The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-09
Ike q man who would ingra,

self with his king or anybodye y. but
as subsequently heard my uI re
mark. It is probable that Henry Will
was q better Judge of women than
men. On the right and left of the FIRE
place were wide staircases which led
up to corridors. The walls were near.
" covered with pictures. chiefly fami.
ly portraits. relieved here and there by
weapons and deers' antlers hung IL
various devices. Doors led out Of the
hall into the dining room. library and
two parlors or reception rooms. and
from these doors to the great entrance
door were laid narrow strips Of carpet
"A highly necessary precaution, for. as
some people have painfully learned. q
frozen lake Is not more slippery than
q polished oak floor. Indeed. I well re.
member when was q young boy the
amusement I derived from peepins
over the banisters Of the staircase to
see my father receive his guest, the
newly appointed Bishop Of Norwich
The Bishop was fat man, intolerably
ceremonious, and with an ever-present
consciousness Of his newly acquired
dignity, but he was unacquainted with
the qualities Of polished oak floors.
Scarcely had this divine crossed our
threshold ere he lay on his back, bran.
dishing his legs rhythmically In the
mir. until restored to perpendicularity
by the united efforts Of my father and
old John.
Ny aunt was greatly interested In
the pictures. and asked more questions
about them than was able to answer.
Nearly half an hour was spent exam
ining the entrance hall. and had to
state plainly that Mt this rate of pro-
gression day would be inadequate
for the accomplishment Of our task,
and to suggest that We paid less 1t.
tention to each object Of interest We
then wandered into the library. care
lessly turned over the old parchments
which still lay on the table. and looked
at the caligraphy and seals; examined
the covers Of many books and the title
pages Of few-treasures. all Of them.
such as would excite the admiration
of the most phlegmatic Of photograph
ers and move not q few Of the tribe to
larceny. including q perfect first copy
Of Grafton's Chronicle. copies Of
Shakespeare's plays printed when their
author was yet writing and acting in
London. early copies Of Spenser and Of
most Of the Elizabethan dramatists,
as well rs many old Bibles, products
Of the early printing presses Of conti-
mental Europe.
These books. worth. as ! afterward
learned, nearly as much money as the
entire Holdenhurst estate. did not in
terest my aunt as much as I had ex-
pected, and We quilted the library and
went into the drawing room.
"What a beautiful face and how
cleverly painted" exclaimed my aunt,
pausing in front Of q portrait by Watts
which had the place Of honor in our
drawing room. II was studying 1t
Just before you came down stairs. OF
course It Is your mother. You are very
like her. Ernest"
The obvious inference from my
aunt's sentence. and her use Of my
baptismal name for tAe first tine dis
concerted me greatly.
On many occasions had I suffered
from q natural proneness to blushing,
but surely my self-consc!ousness had
never been 80 acute as at this mo-
ment. The blood mounted quickly to
my face. I could feel its warmth and
realize the absurdity Of my aspect.
but was unable to think clearly. and
not knowing what to say, remained 81.
lent Ny aunt noticed my confusion
and further remarked
why. I declare. you resemble her
more than everr'
think my aunt must have rcpented
having caused me 50 much confusion.
for she suddenly turned the conversa.
tion. and inquired II any Of my moth.
er's relations were living.
I confessed my inability to answer
this question positively. MY grand.
father was q very unfortunate man."
I said. "He had q large family. but
lost his wife and oil his children ex.
cept one before he was fifty. Dislik.
Ing the home where he had suffered 80
much about five years ago he deter.
mined to settle in New Zealand. and
we have had the farm he used to oc-
cupy still waiting for tenant. He
wrote to my father to inform US Of his
safe arrival there. but he has never
written since. and my fathers letters
to him have. been returned by the post
office as unbelievable"
And what about his remaining
child2"
To be continued.