The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-06

made no reply to her sisters
speech. Instead she sat there
with her eyes fixed upon
Miss Prissy's face and her thin fingers
picking nervously at her Dress
Haven't got any money! she re.
peated after a pause. Haven't go.
any money left? Why, then--why,
then, we'll have to take it out of thu
savin's bank up to Boston. OF course,
Bradley must go to college. You
know he must, Prissy."
But Miss Prissy shook her head.
You don't understand, Tempy." she
said. II ought to have talked with
you about 1t long ago. l can see now
that / ought to; but, oh, dear, father
always said you was too delicate to
bother with money matters, and I've
been used to takin' all the care my
self, and so I've Jest gone on and on.
worryin' and plannin' and layin' awake
nights until ! can't 60 on any fur
ther. Oh. Tempy." she cried. and the
tears rolled down her cheeks, you
don't understand. The money in the
Boston bank has all gone too. We
haven't got more than $500 left In the
world, and when that's 4one"- She
waved her hands despairingly.
! But still Miss Tempy did not compre-
bend.
"Why, all of 1t can't be gonev' she
said. "All Of the Insurance money and
everything! Why, 1t was $5,OO0!' She
mentioned the sum reverently and In
an awestruck whisper.
4 "Yes," said Miss Prissy, trying hard
not to be inpatient; "yes, twas $1,000,
and father died over ten years ago,
and we've been livin' on 1t ever since"
But $4,000. Prissy! Five thou
sand
"Oh. my soul and body! Anybody'd
think twas million. Jest think, now;
jest think! We've lived on It for pref
ty nigh eleven years; paid for our
clothes and livin' and havin' the house
painted six years ago. and"-
"But 1t needed paintin'."
Needed It! should think it did!
But 1t cost more'n we'd ought to spend.
Jest the same. oh, It's more my fault
than anybody's. Longs father lived
the place was kept up. and you and me
was used to havin' things az good as
our neighbors, and I went on and on.
never thinkin' we was too extravagant
until all at once the money that we
nrst put In the Harniss bank was used
up. AND then 1t come home to me. as
you might say, and I realized what
we'd been doin'. Oh, I've tried and
tried; scrimped here and pinched there.
What do you s'pose 1 sold the wood lot
for? And then the cran'by swampY
'Why, you said we didn't need 'em,
ana 1t was too much trouble to run
'em."
''Said! Oh, l don't doubt 1 said all
sorts Of things to keep you from know
In. But sold 'em to help pay the
bills. And then you was took down
with the typhoid. and there was that
big doctors bill, and then Bradley
came. and he had to have clothes and
little money to spend, like the other
! boys. And noww
Miss Prlssy choked, tried to 90 ON,
and then broke down and cried heartily
and without restraint.
In all the years since the death of
Captain Allen Miss Tempy had never
seen her common sense, practical sister
give way like this. The sight alarmed
her much more than the story of the
financial situation had so far done
She didn't fully understand the latter
yet, but every one Of Miss Prissy's sobs
was to her a call for help that needed
an immediate answer.
There, there. there, dearw she said.
running to the other rocker and putting
her arm around her sisters neck. "You
poor thing! You mustn't cry like that
You've jest worried yourself sick.
You're all worn out. I shouldn't be
surprised II you've got little cold, too,
In that drafty schoolhouse. Let me
make you a good, big cup Of pepper
tea right away; now do."
Miss Prissy turned sob into feeble
laugh.
"Oh, dear me, Tempy." she said, lay
Ing her hand on the others arm, ~
b'lieve you think pepper tea1l cure
anything, even an empty pocketbook.
wish 'twould pay bills; then, I don't
know but I'd drink hogshead. But
1t won't, nor cryin' won't, either. Set
down, and I'll tell you jest how things
are"
SO Miss Tempy. reluctantly giving
up the pepper tea" idea for the pres
ent, went back to her chair, and Miss
Prlssy continued.
The money In the Boston sayin's
bank Is gone." she said, land year or
more ago l wrote to the broker folks
that bought the bond for us when
rather died, and they sold it for me
and got little less than a thousand
dollars for 1t. l put the money into
the bank at Harniss, and, though I've
tried my best to be economical. there
amt but five hundred and eighty left.
That and the place here is all we've
got"