The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-13
y E. E. C. ROBBINS.
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Don't you notice anything new,
Eleanor" asked Mrs. Amelia Bates,
pausing in her preparations for
church, and watching her niece mar
rowly.
"Wh no, I don't know that I do,
except the things you showed me
when 1 first came" replied the young
lady, as she quickly ran her eye over
the familiar furniture of the room.
"Oh, it isn't anything in the
house." said Aunt Amelia, "or on
the place, either" she added, follow
ing her niece's glance out of the win
dow and toward the barn, where
Uncle Andrew was engaged in "har
messing up"
-, II was in hopes you would notice
it the first thing" she went on, in a
tone of disappointment. "I've kept
it for a kind Of surprise. OF course
you are used to them in the city, and
not having been here lately over Sun
day, I suppose you've forgotten about
our old me-. Still I should have
thought"
Come, aunty," interrupted Flea
nor, with a laugh, hadn't you better
tell me what you are talking about?"
WELL, I will if you will give me
"a chance" replied Mrs. Bates. ITO
begin at the beginning, it so hap
pened that I was spending the after
noon with Mrs. Tyler, the minister's
wife, when he came home with that
letter from Mr.. Perkins. Mr.. Per-
kins? Why, he is the New York
gentleman that was boarding at
Pixies last summer. Well, in the
letter he said that he should not be
able to come to Greenhill again for
some time, if ever, but he ventured
to show his appreciation of Mr..
Tyler by a little enclosure. This is
a personal gift he went on to say,
and I want you to use it in the way
that will give you the most salts
faction The little enclosure that
he spoke of turned out to be a check
for three hundred dollars.
1.-THE minister took it as quiet as
~ NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. checks were
everyday affairs, but Mrs. Tyler she
dubbed right over. That money is
going into the travel fund.- says she.
Then she explained that they have
been putting by little extra change
that came in-wedding fees and the
1ike-hoping that some day Mr.. Ty-
Ter could go abroad. 1t almost seemed
as if she wanted to begin to pack his
yalise right OFF.
But the minister Gained her
down. He said he should have to
think of it a little. In the mean
time, Sister Bates says he, perhaps
we will say nothing about it outside
"Well, I can keep a secret as well
Sz.ssthe next one, but I guess Mrs.
Tyler must have dropped a word to
that isn't so close-mouthed
as I am, for somehow a story did
get around that the minister had had
a windfall, and was going abroad.
But I heard nothing definite until
last Thanksgiving day. 1 was hurry
Sing my work that morning, and was
sjust thinking it was about time for
lime to change my gown for church,
when all at once-now, Eleanor, do
you mean to say that you haven't
noticed anything yet? Don't look,
but listen!"
"Why, aunty," cried the niece, in
sudden recognition Of a fact that had
been vaguely present in her con
seriousness, cts the c~hurch-bell!
1t sounds different"
: II guess it does" said Mrs. Bates,
complacently; and she stood listen
ing in rapt attention. II guess it
does" she reported, land it didn't
: take me so long to sense it that
| Thanksgiving morning. I didn't
know just how to account for it, but
the minute I heard it I connected it
In my mind with that three-hundred-
dollar check. You see, Mr.. Tyler
never could get reconciled to our old
lbell. He said that the ringing of
the church bell of a Sunday ought
to be the sweetest of music in the
peoples ears-an invitation and a
seeRg Of praise. And he allowed that
our bell didn't sound like either. l
doubt If it would have pleased him
! even when it was new, and it was
cracked long before he came here.
well, there was about the biggest
aggregation that morning that
Yer saw on a Thanksgiving day, and
f course everybody vas wondering.
asst before the sermon Mr.. Tyler
aid, in his quiet way, that the
generosity of a friend-Mr. Perkins,
Iof New York-had enabled him to
provide a surprise for his people, in
the shape of the sweet-toned bell that
Hhad summoned them to the Thanks
| giving service. 1t seemed that Mr..
Tyler had bought the bell, and had
A.arranged for a couple of men to drive
lover with it from Cushoe the night
before and hang it unbeknownst to
anybody except John Miles, the SEX
ton. There is considerable of the
boy to our minister, you see, and heis
quite a hand to plan surprises.
\ "Of course the people generally
we're pleased, and if it hadn't been
n church I guess there would have
been some applause. AS it was, An
brew was twisting and hitching about
bill through the sermon, and as soon
hs it was over he hoped up and
moved a vote of thanks to Mr.. Per-
sins for his generous and timely gift.
When that was done he looked as
satisfied as if he had given the bel
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