The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-29
BRICE.

3ao pcooshl "a pSoiis Soso'
-. g. BRICE.
He came up the mountain road at
nightfall, urging his lean mustang for.
ward YEARLY, and coughing now and
then heavy, hollow cough that told its
own story.
There were only two houses on the
mesa, stretching shaggy and somber
with grease-wood from the base Of the
mountains to the valley below-two un-
painted redwood dwellings, with their
clumps OF trailing pepper trees and tat
tered bananas, mere specks OF civiliza-
ton against stern background of noun
tain side. The traveller halted before
one of them, bowing awkwardly as the
master OF the house came out.
"Mr. Brandt, I reckons"
Joel Brandt looked keenly into the
strangers face. Not bad face certain
IL; shallow and drawn with suffering,
one of those hopelessly pathetic faces,
barely saved from the grotesque by a
pair of dull, wis full eyes.
Not that Joel Brandt saw anything
grotesque or pathetic about the man.
"Another sickly- looking stranger out
side, Barbara, wants to try the air up
here. Can you keep him? Or may be
the Fox's i'll give him BERTH"
Mrs. Brandt shook her head in house
wifely meditation.
"No, Mrs. Fox can't, that's certain.
She has an asthma and two bronchitises
tnero now. What is the matter with him,
Joel ?"
The strangers harsh, resonant cough
answered.
keep him? to be sure. You might
know I'd keep him, Joel; the night airs
no place for q man with q cough like
that. Bring him into the kitchen right
away"
The newcomer spread his bony hands
over Mrs. Brandt's CHEEKY fire, and the
soft. dull eyes followed her movements
wistfully.
"The fire feels kind o honey, ma'am;
Caiforny amt much Of place for fires,
it pears" -,
"Been long on the coast, stranger ?"
Joel squared himself interrogatively.
f"'Rout week. I'm from Indianny.
Brice's my name-Posey Brice the boys
in the glass mill called me. I was blowed
up in a glass once" The speaker
turned to show an ugly scar on his neck.
"Didn' know where wasfor six weeks
Thought I hadn't Lit. When I come
to there was Loisy potterin' over me ;
but / amt been hugged since"
.Married
The mans answer broke through the
patient LONELINESS of his face at once.
He fumbled in his pocket silently like
one who had no common disclosure to
make. - - Z, -'..ts'
~ "What d'yethink O. them, stranger ?"
Joel took the little black case in hi
hand reverently. A woman's face-not
grand or fair, even-some bits of tawdry
fnery making its plainness plainer-and
beside it a round eyed boy pumped into
high chair, and two little feet sticking
sturdily out in Joel's face.
Mrs. Brandt looked over her hus-
bands shoulder with kindly curiosity.
"The boy favors you amazingly about
the mouth, but he's got his mother
eyes, and they are sharp KNOWN eyes
too. He's a bright one, I'll be bound. "
"Yours, I reckon"
"l Q, that's Loisy and the boy,
fightin- the conscious pride in his voice
like one who tried to do his honors
meekly.
He took the well-worn case again,
gazing into the two faces an instant with
helpless yearning and returning it to its
place. The very way he handled it was
caress, fastening the little brass hook
with scrupulous care.
"I'll be sendin' fur 'em when I get
red O. this pesterin' cough"
A very quiet, unobtrusive guest Mrs.
Brandt found the man Brice talking
little save in q sudden gush of con-
fdence, and always of his wife and child;
r choosing quiet corner of the kitchen
in the chill California nights, where he
watched his hostess deft movements
with wisful admiration.
T. "Try hunting, Brice; the doctors
mostly say it's healthy"
And Brice tried hunting as Joel ad-
vised. Taking the gun from its crotch
over the door after breakfast, and wan
dering for hours in the yellow wine-like
air of the mesa, he came in at noon and
nightfall always empty handed; yet no
one derided his failure. There was
something about the man that smothered
derision.
And so the hunting came to an end
without bloodshed. Whether the doc
tors were right or whether it was the
mingled resin and honey of the sage and
chaparrel, no one cared to ask. Certain
tits that the "pesterin' cough yielded
little, and the bent form grew trihe
more erect.
-"I think likely it's the lookin' up.
ma'am. Mountains seem to straighten
fellow some way. Pears to me some
body writ once NV liftin' his eyes to the
hills for help. Mebbe not, though. ]
amt much at recollectin' verses. Loisy g
powerful hand that way"
Perhaps the man was right. It was the
looking up.
He efollowed Joel from the table one
morning, stopping outside, his face full
of patient eagerness.
"I'm gittin' right smart o strength,
neighbor. Ef there's odd jobs you could
g' me; Id be slow, mebbe, but seems
like most anything 'ud be better'n settin
round"
Joel scratched his head, refectively
The big brawny-handed fellow felt ne
disposition to smile at his weaker
brother.
'fFo1 and / was saying yesterda,
we'd like to put another man on tn