The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-06-22
But Miss Webb hardly noticed them,

But Miss Webb hardly noticed them,
| and even forgot to make her usual
comment on "Mandy's slack way of
bringin' up children She fdgeted
nervously until it was tima TO take the
30 train back to Daneville.
When she stepped out of the car ut
the Danevile station. she noticed with
surprise that little group of her neigh
borS was standing on tie usually de-
serred platform. Deacon Farrar came
forward 20 meet her.
Miss Webb he said. in srpul-
chral voice, "somethin' tcrrible's hap
p2ned.'
LET me tell her. cried the G"acon'S
wife. clbowin@ her way to the front.
a man don't know how to break
things to a body. Lily. the Traffords'
fence is all burnt down. They think
one Of the men workin' OIL the road
must have left his pipe on il. and it
got set that way. Anyhow, it's gone.
And the wind came up to blow. and
the house caught, and it's burnt to the
ground"
Land g Goshen" cried little Miss
Foss, the village dressmaker, "she's
goin' to faint clean away, I do believe"
Miss Webb's face had turned white,
and she was swaying back and forth
with tensely clasped hands.
"Oh," she moaned, Il never thought
of such 4 thing. How could fence
so far off from everything have set fire
to the house? And me member Of
the Orthodox Church"
There, therew said the deacon,
soothingly. "Of course it's dispensa-
ton. Miss Webb. but do try to lear UP.
1t had to be one house or The other.
If the wind hadn't changed, the Traf-
fords' house would have gone stead
of yours
"The Traffords' house" gaspcd Miss
Webb. "Do you mean to tell me that
it's my house that's burned down an
not theirs"
"'Tis So" said Miss Foss. Didn't
we tell you:"
4 light came into Miss WeDDs eyes
and she burst into tears.
Thank Heaven she sobbed.
"She went clean out of her mind"
said the dcacon's wife, afterward. Il
never before in my life saw Lily shed
4 tear
A few days later young Mrs. Trafford
drove over to Mrs. DAVIS in South
Daneville, and asked to see her sister.
Miss Webb came down at once to the
best room, where her visitor was wait
ing. and as she entered she held out
her hand.
Mrs. Trafford took it cordially. al
though with some surprise, and they
sat down side by side on the haircloth
sofa.
Il have come" said Mrs. Trafford,
Sravely, with a proposition from my
father-in-law, which 1 hope you will
accept. l need not tell you how sorry
we both are for your misfortune, and
especially that it should have been
caused by our fence. But since that is
the case. Mr.. Trafford is very anxious
to rebuild your cottage on the same
site. And I can assure you that the
fence has gone forever" she added,
with a smile. Miss Webb had been
fumbling in her pocket all the time
Mrs. Trafford had been speaking, and
she now held out an envelope, stamped
and addressed to Mr.. Trafford.
81 can't take it," she said, husklly.
"Taint due me. I had good insur-
ance on my fouse, enough to get along
on with what I've got in the bank.
That fire was all my own fault. 1
saw the pile lyin' there, and 1 saw
the post all charred and burnin'. 1
knew the fence would go. I hoped it
would: but. Mis- Trafford, 1 never
thought Of it's settin' fire to anything
else. It's me that's got to pay you for
the fence; and here's the money.
Please give it to Mr.. Traffora and tel
him it was all my own fault"
But Mrs. Trafford could be as stub-
born as Miss Webb. "The fence wasn't
worth paying for" she said.-Iouth's
COmDaniOn.