Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-01-02
CHAPTER XIV,
Belle Plain.

60ilS ridus 10
Now. Tom," said Betty, fst-
ling little air of excitemd she y
rose from the breakfast tha' c
first morning at Belle Pl' ani
ready IL you are. 1 want sho" r
me everything!" II
ct reckon you'll notice som pges'
remarked Tom.
He went from the room oo"n
the hall q step or two In &c VI
her. On the wide porch Be Puseo'
breathing deep. The house po OH
an eminence; directly below At the
bottom of the slight desce fas
small bayou, beyond this forest
stretched away in one unorq mass
to the Mississippi. Here tnere'
n;ng in the brilliant NOR light, |
some great bend Of the river Vlsi-
.h,.o,,,b the trees. while 3e Ar
kansas coast, blue and dlst pleu
rp against the far horizon.
What is 1t you want TO any
hov pettvq" Tom demanded burning
on her.
''Everything-the place, I-behe
nil, oh isn't II beautiful had
no idea how lovely 1t was! II bet-
a.. &C With her ewes still flxe On the
distant panorama Of WOODS water
she went down the steps, To at her
heels-he bet she'd get sick 1t all
soon enough, that was one corMrt!
SOSh
why. Tom! Why does lawn
look like this?"
Like what?" inquired Tom
why, this-all weeds ant rlers
- .ha Maths oyergrown?" ID az
no..,, .urvaved the unkempt kastt
- had once been a lawn, zittl,
frown fixed itself on her smoo GoW
Mr.. Ware rubbed his chin re fve
" on the back of his hand. o. @ X -
THAT sort Of thing looked -.
Bet ne Saia' nt - 1T helds
OF the oes' "o -, 80 ~, ear. .
right at the ou' rQ she
asked. $500. into hre's
Tne oull coioi o. .ho, T So
cheeks. He hated ner lor |h"' ~,
sbe was going to come that e a,s
was she?. And he'd worked
like a horse T. bring in mol
whv. he'd doubled the acreage
ton and corn in the last fourI&
ne smothered his sense Of nj
indignation.
"Don't you want to see the
~--u.te Let me order ie--il. efJw re
Won about, you couldn't Waer nj
tho nlace in a week." he urs
The girl shook her head aned ST
sviftlv down the path that Inn J"
terrace to terrace to the miof re
Tho bavou. At the first terhe or
naused. All below was wss 81
~ tangled vines and brush. Ssd oi
Tom rather piteously. What hn el
loot was more than he could y al
understand. Her father had d W
.hasa grounds which he was II
g.. riotous second growth L W
low up.
~ with a little stamp of her te
- Ware glanced about with du p
Tho air Of neglect and decay h
=. n,os everywhere visible, and wn te
such a shock to Betty, hao IN
reached In a season. He Was II
- convinced that the place looked
much as it had always looked. O
.Tu tell you, Betty, I'm oui h
morning; you poke about "a n
what YOU want done ana we II
he said. and made hasty reup
his office, a little brick ouilohs I
other side of the house. c
Rettv returned to the porcit
seating herself on the top steR
- ber elbows on her knees ana heN
onnk in the palms of her hands,'
about her miserably enough. 81
st;u seated there when hall al
,otar charley Norton galloped
drive from the high ROAD. "a
oiebt of her on the porch ne
frono the saddle, and. thrown
ra;ns 70 a black boy, hurried
side. ..
'InSneCIlnR
asked, as he took MS pisce ''
= on the step. ~,
..wbv didn't you tell me, Cn
or at least prepare me for th'
asked. almost tearfully.
How was l to know 6e
haven't been here since you wen
aaor-what was there to bril-
Old Tom would make COW
out of the Garden Of Eden, '
be-a beautiful, practical, sor'
he is!" o,,
what am to do, Charley?
"Kaen after him until you 6
Won want, it's the only way 10
Tom that know of"
ITS horrid to have TO asst
self!".
"vou,u have to with Tony
pe+tv-he won't understand.
a,se" Then he added; -
around and see what's neeoeo'
or two of care will remeoS
tbis neglect. Just make 10
LOT of hands in here with Dru
ond axes and soon you'll
~ the place!"
- Norton spent the day at be
h and though he was there OIL
4 behavior as the result OF an
they had reached on board l
=. he proposed twice.
- MY intentions are all ris
- he assured her in eXtehua't
I'VE the worst memory imagi
YES, the lower terrace is oao
hnt it's no great matter
fixed with little work.
1t was soon plain TO q
Toms ideals, if he posseseu
not led him in the direct'o
he termed display. HIS soci
had suffered atrophy. the
}, utterly disorganized; the
- dearth of suitable Servants