The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-11-16

Now, you see the nx we are In"
Mrs. Cranston ended.
The young lady was, silent, her fair
brow wrink1ed. 'Why, Mrs. Cranston,
it's simply awfulr' she said after
pause. 1T will never do for it to go
on like this. 1t will be rlinous. Has
the child lost her reason? Why, if be
Is as bad as you say, how on earth
does he happen to be in-in good So
ciety-eyen here:'
Perhaps am not quite fair to him"
Mrs. Cranston admitted, cor to Lydia
either, in not mentioning what has real
| " been in his favor. In the first place,
he is by far the best educated and
most refined young man in the place;
his employer sent him off to college
and gave him extraordinary advan-
tages; then he happens to be great
reader, and Lydia Is, too, you know
yes, he has most remarkably polished
manners and is decidedly good look
ing"
"Oh, and you put that last! How
ridiculousv' Miss Cosby laughed mer-
rily and then suddenly subsided, for
her hostess was looking at her with
panied expression.
"It's no laughing matter, Kitty. We
are in an awful fix. You know how
headstrong Lydia Is, and if she were
! Just to get the idea that we were op-
posing her she'd be worse than ever.
So I knew your influence would be
good. You will bring her back to the
old associations, and In an indirect
| way you can show her the social ad-
rantages Of marrying Governor Tel
| fare"
'.Oh, I can do all that" said Kitty,
"and if she is not a1ready:in love with
this-this nondescript I'll bring her to
ner senses But tell me about him
that's the main thing. What's he like?
How does he conduct himself? Why,
| I can't imagine "a son Of a common
| thief, q lowborn mountaineer, penn1-
less bookkeeper, being even for min
| ute on social footing with the only
child Of Major Cranston-even If you
are living in the baclwoods, out Of all
creation. IF the two were shpwrecked
on q lonely island together I should
think"-Kitty was displaying her fine,
even teeth in a jovial snnile-"that the
very waves would throw up q sort Of
baraer"
'The religious element here governs
everything" returned Mrs. Cranston,
with a patient smile. These good,
Christian people would think we were
awfully stuck up If we refused to ad-
nit worthy young man to our house
| just because his father had gone
wrong; besides, he had established him
self before his fathers trouble. We
simply drifted into the situation, and
things went on till now we don't know
where we stand. But to be perfectly
fair to him, Kitty, he's simply mascu-
line marvel. When I began to fear
him I began to watch for vulnerable
places in his makeup, but I've found
precious few, tell you-precious few.
| You know I've seen good society, #
any Virginia woman has, and I'm go
ing to tell you that I have never met
more polished man in all my he-no,
sir, not in Richmond, nor Boston, nor
| Charleston. 5Ee has actually made me
blush with shame. remember once
disputed his word about one Of Bal
zac's heroes, only to have him prove
that was wrong few minutes later
in the incest manner.
"He happened to be dining here, too,
one night when Bishop Page stopped
over with US on his way to Florida.
There were several young men pres
ent, among them /Tarpley cambridge,
who belongs 70 one Of the very Oldest
families in Georgia and is considered
the catch of the county. Well, he sat
there like stick in the cushion Of his
chair and let Mr. Buckley conduct the
entire conversation with the bishop. In
fact, Bishop Page simply directed most
Of his remarks to Mr.. Buckley, and 1t
really was an intellectual treat He
tripped the bishop up twice, and the
old man flushed, but laughingly ad-
uttted he was wrong. He was most
favorahly impressed with Mr.. Buckley,
and, Of course, T did not enter into
awkward explanations. Yes, his man.
ners could not be improved. he must
have associated with refined people
| when he was off at college. shall
always say that the surest sign OF
gentleman IS for him to put his elbows
on the dinner table without seeming to
do it. I don't say Mr. Buckley puts
his on, but he doesn't sit up Ike
post and not know what to do with his
hands, as some men do. BE acts, even
on occasions like that dinner, as i sucn
things were an everyday affair. The
maid, in passing around the table, aWk-
wardly touched his elbow just as ne
was about to drink from his glass OF
claret and shook some Of the wine out
| on nv best cloth. Now, l once saw
the same thing happen to a man ID
Richmond, and he promptly lad the
blame where it belonged, to acquit him
self Of appearing awkward, but MI.
Buckley treated it with superb 1ndn-
ference. He was telling some story,
and he did not even pause, but, taking
a salt cellar, he poured some OF the
salt on the spot, and as he continued
| to talk he kept rubbing it in as II ne
| hardly knew what he was doing. Inc
| salt saved the cloth from a bad STAIN,
! and it was all done as a prince might
| have done It.
"You know the negroes can never for-
give the poor whites for rising into
prominence, and A1illy, when she was
clearing away the things from the table
that evening, called to me. Come here'
,r, .~-, sba cold with SQeer: