The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-01-04

table, as covers were laid for GER
tain number, he remembered hearing
that ghosts were supposed to occupy
vacant chairs at banquet, and being
very superstitious, he scratched his
his woody head in perplexity.
Suddenly his grotesque features lit
up as an inspiration came to him..
Chooses don't sit to the table, long
as dis niger rules the roost" he NUT
tered, as he left the house, for early
that morning he saw two hunters ride
through the plantation en- route to
the swamp nearby and now without
or Mistress he ran off and invited
these men to dinner, Greatly surpris-
ed were the hunters, but thinking
that the invitation came from the
Master of the place, they readily ac-
cepted it, and a few minutes later,
just as the guests had taken their
places at the table, the dining room
door was thrown wide open and Uncle
Frank in loud voice shouted, "walk
in gentlemen and be seated" His
master although displeased by the in
terruption, arose and shook hands
with the men with whom he had a
slight acquaintance and then present
ed them to his aristocratic guests, but
the lady of the house was indignant,
and as she glanced at those muddy
have reproved Uncle Frank severely,
had not Aunt Easter who stood be-
hind her chair whispered: Hush,
some have entertained angels un-
awares."
These two men ignoring the social
gulf that divided them from the other
guests, laughed and told jokes on each
other, and although their common
garb" was sadly out of place amid the
broadcloth and satin around that
table, their presence really added
pleasure to the feast.
In the avange glow Of winter
twilight the last Of the guests depart
ed, then the host, called for his saddle
horse Pete, and he too rode away.
Out into the byways and hedges he
rode, among those less fortunate than
himself, and many pale face bright
ened, and faint heart took courage,
when old Pete and his rider drew rein
at the gate.
Through the length and breadth of
the South the pendulum swung. Men
from the humble walks of life, by hard
work and thrift grew prosperous and
independent, but the crstwhle owner
f thousands Of acres of land, and
hundreds of slaves to tend them, faced
financial ruin. Among the latter was
the host of that Christmas banquet.
In the sixties he had staked his all on
the South's chances-and lost. Fin
ancial difficulties arose SO thick and
fast, that hundreds of acres Of land,
silvcrware, carriages and horses
II ust be sacrificed to stay the final
crash, even the saddle horse shared
the fate of the others.
The dark winter day had brighten
cd towards it's close and the western
sky was ahamc, as earth offered up
her evening sacrifice. Restlessly the
Master walked the length of the long
piazza, weary and discouraged, when
a lone horscman rode up to the door
and handed him a note from one of |
the men who had dincd on Uncle !
Franks invitation, Offering the loan
of large amount of money, to use |
in this emergency, and postscript |
added that the other man had bought |
the saddle horse for him and would
soon send him back, and thus "Old
Pete" came home, and remained with
the family for many years, the last
link in the chain of the golden past
the last reminder of "Thc Lost
Cause"