The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-30
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T0~ sovereigns between them
Moreover, she had only given eighty
guineas for the mare. Who will be
astonished, therefore, that she found
the news of her bargain quite an
agreeable adjunct to her breakfast that
morning?
Mrs. Trapaud was woman OF
some humor; when her husband died
she met friend-a man also of some
humor-who knew as all the world
knew, and as Mrs. Trepaud had never
.pretended to hide, that the marriage
had been the reverse to happy. He
looked at her weeds with a compre-
hending smile.
"Got your divorce at last?" he said.
"Yes, and in the higher courts, too, "
Isbe replied.
Mrs. Trepaud was always equal to
any occasion.
When Trepaud died his widow car
fied on the work of his life; she con-
inued to breed his horses. Not so
tnuch, be it understood, from any
ouching sympathy with the dear de-
arted as from sound conviction
pay. And she did.
! 1t was strange household composed
\ of antiquated serving men and wo-
Amen who had been begotten and born
in the estate, and in whom the last
xpiring breath of feudalism fingered
Is though dying hard. Trepaud left
i 20 heir. and these farm and stable
hands, these domestic serving maids,
were Mrs. Trepaud'S children. She
Hpsed and physicked them when they
equired it. she rubbed their backs
when the rheumatism got importunate:
she scolded, she praised, rewarded and
blamed and they loved her.
But as in every household there is
| one black sheep, so in this patriarchal
family there was one strangeling. Dan
iel-he had no other name-had not
&been born and bred on the estate; he
had not even first seen light in the
village; no. not within ten leagues Of
it the gossips said. He came from
practically nowhere, it was so very far
away. On winter nights, when the
evenings were long and dull, the
younger ones-for age was mere mat
ter Of comparison in the Thepaud
household-wonld coax old Mrs. Good
heart to tel again the story of how
Daniel first came to the hall.
lit were a wild. bleak night, jest
Esich a one as this" the old housekeep-
- &r would begin.
"And the wind were bowling in the
chimbley, we knows" would interpo-
bate an irresponsible voice.
will ye niver learn to hould per
tongue, then, and not interrupt the
story?" a chorus of voices would pro-
test, and then, Mrs. Goodheart, having
duly allowed herself to be appeased,
the story would drag out its slow, IA
miliar existence punctuated with
"ohs" and t.ahs" and there news" that
had become sanctified by custom into
d sort of rite. But the reader who does
not know what three hundred and six
tS-five days spent on a midland horse
farm situated a good twenty miles
from anywhere on the map can be like
would hardly appreciate the art with
which Daniels history was told. so
we will offer brief and more modern
up-to-date sketch that shall state the
plain matter in a nutshell.
One Christmas eve quarter OF a
century ago the hospitable glare of a
fire that not only could roast an OK.
but was actually doing so, attracted a
little ragged follow, who was tramping
along the high road in search of a
nights lodging. One of the keepers
found him in the fir plantation and
dragged him after him till they stood
= in the glare of the freight before The
paud, his wife. and the assembled
household. Questioned, the little, fel'
low said his name was Daniel; he was
q founding and had been put out to
l~Seryice with a drunken carpenter
= froff whom he had run away. He had
got as far>north as this in barge
along the canals and had worked al
whatever came to his hand for all the
food and lodging that charity had not
given him. Trapaud liked the lads
face and took him into his service. He
was honest and industrious, he had ris
en- by slow degrees, and now for sever
wears he had been butler at the hall
Daniel took a pathetic pleasure II
hearing his own story recited: it made
\ him feel kind of hero: but there was
always the ever-present ache at his
heart that he bought his proud posi-
ton at the cost of love and fear. He
, was never quite one of them, but Q
thing apart as a man who does moi
know his own surname must ever be
Mrs. Trapaud was habitually careful
about money, never leaving carelessl!
r about any sums. however small. She
never distrusted any Of her people, bu
. she knew the value of the axiom con
cerning the open door. On this partic
ular morning. however, she rang the
bell for breakfast to be cleared while
the hundred and thirty sovereisns were
still lying glistening in the sun upol
the table.
Daniel answered the summons n:
usual and began to clear away. Al
>~he did so his eye fell on the money
and he gave a little. quick, sharF
gasp. Mrs. Trapaud heard it ant
turned to look at him.
"Yes." she said. ''it's lot of money
isn't il. Daniel? One hundred and thlr