Newspaper Page Text
JANUARY 28, 1905.
VHE SUNNY SOUTH
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By Will N Harben
Author of
“Abner Daniel,” “The
Substitute," “Wester-
felt,” Etc.
I recall the startling picture she made
With a graceful walk, and a pretty,
quaint courtesy, and a face full of
smiles, she came into the room. She had
out. The old man came to the door and
leaned against the jamb. Even at that
distance I saw that he was drunk. He
larcd at her a moment, and then sit
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAP
TERS.
**Th© Georgians’* is laid In a north Geor
gia country town. SI Warren, a notorious
icca.1 drunkard and rowdy, has shot and
killed a man. He Is sentenced to death.
3.1 though he claims self defense, his only
a.\ailafoie witness having fled. Warren ia
visited In jail by Afoner Daniel, a Arewd.
kindly old farmer of the district. Witn
A.’bnet, Warren discusses the mystery in
volved In the retention of Hammon 1. the
and‘"the ‘thousands “w as hers did in the high-heeled slippers, j Mrs. DJIworthy stood talking for sev
fnd the missing witness. Wlarren himself be
ing penniless and Hammond having lefused
divulge the namo of the person furnish
ing the funds. The day for Warren's execu
tion is last approaching, and the county
is divided up Into bitter differences over his
pica of Just mention- From the jail, Abner
goes to havo a conference with Henry
Vaughn, a wealthy planter, who is at odds
with his son Erie. Albner meets Eric by
accident, and is informed that because of the
latter's wild habits the two are more than
ever estranged. Mrs. Vaughn confides to .Mi
ner that since Brio's boyhood he has been
at odds with his father, because the latter
espoused rcpariblicJtn and pro-negro- doctrines,
those totally apposed to local sentiment.
Also, that Erie, by falling to stay out of
debt, as he had promised his father, had
incurred the latter's disapproval and threat
to disinherit him In favor of one Bowman,
v.-ho, under a philanthropic cloak, had ob
tained undue influence over the elder
Vaughn. Mrs. Vaughn asks Aibner to ad-
v Eric to become reconciled to his father.
.V'-nor visits Eric. The latter confesses the
lb r( ken pledge to his father, and declares
i . had to go Into ddbt for a reason which
V, can not explain to the old man. He re-
hi« accidental meeting with Marie, the
• : ulighter of the village drunkard, and the
. t that they fell In love with each other,
- „etlng in defiance of her father's wishes,
hei mother being dead. He has described
. Tt,e beautiful drosses In the garret of the
1 rookery in which he is loading a hermit
existence and she Is consumed with eager
ness to ecu thcan.
N ONE of these occasions
we were walking quite
r *®" 1 near my house, and as she
O had told me her father
had gone to town, it
struck me that she might
as well gratify her wis*f>,
so I asked her into the
house. She objected, but I
explained that Uncle Lew
is. my only servant, the
old negro who cooked for
me, was away, and that
there would be no harm
r^lt'or 'danger o? getting caught. I was
only a hoy- then. Uncle Ab, a child in
xperience. and carried away with ro-
done up her wonderful -hair in some j (j 0 vvn on the step and let his head fcfl to
wny suitable to the high collar of the j j s knees—asleep! A moment later Marie
old-fashioned gown, and in the big j came Aut, stepping over his knees to
sleeves her small hands seemed dainty ! pass. She came to the fence in the poor
and white, and I have never seen a 1 soiled dress she wore at home. God
woman's feet look so small and slender j knows ray heart bled for her. She am?
X 'had once shown her the figures of ] eral minutes; then Mrs. Dilworthy came
the minuet, and she went through some j slowly back to me, her head hanging
of them with a grace I have never seen j down under her sun-bonnet. She entered
equalled. I was amazed. Somehow, in her j and w l thout a woid began
presence, I found myself unable to
speak with my usual freedom. She seem
ed, all at once, to have risen high above
me, 1 never felt so stupid in my life. Then,
it was. Uncle Ab, that I discovered what
she was to me. She seemed to catch on
to my embarrassment, and. woman-like.
It amused her. She sat back in one of I
the old-fashioned rocking chairs and :
pretended to be a grand lady conversing |
on the topics of seventy-five years ago.
She was simply brilliant—superb!
“Wonderful, worjderful!” Abner
ejaculated. "I kin almost see the whole
thing, you tell it so straight.”
“Walt till 1 have finished,” Eric sigh
ed; “wait till you know what happened.
"Occupied as we were we did not no-
i to fix the log fire. X was almost afraid
to ask her what had happened, she seem
ed so disturbed. Presently she took off
her bonnet and sat down.
“ ‘I hardly know what to tell you,’ she
began. ‘A woman’s the Hardest thing in
God's world to understand, anyway, an’
1 don’t know how to take this one. Yes
terday Marie was a young girl, today
she’s a soured old woman. She declares
her daddy said tilings to ’er last night
tnat made 'er hate every man On earth
an' wonder why God created ’em to devil
women. When I told ’er you wanted to
marry ’er, she ilarc-d up an’ said she'd
never marry no man alive to convince
folks site was a good girl, an’ she hoped
you'd never come nigh 'er again.’
