Show unexpected willie smith was 10 15 pretty vivacious I 1 cious ambitious but just now the very much discouraged owner of the plantation aud and its encumbrances two weeks before silo she hail had been summoned front from her school at staunton by the death of her grandfather and as there was no other relative had entered at once into possession of the property A few days after the funeral the owner of the mortgage had made all ostensible 1 s visit of 0 condolence but had bad so interpolated ills his expressions of sympathy with matters of practical significance that when lie he left willie wits was for the first tImea tinie aware vare that she was only the nori nominal owner of her ber plantation at first site alio was stunned for she had already begun to make plans for tho improvement aud ili 1 of the ancestral acres the poor cabins of the I 1 tenants were to bo be replaced by new ones neglected holds fields were to be again fenced ind and brought into cultivation and better belter methods ind and better machinery were to bo be used iler grandfather had been easygoing easy going ind and impracticable but silo hall had suppose supposed that her schooling and the house expenses had been met by the rents paid him by negro tenants now she knew that the mortgage had bild been gradually increased to meet the deficits defiel ts this morning she was in tho the kitchen helping aunt chloe with the ironing but her abou thoughts ailts were busy with the formidable problems of the future there wore viere the expenses and tho the interest to be met and worst of all there was still due her school at slann ton she could not see any possible way to pay it for the season had been bad and tho the renters instead of paying what they owed were beginning t to clamor for nd advances vances on the next years crops and the creditor hat had delicately hinted that her grandfather had already aldy rea dy raised the mortgage out of all 1 proportion rop to its security lit in anxious succession her mind went over her own accomplishments in search of something that would be money prod producing tie n she was fund fond of scribbling ind was fairly good at drawing ind and music ind and had bad won ron 1 a I school reputation as a linguist guist but slie she was too honest aud and practical to overrate these accomplishments they were good to know but would not help hell her at this crisis no she must struggle le as b best t site she could until the creditor foreclosed then site she would go out ind and seek a place among the wage e car earners Ders ll eyers yo wall mail his willie called uncle tolles tobes voice through the open window ind and a 1 mack black hand was thrust in with a 1 package of letters site she took them and glanced glinc cd over the postmarks post maiks alks carelessly host or of them were from school friends frien dIt at c Rt taun aunton tOll several were circulars ind and one was one from Lo I adville col she selected this and examined it cullous callously ly she had no correspondents in any part of tile the west inside was 1 n I chock chek and a short letter with the printed ail address dress of a leadville adville Lc banking hoase li oiso the letter read V willio smith sinith ga we are to fo forward you the in ili closed lieh heck for ten thousand dollars 1061 11 i nicase ric acknowledge knowledge receipt and ii lige yours truly VALDRON WALD nON CO alio he stared at it for a moment then airi edly examined the check yes it ns for made in favor of willie smith hut but of course it was a mistake if site she hall had any relatives in the world they were so far removed its as to have been overlooked and ceita certainly none done of them was rich enough to send her Tal bottom was a small elve town whose straggling arms ireae reached lied out drowsily to the file fence of tile the smith plantation willie crossell two fielda and went down a short ian lane and was then in the principal street there was but one hauk bank and its cashier was avas an all old friend of her grandfathers she went directly to him and explained her errand 1 I reckon its all right said gatti the old dian ll lii after it he lind had carefully examined the envelope and its contents it its directed to willie smith talbot tom arill and youre youle the only willbo smith I 1 know I 1 and waldron co are all ral right lit our house has dealt with them ind and im bound to say my dear clear putting dow doin it the papers and looking at her beamingly im plumb glad tor for this windfall I 1 can almost hear yo grandfather chuckle in ills his grove grave but bu t it cant be mine insisted wlllie wiilie 1 I dont eve even know that I 1 have a relative lit in till all the world somebody yo family has lost sight of said the cashier genially sow now theras a man mail over in jasper county got a fortune from a cousin he be board from in thirty years I 1 reckon this la 19 something that way its likely