The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-03-17
HIS FOLLY
BY GRACE kERRIGAN.
Copyright 1915. by the Mcclure News2a-
per Syndicate.)

Copyright 1875 by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
Dan going to get married?" re-
peated Mrs. Archer in response to an
inquisitive neighbor. 'No, indeed,
Mrs. Blake! Dams never kept COM
pany with a girl in his life-not but
what I want him to get married if
he can find the right girl; but GER
tainly I would know. if anyone did"
"Of course you would" agreed Mrs.
Blake, but it seems so queer for him
to be building a bungalow up there
on his lot, spending every spare min
ute CT his time On it, and doing every
stitch OF work himself-unless he was
going to live in it. Perhaps he will
rent it." with happy inspiration.
Mrs. Archer shook her head. "He
says not. If you'll promise not to
breathe word, Mrs. Blake
"Of course WON'T" interrupted
Mrs. Blake excitedly.
''Well-he says he's going to have
the home ready, and when the right
girl comes along, then he'll get mar
ried! It's foolish thing to do, but
Dan is good boy, and if he enjoys
building nest before she finds q
mate, why, I can't complaint" Mrs.
Archer laughed comfortably.
indeed" replied Mrs. Blake.
and then fastening her departure
she transmitted far and wide the in
telligence of Dan Archer's purpose
in building the little brown bungalow
on the hill west Of his fathers house.
And before another day had dawned
the good gossips of Crystal Brook
were chuckling over Dan Archer's
folly" as they called his undertak-
ing.
So Archer's Folly became rather a
joke in the village, but Dan Archer
knew nothing of it. Few would have
dared to hint the words to the steady
eyed young giant who went about his
nest building so earnestly without a
thought as to the absurdity Of his
endeavor. /
There came = night when the wind
kowled around the bungalow and the
snow beat "a against the walls until
they We're covered with thick white
mantle.
There was a fireplace in Dams
study and great pile of hickory logs
as well as a comfortable couch, so
on certain nights when he had been
studying closely Dan would decide to
sleep there.
On this stormy night Dan turned
away from the window and replen-
ished the fire.. Then he prepared for
bed leaving lighted lantern in the
window of the living room.
It's bad night outside" he mI.-
INJURED
While the little village slept ur =:
the drifting mantle of snow, a .hczse
and sleigh moved slowly through the
road that led from the next village.
Occasionally the horse stopped and
breathed heavily and once it almost
fel! in its tracks.
Uncle Nathan, Pm afraid that Sor-
rel can't go much farther" quavered
a girls sweet voice.
"Are you very near the doctors,
Folly?" The old mans voice sound
ed mufled from its thick wrappings
of wooden comforter.
I'm afraid I don't know" and
this time the girls voice held note
of despair. eve are off the main
road and I can't see thing-ah,
there is light! Let us turn toward
it-there must be house. If we
can reach it, perhaps We can send for
a doctor from there"
The wind tore her words into frag-
ments, but the old man understood,
so he crouched down among the fur
robes while Folly urged the horse to
greater efforts. At last Sorrel toiled
up a steep hill and finally dropped
exhausted between the shafts with
the guiding light only few feet dis
tant,
It's house on hill," explained
Felicia, as she helped her uncle from
the sleigh.
The Daintrys lived in the adjoining
village of Upton Center and the only
physician in the village had been
called away. on an urgent case, so
that when Uncle Nathan cut himself
with an AK Felicia could only bind up
the wound as best she might and then,
bundling the old man into a sleigh,
strive to reach Crystal Brook, three
miles away.
By daylight Uncle Nathan had been
made very comfortable, and the doc
ter having taken his departure Mrs.
Archer took the weary girl down to
the farmhouse and tucked her into
bed, while Dan, after stabling Sorrel,
went back to keep vigil by the in
jured man.
Dan came down to breakfast with
Felicia, and his heart quickened as he
saw that she was quite as beautiful as
he had thought her the night before.
When Mrs. Archer learned that In
Gle Nathan called his niece Folly"
she Immediately condded the fact to
Dan, and added the information that
his neighbors called Dams bungalow
by the nickname of "Archer's Folly"
"Archer's FOLLY" chuckled Dan,
with dancing eyes. That sounds
pretty good to me, mother!" And
his mother marveled at his meaning,
while Dan added to himself: L Won
der if she would mind being called
'Archer's Folly?'"
He asked her one day, and her
answer was 20 satisfactory that they
set about planning how the bungalow
should be furnished
Il am so glad you saved it till I
came" laughed Folly, while they
planned.
J., il,