“I begged the old woman,” Eric pur-
tlce that It was growing late. She was ; sued, to see her once more and try to
too pure of thought to dream of our 1 show her how I fed, and the next da>, 1
real danger, and it was growing dark and the next - s * le went, but It was al-
when it suddenly occurred to her that
her father might have returned from
town. She hurried into the room, and
then she called out to me that she was
afraid she would tear some of the lace
on the dress if she didn't have a light.
I lit a lamp and look it to her. Leav
ing her to change her dress, 1 went out
on the front porch, and while I stood
there her father came round the corner
of the house. I had no sooner seen his
face than 1 saw ho was drinking and be
side himself with rage.’’
“Good Lord, my boy, you was in a
box!” Abner said, excitedly.
“Stand ng before me. he asked mo
where his daughter was.
“1 was afraid to speak the truth.
Uncle Ab—actually afraid that it might
cost the girl 'her IKe. so I deliberately
lied. I told him I did not know.”
‘.‘I see, I see!” said the old farmer;
“of course you had to protect the
ways tlie same. The girl’s father, Un
cle Aimer, had simply shocked the very
soul out of her. Three days later Mrs.
Dilworthy came to me with such a grave
face thut I knew something unusual had
happened. She informed me that the old
man and the girl had suddenly disnp-
giarea at me as ne came up, and stood
erect in front of me. He thrust his hand
in his hip pocket, and drew out ms re
volver.
" 'What are you doing with that gun?’
he asked. ‘Are you waiting for me? If
you are, I’m ready for you. I’ve been
ready for you a long time. ive can
have it out here in two mimites.’
"I told him calmly and in as gentle
a tone as I could command, that 1 was
not waiting for mm that I ft oped to
assure him that I was his friend and had
never harmed him.
“ ’You lied to me, once, damn you,’
he growled, 'an' your sort will lie to a
nun like 1 am till he's black in the face.
You lied when you told me my girl was
not In your house.’ His sudden accu
sation. true as it was. threw me off my
feet. I tried to defend my action, but
he was not listening to me. and was
almost frothing at the mouth. 1 fteara
ins revolver click as ne pressed tne ham
mer back. and 1 .confidently thougnt my
last hour had come, and yet I did not
obey the human instinct of derenaing
myselt. 1 was too miserable to want to
live, anyway, we stood staring at eacn
other for a minute, and then he lowered
his weaipon. 'Won t you ever cross my
patih again,’ he said. ‘Remember that.
If you do. I'll Shoot you down like a
cog."
"lie walked on, swinging ms revolver
in his hand. I sat down on a log at the
side or the road and looked after him.
somehow my heart was still full or pity.
It was one of the few good impulses 1
nad in that day. 1 was on a downward
road. Good rentals were coming in from
my tenants, and I spent money like wa-
”It was generally believed that Warren
would not be able to employ a lawyer,”
Eric went on. “He had. himself, given
up all hope of coming clear. Then it j ,jp on th 0 fence
was that I broke my promise to my fath
er. To defend a case like that consider
able money was needed, and I mortgaged
my plantation to raise ft. I had been to
Hammond and confined in him to some
extent. I regarded him as the only law
yer who could clear Warren If it was pos
sible. He promised not to tet the old
man know I was helping. He's a shrewd
'business man as well as a lawyer, and
he told me he had other important mat-
home to clean off the gravy. After she J became set in a sort of indefinable anxie-
had worked on it with lye-soap, sand, , t ag they eye( j their general with half-
one remedy or another, she hung it
the cow-lot, an’ the
calf got at it an’ chawed the tail .of it
an’ drug it about over the ground. Lucy
rescued it, an' give it another scrubbin’,
an' when I found it this mornin’ it was
lyin’ on the bench in the back porch, an’
the house cat an’ her kittens was sun-
nin’ the-rselves on it. I set in, then, to j what is food fer the
bresh an’ clean, an' what thar is left o’
my Sunday-go-to-meetin’ is plumb full
o’ fleas.”
ters to come on in other courts at the j "Me’n George'Jl have to chip in 'n'
same date, and that he would not take buy you another, Christmas.” Jim Car-
the matter up without a big fee in ad- \ den said, in his fine voice. "Our tench-
open mouths. “We jest sorter dip here
an’ thar. Brother Hardcastle,” Abner
finished, awkwardly. “Sometimes one
question arises, then another, an’ so on.”
“Urn! I see.” The preacher cleared
his throat loudly. “That hain’t a bad
idea. Brother Daniel; tastes differ, an’
eneral run, chil
dren as well as o!J, may not be exactly
what you three are athirst for. Whit
topic are you on this morning?”
“Well, you see”—Abner appealed to the
anxious eyes of his mute supporters, but
vance. I got up tne money. Later it | ers gof to look decent, ef any does. Me’n 1 they extended nothing for him to lean
was necessary to raise more to pay de- j George was jest a-talkin’ when you come on_“you see, Brother Hardcastle
teotives, who were scouring the country
to locate Abe Wilson, the witness whose
oatii would undoubtedly have set Warren
free.”
“Yes, that’s a fact,” said Abner
thoughtfully.
“But.” Eric went on. in a grave tone,
"we lost. Everything I did, all the mon
ey I spent, every effort I made was of no
avail. Warren la sentenced and will die [anyway
in. We didn’t know but you mought ] “Oh, I just mean what general text or
make another trip off somers one o’ these I Biblical subject have you up fer dis-
days, an’ sf the superintendent was to put ! cussion?” broke in tit- preacher,
us in a new class we d be ketched up j “Abner was silent a moment longer,
with. The theology you’ve i’arnt us, Un- Then it wits as if the merry, unconquer-
cle Ab, would turn the rest o’ this school able twinkle in Jim Carden’s eyes had
crazy.” ; fired a certain flammable quality within
“I’ll bo with you’uns awhile longer, i him, for a rebellious smile struggled ta
Abner smiled; but it s well to ! his face. He tapp. d the bench with the
be on the safe side an’ not let
Dur lit- ! Bible again; this time he was himself.
•I’ve always thought. Brother Hardcas-
unless we can stay the execution long
enough to find Abe Wilson.” j tie talks git us into trouble Do either ;
Abner’s Vow was clouded. He went j of you’uns know what lesson the rest of ; Ue /’ h . c sal11 - " tlla£ that T , thar
back to his chair and sat down. Eric | ’em is or. fer today7” [injunction not to let yore left hand know
what yore right is a-doin’ has a hsap
in it. That text ki:t be applied most
anywhar a body chooses to—”
He was interrupted by a sudden burst
I of spontaneous laughter, partly subdued
j by the blackened hand that Carden had
followed, leaning on his desk
“Now, you know my whole life as no
other man knows ft,” he faltered. “I'm
almost afraid you do not approve—per
haps you, too, are against Warren; he
has gained some sympathizers, and
warm-hearted ones, but other good citl- j
of you’uns know what lesson the rest of [
’em is or, fer today?”
Leftwich shook his head, just Jim Car- i
den answered: “I think it’s that tale j
about the feller in the olden time that j
luck his boy up in the woods to barbecue [
j him over a slow fire, to show the Lord
how faithful he was It seems while the
i pressed over his mouth, and then the
peared. They had closed up their house j ter—m Atlanta, Mobile, savannah and
and gone away in the night. Augusta, where 1 Knew plenty of idle
’ one had no idea where they had gone,' sporting and society men. Eater, I had
but a week later she got a short, scrawl- tftat accursed windfall. I sold my mar-
ed note from Marie, written from Gaines-, 01e interest, and had more money titan
vllle, the other side of the mountains, j j knew what t<5 do with. Bather tried
She wrote that they were going farther
o!d chap was lightin his brush-heap, a ; g j, ot m aker sat growing redder and redder
billy-goat got tangled in the briars, an’j under th0 i n c lu ii-i n& gaze of the preaeli
the boy tuk a notion he wanted the goat ; er
—boys is that away today—an’ so the “What under the sun’s wrong with
bov
?t in to it
daddy to—”
"Oh.
, , get legal possession of it Dut 1 beat
away on some business ol her fathers>j nim at tlle
but that she did not know where to,
ycu?” Abner asked to hide his own
come off!” interposed Leftwich. | amusemen t
I come here to listen to Uncle Abner; | ,.j g 0 [ t G thinkin’ about some'n’ that
when you get the iloor you hold it all j happened t’other day in town,” fibbed
Say. * 1 Carden, in hot embarrassment. “A filler
“1 was jest a wonderin’.” said Abner. | j n m y business runs across a heap o'
mantic enthusiasm. I insisted on her go- j ffirl.”
.till she drew back. She had “Ah. but you don’t understand.^ «t>d
or ad-I Eric, HP 3 fight from emotion; when
mg, but
known little of a mother's care
vise, and yet something seemed to
warn her against the stop. I wag dead
wrong. I reliaze that now. God know3, j a
hut I kept arguing the question till she
Anally gave In Once started, she seemed
utterly blind to danger. She actually
tripped, singing and dancing, ahead of
-tic .across Jjhq old .meadow, urging me
ro hurry.
“Jest you two, and all alone together!”
muttered the old listener. “How foolish:” ,
“Yes, it was that; it was more than t P
that—it was sheer madness
a low. constrained tone. “She had no, went down wlth hlm . He was too
sooner seen the things spread ou coarse-grained—too gross—to grasp the
the lounge, table, and chairs or T“® ! sentiment which had actuated us. He
-itting room than she forgot eveiy 1 « | had dou i,ted his wife’s purity, and he
<!se. She seemed unconscious even could not believe in her offspring—es-
if they would ever return. The note con
tained not a word about me, no message—
nothing! That brute uad killed all the
feeling she had ever had for me.
“Alter that I had no news of her till
the following winter. Then Mrs. Dil
worthy got a note from Marie, from Por-
i ter Springs, a small watering place, you
know, not. far from Gainesville. Marie
wrote that she was seriously ill, brut that
| some wealthy strangers site had met had
! been giving her medical attention and
were otherw.se very kind to her. I was
; on the point of going to her, but Mrs
; Dilworthy wouldn't listen to it.”
| “I reckon she was right, too, all eon-
I made that denial he looked up at me
with an awful snarl and told me I was
liar. I tried to pacify him, but he
only sneered in his furious way and re-
peated 'his charge. Then he told me. j sidered,” put in Abner, thoughtfully. “It
Uncle Abner, that he had watched and 1 wouldn’t ’a’ been the best policy, unless
I was spellbound
i seen us come in.
| couldn’t move. He went past me into
j the house, opened the door of the room,
i and found her—found her—just as she
i was beginning to—to—put on her own
the girl had give you more encourage
ment than she did.”
