The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-18
CONROY'S LUCK.

lawyers, made up his mind that he
would leave his home and seek his for
tune in the South. He was q young
man Of good talents and great industry,
but, being poor, had not the means to
sustain himself until he could acquire q
reputation in the profession that would
yield him a requisite income. He there.
fore gathered his little store of money,
and SET out one cold winter day to seek
some place to locate on the Mississippi
river. At least, such was his intention.
The most trihing circumstances, he
remarked. frequently turn ones destiny
for good or evil. I had spent some little
time in most of the towns along the
Mississippi, and finding nothing that
seemed to justify q young lawyer Of
Northern birth in living there, I finally
arrived at Columbus, Tennessee, just
eight months after I had left my home.
Twas here l met a gentleman who gave
me a letter of introduotiontoa lawyer re-
siding in Hickman, Kentucky, who he
thought could assist me in my efforts to
become established.
It was a bright morning that I mount.
ed my horse, and with my letter safely
slowed away in my saddle bags, set out
on my journey. Ihad ridden until late
in the afternoon, and was somewhat
weary when the roofs of a small village,
situated about a mile in advance of me,
came ~invitingly before my vision. My
tired horse must have discovered them
about the same moment as his master,
for he pricked up his ears and COM
menced to accelerate his pace. Turning
from the highway and following a lane
bordered with green sward, I made a
short cut to the village street. But just
before I reached the houses I met q
short, puffy person on horseback who
was coming down the road.
"Good day, sir" he said," refining up
his steed, which, at a glance, I saw was
thoroughbred. "Good day, sir. Are
you going to halt here, or do you go
anywhere in the neighborhood of the
Kentucky State line2"
Not being acquainted with the topo-
graphy of the country I could not an
swer his question directly, but told him
that I was going to Hickman.
"Ab," he reioined, "that is all right.
You'll have to pass my place, and per-
haps put up there for a night. Now, sir,
I would be obliged to you if you would
do me a small favor. My name is North
up, E'liston Northup, and I live only
some fifteen miles from Hickman.
81 shall be happy to oblige you, if in
my power" I replied; "but permit me
to ask you if you are in any way related
to Lawyer Northup of Hickman
Eyes, sir" he replied, "he is my
brother"
CT I'm very happy to meet you, sir"
I continued, "for I bear q letter of in
PRODUCTION from Major Saunders, of
Columbus, to your brother" And I
Immediately opened my saddle bags and
got out my letter, which I handed my
new made acquaintance to read.
cold Saunders" he said, with a
smile, as he finished reading it, and
handed it back to me. "He is a good
fellow. Is his nose as red as ever9 7
haven't seen him for a couple of years."
81 must confess,"I replied, with a
laugh, "that the majors nose is pretty
fiery"
"He is an awful drnker," said MI.
Northup. "Few mon can hold the
night with him, I assure you"
"You astonish me-" I replied. ct
was at the hotel a week with him, and I
once remember having seen him
at tho bar"
"No, no." exclaimed MI. Northup,
"Saunders don't drink at q bar. He's
a very peculiar man, very methodical;
all his drinking is done at the club.
There's where you'll see him lay mis-
companions out like ninepins. But
really I'm OBTAINING you. My object
was to ask you to inform my daughter,
whom you will find at home, that Jake
has run away from me again, and I sup
pose has taken to the woods. Tell her,
if you please, to inform Thompson, the
overseer. No doubt he'll be sneaking
around before I return"
"Run away 9"I ventured to observe.
eyes," replied MIR. Northup. 81
was taking him up to Larkin's planta-
ton to sell him, for he's no name of
use to me. So he managed to slip away
soon after I arrived at the village yes
terday."
Promising to attend to Mr.. Northup's
request, we bid each other goodbye
and separated. After a good nights
rest, I set out tho following morning on
my journey.
It va almost dusk when I rode up to
Mr.. Northup's mansion. A dozen or
more hounds seemed determined to dis
pute my passage up the lane, and their
barking had the effect to bring Miss
Northup to the front porch, where she
welcomed me and received the message
her father sent me.
"Jake is a bad fellow" she replied.
"Papa has borne with his bad conduct
for q long time, and, strange to say, he
never had him punished until last
week. The wretch cut out the tongue
of one of our favorite hounds, and papa
then ordered Thompson to whip him
and as Mr.. Larkin was willing to buy
him to work in his lumber mill, papa de-
termined to sell him."
"He must be a bad fellow" I replied.
"Indeed, you are quite correct" she
answered "but I knew he had escaped
before you arrived, for he visited the
quarters about daylight. Thompson
only heard of it at noon, and started
away with some neighbors in pursuit of
him, and he has not yet returned. It's
a wonder papa had not turned back, but
now that I r~ecollect, he had some bust
ness at Cranch's creek. Did he say when
he would return"
"I think not" I replied.
During the evening we had q pleasant
conversation, and I took occasion to in
form Miss Northup of the object of my
visit to Hickman.
81 dare say, uncle will be glad to see
you, for be is really over-worked with
business. He took a young gentleman
in his Office a short time ago, but they
couldn't get along at all so they sepa-
rated. Uncle is very forgetful and ner-
vous, scarcely any n can manage to
endure him, but he is q kind man at
heart and very generous. Papa and he
are so very different in temperament,
you wouldn't suppose they were broth
ers."
It was ten o'clock when I started to 60
to bed, and Miss Northup came up the
stairs behind me, accompanied by her
maid, who carried q couple of candles.
On the upper landing I mctan enormous
black cat with green eyes, who crouched
az ;f chm ipkon6a5 IN qrrino rrOn ma