, whispering through them, and TIL,
words seem to come wailing from tn,
green treetops:
Look at our SCARED and hacked
sldes-we are yielding up our life bloc,
year by year. Mingo and Caesar, Pom
pey and Ben are hacking us to death TO
the turpentine, the rosin and the pitcl
that we eontain-it is our blood! gu
life bloodl and when you have sappe,
it all, our green boughs will wither-
you will then level us to the earth, am
saw us into lumber at the mi]ls-evel
as all die, SO die we to satisfy the neve
ending wants of man."
The Manor house at Orion was a fin
residence for the times, it stood OH tn
ridge some 300 yards from the edg
Of the rice lands. Stretching away t
the right was long row Of negr
cabins, while to the left stood the barns
stables, carriage houses and rice mil
md over the ridge and on the bank o
Orion creek was the sawmill, thi
same creek supplied the water witt
which ut certain seasons of the yea
the rice fields were flooded.
Arrived at the house, waiting negr
took the squirrels horse, and he 'strod
up on the piazza; at the door he wa
met by his daughter, beautiful CIR
with large black eyes, and an abundan
head of hair, hanging in ringlets clea
to her shoulders.
"oh, father; you did not obey m,
ORDERS"
Come here, child, and give your oil
father o kiss; Lloyd and Herbert an
Fannie will be down on the Sunshine
Sunday; now tell ne. child, which wi
you be the most pleased to 0ee2 m
friend, John Lloyd, the coy Fannie, o
Nephew Herbert2 All, child, you ar
young lady now, and young ladie
catch beaux, and beaux catch wives
All, Clara"
well, father, I'll never set my net t
catch Herbert Lathrop for beau, an
he need never set his to catch me 70
a wife, for he Is a young man nc
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