Eric went back to the window and
looked out. Abner saw his features
working' under strong emotion, and was
He came and stood before J beginning to fear that his remark had agin you.”
1 tried to drown my
memories in fast living. I gambled; I
•net on cotton rutures; 1 once tried to
get some men together to corner the
wheat market, and was called a dare
devil in an tne papers, 'l’nrough it an,
Uncle Ab, the picture of Marie as 1
nad seen her tha.t day at the farm
mouse clung to me ilke a glimpse tnrough
the wall of heaven.’ Women liked me.
I was popular and yet I would nave
•given it all—all my money, friends—
everytning—tor one touch of the hand ot
that poor dead girl, the daughter of the
lowest reprobate 1 nad ever Known.”
“Bully! bully, bov!” the old man ex
claimed. He turned his race away and
wiped a tear rrom his eyes, “l thank
God for bringin’ me to thte room today!
Thar are too few men o’ yore stamp
alive, my ooy, AT.* of anal old daddy
o' yor’n only knowecP you as I do, he’d
be ashamed—he'd kick hisse'f fer plottin’
my presence
Jest like a woman, fer the world.
Abner said, as if speaking to himself:
‘•mu go on, Eric, 1 don’t want to stop
you.”
She was holding one of the mo.-t
beautiful old gowns up to her chin, and
•dmiring the effect in the big mirror.
^ me and glared at me like an angry ! been ill-placed, wnen Eric suddenly
Eric said, in, bpagt x tr , ed tQ pxp , ain> bul nothing 1 turned to him and went on;
“The next spring the old man came
back. Uncle Abner, he came—alone! Ma
rie was dead."
"Ah, I see it ail now!” said Abner, with
a sigh. “My boy, I know how you felt.”
“Yes, Marie was dead,” Eric went on.
“He told Mrs. Dilworthy about her long
illness and—ueatn—and askeu her to tell
me never to cross his path again. He
when 1 thoughtlessly suggested that s u. quest j , los ) st0(1 an ,i tie took her in m-
go into my mother’s old room and act-. .. Awful _ aw f u lcried Daniel; “what
u.tlly put it on. She laughed e^ a & pity—an’ you both so young an'
thoughtless!”
“I saddled my horse and started to
town," Eric went on. “I was afraid he
would kill her, and intended to report
like
happy child, and, selecting an armfui
of things, she told me to wait, and dart
ed into the room and closed the door
She was gone a long time—in fact, she
had forgotten that I was even In exis
tence, go vi’iien fully half an hour had
passed X called to her. She did not hear
me. and I went and rapped on the
door. Then she came out. Great God!
Uncle Abner, 1 fchall never, if 1 live to
be an ol* man. cease to thrill every time
WHAT SULPHUR DOES
For the Human .'Body in Health and
Disease.
The mention of sulphur will recall to
many of us the early days when our
mothers and grandmothers gave us our
daily dose of sulphur and molasses every
spring and fall.
It was the universal spring and fall
“blood purifier,” tonic and cure-all, ana,
mind you, this old-fashioned remedy was
not without merit.
The Idea was good, but the remedy was
crude and unpalatable, and a large quan
tity had to be taken to gel any effect.
Nowadays we get all the beneficial ef
fects of sulphur in a palatable, concen
trated form, so that a single grain Is far
more effective than a tablespoonful of the
crude sulphur.
In cecent years, research and expert
ment have proven that the \jest sulphur
for medicinal use Is that obtained from
Calcium (Calcium Sulphide) and sold in
drug stores under the name of Stuart’s
Calcium Wafers. They are small choco
late coated pellets and contain the active
medicinal principle of sulphur In a highly
concentrated, effective form.
Few people are aware of the value of
this form of sulphur In restoring and
maintaining bodily vigor and health; sul
phur acts directly on the liver, and ex
cretory organs and purifies and enriches
the blood by the prompt elimination of
waste material.
Our grandmothers knew this when they
dosed us with sulphur and molasses every
spring and fa!!, but the crudity and Im
purity of ordinary flowers of sulphur
were often worse than the disease, and
cannot compare with the modern concen
trated preparations of sulphur, of which
Stuart’s Calcium Wafers is undoubtedly
tb« best and most widely used.
They are the natural antidote for liver
an# kidney troubles and cure constipation
and purify the blood in a way that often
aurprites patient and physician alike.
Dr. R M. Wilkins while experimenting
with sulphur remedies soon found that
the sulphur from Calcium was superior
■to any other form. He pays: “For liver.
h'Apev and blood troubles especially when
resulting from constipation or malaria,
I have been surprised at the results ob
tained from Stuart’s Calcium Wafers. In
patients suffering from bolls and pim
ples and even deep-seated carbuncles, I
nave repeatedly seen them dry op and
disappear in four or five days, leaving the
skin clear and smooth. Although Stuart's
Calcium Wafers is a proprietary article,
and sold by druggists, and for that rea
son tabooed by many physicians, yet 1
know of nothing so safe and reliable for
constipation, liver and kidney troubles
and especially in nil forms of skin dis
ease as this remedy.*'
At any rate people who are tired of pH 13 ;
catharticB and so-called blood “purifiers,”
will fmd |n Stuart’s Calcium Wafers a
far safer, more palatable and effective
pre^afTtioa.
pecially under those circumstances. Then
Marie came out of the room. I saw
she feared him physically, but had not
yet dreamed of the awful deductions h< j sa j d 1 was responsible for her end—that! 1
had drawn. He :> ! her lij 'he m I jj j ie h ad no t Been forced to take her X
almost wrenching it from her body, and | avvay from me she would still have been
alive.”