yo il mothers lothers cousin or somebody else anyhow its all right and im willing to take the check will you have bare the money or leave it on deposit 1 I wish I 1 felt more sure hesitated hilll willie 0 I 1 suppose I 1 telegraph to waldron co can you come in ILI again this afternoon yes when she returned in tile afternoon the cashier handed her a slip of paper it read SIen hants balak Talbot Talbott torn oin ga ca gentlemen nothing to explain we 0 o forwarded check to willie smith tal bott bottom oin as requested if the party pre seating it can call be identified you may cash same with perfect safety safely yours WALDRON CO so you soo see it is all 11 right said tile cashier now you will please ondoise tile 1 lip cheek check willie did so with a suddon sudden fueling of exultation ilow how will you toil have it briskly suppose you give me that will pay off the llo mortgage and ami mike dinac some necessary ry repairs tile the rest I 1 will wil I 1 deposit with vill you and and suppose you yon let ino ine have a L check bo book k it NN will lie be more conven convenient lent tile next few hours wore were momentous ones in the young girls girla life tito mortgage was paid and visits were made to grocery and hardware and seed stores and to painters and carpenters and stone masons and before site she wont went dionio ionic a check was on oil its way to the principal of her school at staunton in the morning nien men came out aud and made estimates ind and they were followed by painters ind and carpenters and laborers 1 I who began to repair the old family mansion ind and to surround the alio neglected fields with substantial fences and to build new cabins under the magnificent ent live oaks that grow grew along one side of the plantation wlllie willie spent most of her time outdoors watching the work and making occasional suggestions the now new cabins bere ere surrounded by malac 1 ous truck patches and when they were finished slie she was careful to rent them only to industrious reliable neg negroes brocq in this she was greatly assisted by the cashier cashi cr who came out frequently to watch tile the progress of the work and whose advice was always valuable one day a brisk propos prepossessing essing young man stepped into the Talbott oin oril post office any letters here for willio willie smith he asked no site she called after them not an hour ago she curiously yes generally her man tolle tobo gets them but she happened to be in town this morning youre one of the men working out there I 1 supposed sup suppose no not exactly ile he left the postoffice post posto office frice and walked across the street to the bank has willie smith presented a 1 check here for recently he ask asked ed hiss willio willie smith has replied the cashier 1 I beg your pardon I 1 meant miss willie smith you see 0 out ut west we get iu in the habit of dropping ceremony 11 the old cashier looked at him thoughtfully so you are a westerner are you ho be asked 1 I was but expect to be a gout southerner berner no now said the young man fraD frankly kly my illy mother left this country nearly tilli thirty ty years azo ago but I 1 have often heard her describe her old homo home when I 1 made my pile I 1 concluded to come collie down here and look around ind and if 1 I liked the alie place lo 10 0 o stay permanently the cashiers face cleared instantly good lie ho exclaimed you cant help hell liK iii such 1 a I grand country all it luks lacks Is money and energy but what part of the west are you front from L C adville col kill all I 1 began to suspect it you have been oil connected with the house of waldron A co and called lit in to see if the chieck reached its destIni destination tion all i l lit lie ile ca rue nie from behind the counter to wild and took the young mans mails hand aril warmly lilly 1 I ant am og light glad to see you oil suli suit yo house never sent out 1 a I better check than that sit in all its life alto miss willie has bas paid oft off a mortgage oil nn her plantation plan phin tallon nud and Is making wonderful improvements suli wonderful anil and do you know lowering ills his voice if it t been for that check I 1 achaley believe shed boon been forced to go off and look for work achaley forced suh still Illi indeed deed that would have boon been too bid bad said the young man mail but theres no but blit now interrupted the cashier cheerfully iler her futures as clear as a june sky it if id eccel ed the check myself I 1 have been hilf half as much pleased miss willies Wll lles a fine girl a gem cut lit in a land that Is full of jewels you must excuse my enthusiasm suit suh apologetically but lit in a sort of way yo vol housa seems to have had a hand in lie good fortune cut but conic come into my lily room and viell vell talk over the country youre to be one of us now and maybe I 1 can call give you some points on buding a place and ill tell you about