The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-12-11

Plain association to have real trees
growing in their thriving little city.
But just at present they are so busy
getting the town established that the
trees must wait.
George Freeman was one or the
most energetic young men in Wide
Plain. He was n Of the pioneers.
He was almost the Oldest I%nhabitant,
although he was but twenty-five years
Of age. You see, George located in
Wide Plain when it was practically
nothing but width and plain. He fore.
saw a future for the town, and be-
came it's leading dealer in agricultural
implements and groceries and hard
ware and so on. He became the lead
ing dealer, because he was the only
one
In a few months Wide Plain had a
population Of $500. And so social life
became a feature Of existence there.
Social life requires two factors. One
of them is women. The other is men.
You may have thought that one fea-
ture would be sociability and the other
would be life, but that would be draw
ing it a bit fine.
Lucy Cleveland vas the belle of
Wide Plain. She was not the belle be-
cause she was the only young woman
there, for there were others. Others
young and beautiful, but while some
of the others were as young none of
them were as beautiful as Lucy.
Consequently Lucy had suitors a.
plenty. In fact, she had eight suitors,
that being the available unmarried
portion of the population that she
would consider. And she managed to
give the eight the impression that she
was not considering them very much,
George Freeman endeavored to in
duce her to consider him. Georges
policy in life was to get what he
wanted by one Of two methods. One
was to go where it was and take pos
session, the other was to ask for 1t,
Inasmuch as Lucy was not a building
site nor a quarter section, he could not
claim her by right of discovery. So
he had asked her. And she had as
sured him that while she esteemed
him highly she did not see her way to
be his. George had not asked her II
there was some one else to whom she
had pledged her affection or plighted
her troth. He did not care. He went
on selling agricultural implements
and striped overalls and brooms and
nails and putty and canned goods and
other groceries, whistling little melo
dies to himself and wondering how
Lucy would want their house painted
when they got married.
Every now and then he would pro
pose again to Lucy. BY every now
and then I mean that he would pro
pcs say, once a week. Some weeks
he proposed twice. He saw that II
pleased Lucy to be proposed to and
George was a gentleman who believed
in making himself agreeable to a
young lady when he was fond Of her
So it came along toward Christmas
eve must have a Christmas tree for
the children" Lucy said.
Lucy was teacher in the Wide
Plain Sunday School. Her pupils
idolizcd her. George and the other
seven suffers had tried to join her
class, b she had insisted that they
must attend the Bible class for older
students, which was presided ove by
Mrs. Henry Gillup, a most capable
married lady, who had brought one
husband and six children to help up
build Wide Plain.
The fact that Lucy had demanded a
Christmas tree occasioned many
smiles, especially from Georges rivals,
"a Christmas tree!" laughed Will:
lam Skidlnore. There isn't a tree for
a hundred miles in any direction"
Lets get one shipped in by freight
them" suggested Luke Morton.
mo time now" Wesley Perkins
pointed out. "It's only two days to
Christmas"
The seven rivals were not SO par
ticular about the tree. Each Of them
knew that Lucy would be disappointed
a bit, but each of them felt that the
gift he had selected for her would help
to overcome her disappointment. For
in any event, there vas to be a Christ
mas Eve party at the church.
On the evening Of December "a
George called ON Lucy. She was still