“Ah, that was a dirty, unfair thing to
say!” Abner's eyes were flnshing, he
rose and stood near Eric, laying his hand
tenderly 0 n the young man's arm.
“That, together with the realization of
her loss, made a demon of me,” Eric
went on. “It was the turning point in
my life. Uncle Ab. I had never been a
jerked her to the gate. I ran between
them twice, but at her screaming rc-
it to the authorities; but at the gate i
me Old Mrs. Dilworthy, who lived next
door to him. She hat? come to warn me
to stay out of the old man’s way. She
said he would kill me when he got drunk
again. From the old woman’s talk I
saw she had his opinion of our conduct,
and. indeed, it took some time to con
vince her of the truth; then she was so
furious with me over the thoughtless
way in which I had compromised tne
girl thut she could not be calm. When
she learned 1 had started to take out a
warrant for the man's arrest she object
ed to it. She said it would cause talk, and
that it would be better to let the mat
ter rest where it was. I saw she was
right.”
"Yes, she was right," Abner Daniei
said. ’’Folks with the best intentions
would have looked at the matter jest
as the gal's daddy did; folks is built
that away, they are so full o’ evil that
they see it wharever they look. It’s like
bein’ so full o’ bile that you see black
spots 'fore yore eyes.’
VI.
Eric Vaughn rose from 'his chair and
went to the window looking out upon
the main street. He parted the soiled
curtains and stood with his face close
to the dingy glass. Abner saw that he
was deeply moved and wanted to com
fort him. but knew nothing appropriate
to say. Presently the young man turn
ed back and stood with his hand on t-i.e
top of his desk.
”1 have often thought that no other
human being ever suffered quite its 1
did that night,” he went on, unsteadily.-
“lf I had been as old as 1 am now 1
would have known what to do. 1 ought
to have gone at once to her father and
forced him to—to give Marie to me as my
wife.”
“Yes. you railly ort a done that,”
said Daniel, “that’s the thing any hon
orable man would 'a' done ef he'd had
plenty o’ time fer reflection an' loved
the girl as I see you did.”
“Fate was dead against me.” Erie
sighed. ”1 didn’t sleep a wink that
nig'ht—in fact, I spent the whole of it
walking about the meadow before hci
cottage, praying for light and begging
God to show me what to do. The next
day I 'went to Mrs. Dilworthy's house j
and threw myself on the old worn- I
an’s mercy, beging her to i
go over and tell the girl's j
lather how innocent we were and ask j
her to marry me.”
"Ah, you did that, after all!” exclaimed
Abner, In a breath of relief.
“Yes, I knew that my father would ob
ject, and perhaps even my mother, and
that I would be disinherited—for my
father had no use for the class the man
belonged to—but I was not going to lose
Marie if I could help It.”
“You had the right sort o’ pluck, my
boy,” commented Daniel. “But go on-
go on!”
"I sat in Mrs. DUwortliy’s kitchen,”
Eric continued, “while she scuddled
across the broom-sedge field. I could
see her through the window.' I saw her
roach the back fbneo and stand calling
to water, and 1 uecame reckless in other
ways. 1 didn't care for anything or any
body.”
’’Poor boy! my poor boy!” Abner’s arm
rested affectionately on Eric’s shoulder
and passed half way round his neck.
“Did you ever meet the old scamp face to
face?” he asked.
"Once, as he was returning from town,”
answered Eric. "I was out huntfng, and
saw him quite a distance ahead of me
coming along the lonely road a mile from
my farm, just beyond the river mill. He
was sober. I saw that from his steady
gait. Uncle Ab, 1 had two or three drinks
in me, and had been thinking bitterly
over it all, and then and there I made
up my mind that he was going to attack
me, and that either he or I should die.”
“Oh no, my boy!” Abner’s hand slid
mechanically from Erie’s shoulder and
hung inertly at his side. "I’m sorter
sorry you told me that. It sp’iles It all.”
"Wait till I’m through,” Eric went on,
huskily. “I had my shot gun, and I
remember that I looked carefully at the
caps to be sure that it would not Tail.
I knew he always carried a pistol. I
didn’t care which of us fell. But as he
trudged towards me through tlfe deep
sand, all at once it came over me that
he was Marie’s father. She had once
told me how he had petted her when she
was a baby, and how he bought toys for
her before whiskey and bad associates
got him down, and, suddenly, instead of
wanting to kill him, I wanted—”
Eric’s voice caught in his throat; Ab
ner’s hand slid back on his shoulder, and
the two stood with full faces looking
into each other’s eyes.
“I wanted,” Eric finished, with a gulp,
"to take the tottering, despised old wreck
by the hand and convince him that I had
never wronged him. He looked so lonely,
30 forsaken and ill-used. His hair
was tangled, ms clothes torn and patch
ed, and he shook from head to foot. As
he neared me, I stood at trie side of the
road, my gun pointed downward. H’e
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’’Bui no must never know, uncle Ab,”
Eric hastened to say. “You will under
stand why when 1 have finished.”