miss le null and her plans here a now new allou bt seemed to strike him clowd you like to go out and bee her lie be asked abruptly ann wu e clow eads caily and I 1 generally go that liay vi ay for a walk shell be glad to see anyone from waldron co nothing would please me better very ivery well vell take dinner with tile me art and if I 1 can be of lily any assistance in you plans do not hesitate to use tile me now theres the calhoun plant plantation atlon joins miss wlllie willie and just now can be had for a song and really its the best thing you can do in the whole country but you told me yo namo name bet ct suit suh smith er call me main 11 ton smith A good name suh a good name bame we have smiths in every county lit in the south but I 1 tell them a good thin thing cannot be too common my aly mother was a smith lie ire led the way into his private room I 1 and motioned the young man to an I 1 easy chair by an open window then he settled himself in an easy chair and gave a glowan clowens picture of the calhoun plantation the young man said little but 0 on rl his bis face was an expression of 0 mingled amusement ind and indecision and this amused indecision remained with h him 1 n anil and even tip appeal pearLd oil in his 1119 voice u until n t i I 1 they went out to the calhoun pla plantation ata hut but when they returned late in the evening even inc it had wholly disappeared mis Is IB an all exceptionally one fille girl lie said with suppressed enthusiasm and if I 1 am not mistaken the community will vill yet be proud of 0 her plau plantation tation site she seems to have the faculty of 0 knowing just what she wants and just how to so go about doing I 1 it t I 1 could not have planned plinn cd the improvements bettor better myself alss willie told tile me silo she wanted to plant trees along hex bank of the river which runs between I 1 flie lie plantations and th that flit it would he be till nice if the owner on the other side could lc be induced to do the anino are yo you it sure the place can call be bought 0 abruptly the calhoun place certainly and for a song 1 well I 1 want it I 1 suppose its too lareto get it to lo night regretfully but if arlinge ar ringe for its purchase so early in ili the morning so that the papers can be made out before noon ill bo be infinitely obliged and ill make dinke it worth your while rut but you seen the lie place yett yet c ex postulated the he cashier in amazement yes I 1 have across the river you know knew besides im willing to take your word for it it if you can have cv cra thing settled before noon I 1 v will III go over after dinner and talk with ith miss about the shade trees and do aou ou know etli ill animation ive been thinking that those bluffs above the live oak grove will be a fine place to throw a bildne across the river I 1 wonder II if miss willie will like the idea the next day the good people of tal bollom were stared to unwonted excitement by the news that an all energetic stranger had bad bought the old judge cal houn plantation and that mat unlimited improvements were contemplated anil and even while this report was being circulated front from mouth to mouth it was followed by rumors of lavish contracts and ili engagements made with the townspeople of tile town decidedly the S stranger trang er was no ordinary man and evidently willie thought so too for sho she would flash bash covert inquiring glances at him from froin under her long dark eyelashes and sometimes would listen with almost bated breath broat li wondering what nhat daring scheme would lie be proposed next ile he was so different front from any man she had over ever met so energetic and impulsive and chivalrous she could not help liking him tint and she could not withstand III his impetuosity any more c than the reeds of the river could withstand the current in springtime she offered objections to the building of the bridge ind and lie ho overruled them in a single impetuous speech she did not like hilo the idea of assum assuming inz all the expenses of improving the river anor but did not dare expostulate for fear of the quizzical look which she know knew would come into ills his merry eyes inside of a month site she began to feel that lie he was is as much at home on her pl plantation iata as lie he was on oil ills own but she could see no way to prevent it kud and I 1 indeed she did not want to in the fall their engagement ament was definitely announced ind and all Tal bottom said it was the most suitable match of the 3 benr air A few weeks before the giai marriage ile ho carefully overhauled ills papers there were many letters addre addressed sNed simply to wlllie smith some were to willie 11 II smith ind and a few to william hamilton smith all of them were dest destroyed roved it well to keep papers lie ho soliloquized as the last one was reduced to aslies ashes fulks folks see thern them new york ILd ledger ger |