The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-18


This communication was upon a
card, Autographed in the usual man.
ner. with the blanks for names and
! dates filed up in writing. turned it
over in my hand two or three times be-
fore I remembered the circumstances
Of the troublesome old widow who
! was once my companion on railway
journey from London to Bury st. Ed
mund's. OF course I would not go;
there was nothing to consider on that
point, but it at once flashed upon me
that this circumstance would afford
the opportunity 1 desired for sending
old John Adams away out of the house
for the greater part Of the next day
for Chevington lay some five miles on
the other side of Bury, and it would
take messenger at the least six or
seven hours to 60 there and return.
"Tell the messenger am unable to
give my answer now, but will either
come to Chevington tomorrow, as re-
Quested, or send messenger to excuse
me-" I said to the servant, and putting
the card in my pocket continued ny
way to my room.
Yes. thought. this is heaven-sent
opportunity, and will not only spare
me sending to Bury to purchase some
thing I don't want, but will keep the
old man away from the house long
enough to enable me to thoroughly ex-
anime everything in his room.
l opened my window and looked out
upon the garden. The storm was sub
siding, but rain still fell and there
were occasional distant rumblings in
the air. Ny spirit was as perturbed
as nature had been, but unlike nature,
was not tending toward peace. A
vague presentiment, as Of some pend
ing calamity, deeply oppressed me.
Pshaw, unused; what humbugs men
sounded most true and disingenuous;
his indictment of uncle Sam would
have won the sympathy Of any one
who did not know that the old man
ter Of my mothers marriage. And
my own father too, did he not avail
himself Of my grandfathers authority
to effect what he failed to otherwise
achieve, his fair fighting competitor
being his brother? Then there is my
rival-nay, my enemy-Evan Price. All
that fellow said about our family was
true; yet why did he say 1t? Because
a rich and beautiful girl he desires has
preferred me before him; therefore 1t
is he hates me. Again, there is that
ungrateful thief we have housed and
fed for don't know how many years
robbed US Of fortune and sown per-
haps an irremediable enmity between
two brothers. Certainly, but for the /
love Of my Constance should be dis
gusted with the whole world. Life Is
an inexplicable thing. Every man must
fight for himself or suffer extinction.
What difference intercourse with
mankind has made in the language and
views Of my grandfather! Before he
left Holdenhurst he could scarce speak
upon any subject but the seasons and
crops; that is not so now. AS for my
self, I have largely increased my
knowledge and courage, and If not
yet quite happy, 1 must surely be so
soon after 1 have accomplished the
task have come here to do.
That task! l could not get 1t out of |
my mind for one moment. Would that |
this day were over and tomorrow |
come! What triumph my vindication |
Of my uncle's honesty and the sudden |
possession Of large fortune would |
be! There was nothing but to patiently |
endure for awhile this mental strain, |
this chaos of inconsequent thought.
The day wasted slowly. I did not
meet my father and grandfather again
until dinner, which, thanks to the
studied caution of all three present,
passed without reference to any dis
puted subject. In the evening my