“He i] never near it rrom me. go on,
Eric, I’m a-listening.” said Abner. "God
Knows I could listen to talk line that
ail day; it’s the sort o’ preacnin’ a man
don’t near rrom the most consecrated
pulpits. The souls that -have struggled
through tne agony o’ death are the ones
that spea-it God’s word the loudest, an’
kin see what you’ve suffered.”
"Six months ago a good influence came
into my life.” the young man went on.
”1 met Carlton HI.ithwait at a house
party near ttrunswicK. He was a rich,
self-made young man. He seemed to sin
gle me out from the other rellows, and
we became friends. He never lost an
opportunity to give me good advice. The
U'psftot oif it was I determined to settle
down and go to work. As you Know, i
made promises to my father not to spend
any more money. He only half believed
in my reformation, but he seemed willing
to try me. Then—’’
“Then you bacKsiid, as was natural,"
said Abner, encouragingly when Eric
paused.
”1 don’t think, Uncle AD, no matter
what the rest, of the world believes, that
you will Diame me ror wnat 1 did—that
Is, when I have told you the whole
story.”
“You don't think X will, my hoy?" ask
ed ADner, deeply interested.
“Not ir X am any judge of men. I
simlply obeyed a law of nature. 1 was
obliged to act as I did. Well, to go on:
X had kept my promise to my rather
only aDout rnree months when a catas
trophe happened to me. Marie’s father
had been sinking lower and lower under
ms bad naDits. uu tie finally shot and
killed «■ man.”
“Good God, Erie! you’ve been talking
all this time a-bout 3.1 Warren!” And
Daniel shrank back, staring In surprise.
Tne young man nodded. "yes. I've
been talking about him. Uncle Abner."
"Ah! X remember now hearnin* that
he did nave a pretty daughter,” said
Abner, wonderingly, “though I’ve never
seed ner tnat 1 Know or. ssne was away
with ’er mother, I reckon.”
For a moment Erie was silent, then
he went on:
"uneie ad, I attended tne committal
trial of that old man. I sat in the pack
ed court house among the rest. Not a.
soul suspected that I was feeling his
awful condition as Keenly as if he had
been my own father. They had literally
dragged him through the streets—a nowu
ing mob—threatening to lynch him, and,
even under tne eye or the .luage, the
room was full of threats and hisses. X
heard ms awruliy calm, almost indiffer
ent statement that he had acted in self-
defense and out of all that heard him
that day I was perhaps the only one
that believed ne was speaking the truth.
The town papers said he was ,a dis
grace to the state, and that speedy .jus
tice was the only thing that would sat
isfy the community.
“Unable to sleep that night I heard
men passing along the street, and went
out and joined tnem. 1 Knew them ail.
They were from the mountains—men
you and I know and like. They told
me frankly that they were on the way
to have a lynching bee. For two hours
I talked with them, using every argu
ment 1 could think of, and finally per
suaded them to dl&band.”
’■Good, good: 'bully, my boy, bully!”
“I don’t take credit for it,” Eric made
haste to say. ”1 seemed to be fighting
ror myself. It seemed to me if Marie
had been alive she would have begged
for his life, and I gloried In acting in
ner slace."
“My lx)ra, 1 snouid trunk you would,
my iboyl”
zens are still bitter against him. and op
posed to the light that was made to save
his life.”
"I'm on his side,” said Abner. “In fact,
I was before this talk with you. Heaven
knows I’d like to help ’hr) o-ut now! I
went to see him this morning. Eric, I
feel honored—” the old man’s eyes were
filling again—"I feel honored 'by the con
fidence you've showed in me, an' ef God [
gives me the strength I’m goin’ to do | pu „, nff thoughtfully at his beard and j funny thin*,.
. 11 0 save a P° rfs 0 cuss. | } c j os i n g his eyes—"I was jest a-won- ; “Urn!” grunted the preacher, who had
He s done a lot o mean things when he , . , , J . . , -
was drunk; but I believe he shot Buford derin f s T l on ’, aa wa ? thin l km heard of Carden s ecepUcal .tendency and
in self defense an’, that bein’ the Case, ovrr what 1 m °ught talk to you uns about disliked him accordingly. Inis is hard-
he deserves the mercy o’ the law as much th3s mornin'. 1 was a-wonderin' ef. after ly the time an’ place fer merriment. Me.
as the highest in the Tand.” , all, X’d railly done you boys any good.” j Carden. But, Brother Daniel, you’ve
The two men clasped hands. "I really I ”Y r ou’ve certainly showed me some new ; got a good theme there. I’ve preached
was not counting on your support,” said ' light,’ declared Leiftwich. “An’ I’m ; on it time and agin. It is, i may say,
Eric, warmly, “but you can do more for i here to te-ll you, Uncle Ab, that it’s been j the very key-note o good. Simon-pure
me than any man In the state.” j a big comfort to find another man, an’ i religion.”
“I'm goin’ to do all I kin,” the old a mail knowed to l>c sensible an' a think-I Just then the superintendent of the
farmer said, as lie rose and moved tow- : er—to find him lookin’ at the question as Sunday school came and called tha
ards the door. “Good-day, Eric, I’ll think [ 1 did.” : preacher across the room, and Abner,
it over an’ see you agin. You know j "Well, I reckon I was sorter forced to t matlc 3 wr Y face at his class,
we’ve got till the fust of August to work Stake up this .-lass,” Abner said, a little | “That was a close shave,” he said,
on this business, an’ while thar's life I s b ee p} s hly. “Y'ou two had heard me spout!" We must be on the lookout. Some o’
thar s hope. .... ,, • m y views down at the store, an’ you
Enc put out his Hand and detained the • ^ caught on# an - ef you wi!] let me j
say it without offence, it seemed to me
you was both sorter lakin’ it to extremes.
