The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-10-27
CHAPTER II

At first glance the history or the
Lovelys, of Lovelylea, Va, presented
little of interest to the lingering news
monger or novelist. They were not
the legendary penniless patricians, i'm
molated on the altar Of their pride by
the Civil war. On the contrary, the
war that pauperized many of their
neighbors brought developments which
had made the Lovelys of that day vul-
carly rich for their time. Immediately
thereafter, .heartless ill-bred capital
lists from the hated North had pene-
trated their Businesses to discover
coal on lands belonging to them in
West Virginia; and while 1t was a
regrettable fact that a higher price
might have been realized had the Lee
Lovely then reigning been less scorn-
full of advice and of business meth
DDS, 1t is pleasant to remember that
for a property regarded as so WORTH
less that the aforesaid heartless cap
italists had to convince him that he
alone owned and could give title to 1t,
he received assum that permitted him
vintage wines and every indulgence,
and of which enough remained at the
time Of his death to make his son
rich man. His heir, in his turn, died
before he had time to impair this IN
heritance. His son, another Lee
Lovely, married, the day he came OF
age, a girl who proved to be re-
straining influence, and that early mar
rage was blessed punctually every
two years by progeny.
All the children were handsome but
the youngest, named Matilda Smith,
after her mothers mother, was a pic
ture. Before she could walk, her
mother being dead, her father carried
her In front of him on his saddle, ex-
hibiting her to friends and relations.
His pet name for her was LONELINESS"
a name which as soon as she could
talk she repudiated with scorn.
"Name is Smif, Sniff, Sniff" she
would shout. And he accepted, as did
every one else, the name of Sniff for
his youngest born. She was the baby,
the pet of the older children and Of the
whole family connection. Sniff was
quite big girl before she learned to
speak plainly. By that time 1t would
have required violent effort to break
the habit Of calling her Sniff, and no
Lovely was given to effort except in
the search for amusement.
Lee Lovely was killed by fall from
his mount returning from hunt, and
young Bill-Lee, now Lee Lovely in his
turn, reigned in his stead.
To every ones surprise, when the
will was read he proved to have come
into an empty inheritance. Lee Love
ly the elder had divided his money
equally among his daughters, all min
ors, who had no power to assist their
brother before they came Of age how
ever much they might desire to do so.
Each of them received round hum
bred thousand dollars, Bill-Lee the
ten-thousand-acre estate of Lovelylee,
the non-existent residuary estate and
the injunction to give his sisters a
home as long as they remained I'M
married.
Young Bill-Lee, at that time twenty
two years old, taking Smif with him
for company, rode over to his Grand
mother Culpeper's to discuss the stu
alton.
Grandmother Culpeper, who looked
both frail and brittle, like Chelsea
figure grown wrinkled, was yet per-
sonality whose opinions carried weight.
Grandfather Culpeper had been gath
cred to his fathers years before, but
the old lady still dispensed justice
and advice in his name.
"As I see it, Grandmama," Bill-Lee
expounded, ''the only thing for me to
do is to find some rich Yank who
wants to hunt or raise hunters and
rent the place to him, while go away
and try to make the money I'll need to
live here as Lovely should"
His grandmother accepted without
protest the fact that a lean life on
starved acres could hold nothing to
tempt one of his blood.
Laura says I'll be the richest of
the family by the time come of age,
Bill-Lee. I'll give you all my money,
so don't worry" Sniff had listened to
their conversation with interest and a
precocious understanding of the situa-
ton, and Bill-Lee smiled at their