The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-29
BY HUGH WILSON AND W. C. BENET.

slower. Nobody asked him to quit hi
work now. Even Mrs. Brandt shrunl
from the patient misery of his face whel
idle. he came into the kitchen on
evening, choosing the old quiet corner
and following her with his eyes silently
"Is there anything lackin', Brice ?
The woman came and stood beside him
the great wave of pity in her heart well
ing up to her voice and eyes.
"Nothin', ma'am, thank ye. 1'v'
been thinkin'," he went on speaking
more rapidly than was his wont. can
dunno. You've known Nv people get
tin wrong in their minds, I s'pose
They wuz mostly smart KNOWN chaps
wuzn't they the low. monotcnou
voice growing almost sharp with eager
ness. 81 reckon you never knowed oi
any one not over bright gittin' out o.
his head, ma'am ?"
"I wouldn't think O. them things
Brice. Just go on, and do your best,
and if there's any good, or any right, OF
any justice, you'll come out ahead
that's about all we know, but it's enough
if we stick to it.
"I reckon you're right, ma'am.
Pears sometimes tho rs if anything 'ud
be better than the thlnkin'."
Happily, it all came to an end one af.
ternoon. Brice was at work on the
ditch again, preferring the cheerful com
panionship of Joel and Bert Fox to his
own thoughts, and Mrs. Brandt was
alone in her kitchen. Two shadows fell
across the worn threshold, and weak,
questioning voice brought the good wo-
man to her door instantly.
"Good-day to you, ma'am. Is there
man named Brice livin' nigh here any
where?"
It was a woman's voice, woman with
some bits of tawdry ornament about her,
and round-eyed boy clinging bashfully
to her skirts.
Mrs. Brandt brought them into the
house, urging the stranger to rest bit
and get her breath.
"Thank you, ma'am: I'd like to be
moyin' on. Do you know ef he's we'll
the man Brice2 We're his wife an
boy"
The woman told her story presently,
when Mrs. Brandt had induced her to
wait until the men came home-told it
with no unnecessary words, as her list
ener made no comment.
"My brother come week afore we
was leavin' an he helped us off an
came as far as Omaha. He'd done we'll
out in Nebrasky, an''he gave me right
smart of money when he left. l was
took sick on the road-I disremember
just where-and they left me at a town
with a woman named Dixon. She took
care of me; / was out of my head long
time, an when I come to told 'em to
write to Brice, an they writ, an I
reckon they took the name Of the place
from the ticket. I was weak like fur a
long spell, an they KEEP writin' an no
word come, and then Irecollected about
the town it was Los Angeles on the
ticket, and then I couldn't think Of the
place, I'd sent the letters to before, an
thinkin' worried me, and the doctor said I
mustn't try. So just waited, an when
I got to Los Angeles kept askin' for
a man named Brandt, till one day some
body said Brandt, Brandt, pears to me
there's a Brandt way over beyond the
Mission An I went there an they
showed me your house. Then q
man give US a lift on his team part O.
the way, an we walked the rest. It
didn't look very fur, but they say noun.
tains is deceivin'. There's somethin'
kind of grand about 'em, I reckon, it
makes everything pear sort O small"
Mrs. Brandt told Joel about it that
evening.
"I Just took the two of them up to
the shanty, and opened the door, and
you'd a cried to see how pleased she
was with everything. And told her
to kindle fire and I'd fetch up bite O.
supper. And when I carried it up and
left it, T just come back and stood on
the step till I saw Brice comm home.
He was walkin' slow as if his feet was a
weight, and. when he took hold of the
door he stopped minute, looking over
the valley kind of wistful and hopeless.
I guess she heard him come for she
opened the door, and turned around
and come in. Barbara Brandt, says I,
you'v seen your see. If God wants to
look at that I suppose he has right
to; nobody else has, that's certain.