You got so you wouldn't put yore heads \
inside of a church, an’ was a-taikin’ >
the new thought at sech a rate that you
wars ruinin’ yores elves bodadjuslv.
George, yore trade was a-leavin’ you
high an’ dry; yore
old man. “Remember,” he said, “War
ren must not know I’m at the bottom of
this; he has made Hammond mad several
times trying to find out if he was paid,
tf ne knew 1 had a hand in It. we could
do nothing with him."
"I understand that." Abner replied, as
he turned from The room. On the stairs
In the corridor, to which Eric had po
litely followed him, the old man paused, - buy goods from an infidel; an’ nobody
“As I understand it,” he said, in a [that had any respect fer his religion would
guarded undertone, “you an’ me on’ old ; let Jim, here, make a pair o’ shoes fer
Mrs. Dilworthy are the only folks that I ’em. So X thought maybe these Bible
knows about—about you an’ Warren’s j lessons would do us good all round—
daughter.” | sorter widen and broaden; but 1 can't
“The only ones on earth." Eric said,
emphatically. "And I can trust that old
woman. Uncle Ab. She has never men
tioned it to a soul. All these years she
has never opened her mouth about it.”
“Then thar’s nothin’ to fear on that
score,” said A’bner, and he trudged on
down the stall's to the street below.
VII.
The following Sunday but one found Ab
ner Daniel on his farm. He always at-
say I’ve got any rale benefit out of 'em." ;
“It’s been a comfort to mo,” said Car
den, “to fee! that I know more 'an some
o’ these gillies that swallow every dose;
that's give to ’em from any jack-leg 1
these fellers wiil- git on to us one
these days, and we’ll have to hold our
meetin’s some’r’s else. What was I talk-
in about? That feller knocked ever*
idea out o’ my head.”
“You was takin’ a ruther fresh
fer a man o’ yore convictions,” replied
Leftwich—’’that is, ef I’m any judge.
Here I’ve been feeiin’ purty good over the
customers" wouldn’t ! n ' w u S ht i'™’™ S ive me s«nce I’ve been
in this class, an’ now all of a sudden
you switch off by sayin’ that, after all,
these moss-backs lias got the advantage.
I’m here to tell you I’d ruther be a
free man, ,-n’ think like the Lord mada
me think, than to be full to the neck with
ail the bosh other folks believe now
adays.”
“I didn’t finish what I started to say,
George,” Abner made haste to reply. “I
was only sorter leadin' up to a p int.
Now its’s true that we've cut loose frort.
preacher that comes along. I don’t want the general mass, so to speak- but ,ve
no moss-back to do my thinkin’ fer me.” are in some danger o' not findin’ what
Ls a great, great question, said Ab- we're lookin' fer. A man naturally don't
ner, evasively. "I’m older ’n you fellers, ! want his eyesight obscured an' ive vet
an’ 1 tell you the more I study on these j to meet a cut-loose thinker that kin'say
tended meeting at the little Methodist lmes the i ess 1 know an tne less genuine • positive what the outcome will be. I’ve
church of which he was a member. He satisfaction 1 git. Say what you please, • made it my business to ax ail I ever met
was attired in his best black frock coat, boys, reason as you will, debate an j who would own up to th’r convictions, an’
which, in the summer time, was worn argue, an’ prove an’ disprove till you they are all, like us. blind folks, gropin’
without a vest. He had on a white shirt, are black in the face, an’ you won’t ; n darkness. What we-uns must do is
a black necktie, and broadcloth trousers, have the speritual content that’s built j to tie fast to the star o’ hope, an’ sor-
On hIs way along the dusty valley road a jj re j n mighty nigh every face in this j ter build up on our faith in the goouness
he passed a dilapidated T:crtton gin. with ! ro . om . Them sort’s got some’n’ to cling j Q . God
its rambling sh-ds and awkward looking t but all three of us cayn’t see it-vve j - So vou , , k ... . .
press. Farther on w*s a dismantled nor- ■ do ’ n . t know it - s tliar-leastwise, we don’t! sor t° 0 f haven o’ Test afte a l- veu-
ghum mill the circular rut worn by the knQW whar u is . Them ancient fellers-^d Carden
horses’ hoofs showing distinctly on the;,, nio
•greensward around It. There lay the : a , 8 ° . ! inculcate some livin’ ‘ lllats what we ort to hope fer,” was
shallow iron pans in which the juice of 1 ' Vtis • 1es 1 ■ ’ ' *[’ ' ’ ‘ . °ld man’s half-evasive reply, after
the cane was boiled down to molasses, j trul * 1 ' 3 reckon. - m > l e ^ a moment's pause. “Our imaginations
Then Abner crossed a bridge over a clear, dered what they meant y - o.j n an ort v lt .jp us ouk Jim, you've got a
fast-flowing creek, and the meeting house s Eve bein’ told they mustn eat o the supply o’ that, an’ George has enough to
was before him. It was only about 10 tree of the Knowledge o Good an Evil, do him in a pinch. After nil. have you-
o’clocik, and the service did not begin till an' I’ve come to the conclusion that them uns ever thought that the chief difference
II, but Sunday school was held in ail- i old writers found the’rseives right wliar i betwixt an orthodox man an’ a free
vance, and Abner had a Bible class. It j 1 am today, and whar you-uns are. We’ve ; thinker is simply that the free thinker
had only- two members besides himself. u t e o’ the forbidden fruit, an’ are turned . has imagination an' t'other don’t know
Jim Carden, the little shoemaker who | out 0 > house an' home. The rest o' this what sech a thing is? Now, fer be it
community are in the Garden o’ Eden, from me to underrate the sacred book
Them faces back thar may look sorter o’ books; but, boys, grand as it is, parts
flat to you-uns; them heads may seem ( of it, at least, was writ by men who
to slope back a iifUe too much fer the didn't have much imagination. I grant
best human architecture, an' th'r eyes ; you St. John had enough when he was
may set so close together that they kin ' writin’ about what he seed on that island
see through a keyhole with both at once. : when the very sky was full o' candle-
but them folks are still in the Garden o’, sticKS - an ’ rantin’ bull yearlin’s. He seed
Eden.” * one rer3 Xl ra Son wipe al! the stars out o’
. “That may be so," Leftwich advanced, the heavens, an’ pitch 'em in a pile on
saw, also, that Carden and Leftwich nad ! wUh a frown> as he scratched the bald the earth; but right thar. ef I may bo
pai't of his head, “but we hain’t fenced [ allowed to cal! the most imaginative
in. We kin ramble, Uncle Ab, an’ climb : writer among the ancients to taw, I’m
an’ se an’ wonder, an’ worship the goin’ to say that St. John's imagination
Maker of it all. By gum! it seems to me. wasn't up to the present scientific age.
[sometimes that, ef I am lost in the end. A man with imagination In this day an*
ig nod to those who chose to see ; m be some satisfaction to know I tlme ud actually turn St. John inside
nd sat down on the bench In front • sunk wltb eyts ope u.’’ [ oat ’ In3t ead o’ sayin’ that the stars
• •g k f' Abiikr said, suddenly, “the ” the universe could be lashed about
“I'm a little late,” he apologized. “ but ' I p rea cfier*s coinin’ in at the door. He’s j ’ ike fi,es or > a boss’s tail in August,
boys, it wasn’t my fault. Aunt Lucy, . a owertul ba uit o setiin’ crown nigh he sa *' s tlle entire globe we reside on
that fool nigger that cooks fer me, emp-; We don - t want to gll iu any contro-| don 1 amount to a grain o’ sand on the
tied a plate o’ ham gravy on my coat j ’ with hiin , ls uiar a Bible on that j f hores °’ some tfiff stars that railly are
when it was a-hangin’ on a chair before! ■ Jim?” j ln tlle business.”
the kitchen fire. I hung it thar to dry ’ ' ■£ er found one without a 1 .. " Go U ’ UnQle Ab!" chuckled Carden,
after last Sunday’s rain. She tuck it! lh , w and w i D iii“ u on i now you are talkin’ reason.”
o’ p aces whar
lover to Daniel. Abner opened it, thrust j 1{|r J*™
ow
lived at Darley, but spent his Sundays on
bis father’s farm, was one. The other .
was George Leftwich, a heavy, half-bald,
unmarried man of aibout 35, who owned
the cross-roads’ store of the neighbor
hood.
As Abner looked in at the door of the
little, unpainted building, he heard the
buzz of many voices and knew that the
exercises were already ln progress. He
saw, also, that Carden and Leftwich
arrived and were in their places in the ;
“amen corner,” at the right of the crude 1
pulpit. Indeed, they were looking eager- i
ly towards him as he entered. Abner :
walked straight up the aisle, with
Dleasln?
him, and
of his two friends.
FMI l -:° 11 is 1 "* v
rULLUlf i held it conspicuously on his knee. B> here , g anoU3pr lnstanc _ for exa ‘, e . ,
gum!" he ejaculated, he s headed ter th^ . gin Snodgrass, back thar was tQ come
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end o' yore store alter dmuer. north pole, an’ any of us three was em
j Tne preacher, the Rev. Mr. Hardcastle, pi oye d to write about it f-r one o’ the
who was appiuaciimg, uns a tan, spuie. ( Darley papers, what would be the fust
made man of middle age. He wore a j thing we’d want to know?"
broadcloth frock coat, a white necktie j The class was silent They were won
and black trousers, and carried in one , dering what their teacher could b* -^riy
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hand a big Bible and a hymn book; in
the other hand he swung a battered silk
hat. He bent slightly forward as he
came up the aisle. He was smooth-shav
en and sallow; his dark eyes were keen
and piercing. He nodded and smiled to
Abner and his class, and then sat down
on the bench in front of them.
“What’s the lesson this morning?” he
asked, carelessly, as he put down his
books and his hat and began to wipe
his perspiring brow with his big hand
kerchief.
“We hain’t follerin’ the regular pro
gram.” answered Abner, raising the Bi
ble to the back of the bench and sug
gestively holding it th er ® I° r a moment,
while the faces of Leftwich and Card'
(To be Continued.)
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