The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-17

one-half down, and undertaking to pay hal
crown a week, and no more security thar
nothing!
To make it worse, too, if I didn't send
the thing home without charge! Luke
went with it, for he was back at home now
keeping my books, being grown into int
young fellow of twenty-five
and I sat and growled tn,
the whole of the est of the day, calling
myself all the weak-minded idiots under
the sun, and telling the wife that business
was going to the dogs, and I should b.
ruined.
Luke came back soon after looking very
strange, and was at him directly.
"Where's the seven an six Y I says, an
grily.
He didn't answer, but put three half
crowns down on the desk, took out his book
made his entries-date of delivery, frs
payment, when the others due and all the
rest of it--and was then going into the
house.
"Mind," I said sharply, those payments
are to be kept up to the day; and to-mor.
row you 60 down to the Rollys, who live
nearly opposite to 'em, and tell 'em to keeE
an eye on the widow, or we shall LOSE
another machine"
"You need't be afraid, father" he said
coldly; they're honest enough, only poor.
/ was just in that humor that wanted
to quarrel with somebody, and that did it
"When 1 ask you for your opinion
young man, you give it me; and when ]
tell you to do thing, you do it'll lsays, in
as savage way as ever spoke to the lad
"You 20 over tomorrow and tell the Rollys
to keep strict lookout on those people; do
you hear?
Father" he says, looking me full in the
face, II couldn't insult them by doing such
a thing" when, without another word, he
walked quietly out Of the shop, leaving me
worse than ever.
For that boy had never spoken to me like
that before, and I should have gone after
him feeling like mad, only some people
came in, and didn't see him again until
evening, and a good thing, too, for Pm sure
I should have said all sorts of things to the
boy that I should have been sorry for after.
And there I was, fuming and fretting
about, savage with everybody, giving short
answers, swapping at the wife, and feeling
as man does feel when he knows that he
has been in the wrong and hasn't the heart
| to go and own it.
It was about 8 o'clock that was sitting
by the parlor fire, with the wife working
and very quiet, when Luke came in from
the workshop with book under his arm,
for he had been trotting up the mems piece
work, and what was due to them, and the
sight of him made me feel as if wanted to
quarrel.
He saw it, too, but he said nothing, only
put the accounts away and began to read.
The wife saw the storm brewing, and she
knew how put out was, for I had not lit
my pipe, nor yet had my evening nap,
which I always had after tea. She did
what she so we'll knew how to do-illed my
pipe, forced it in my hand and just as l
was going to dash it to pieces in the ashes
she gave me one OF her old looks, kissed me
on the forehead, as with one hand she
pressed me back into the chair and then
with the other she lit a splint and held it to
my tobacco.
1 was done. She always gets over me
like that; and after smoking in silence for
half an hour. / was lying back, with my
eyes closed, dropping off to sleep, when the
wife said (what had gone before l hadn't
| heard):
ayes, he's asleep now."
That woke me up of course, and if I
didn't lie there shamming and heard all
they said in a whisper!
"How came you tc make him more vexcd
than he was, Luke?" said the wife; and he
told her.
II couldn't do it, MOTHER" he said ex-
citedly. ut, was heart.breaking. She's
living in wretched room there with her
daughter; and, mother, when I saw her l
felt as if-there, I can't tell you."
eco on, Luke" she said.
"They're half-starved," he said, in a
Susky way. ooh, mother! it's horrible
huch sweet, beautiful girl, and the poor
woman herself dying almost with some
terrible disease"
The wife sighed.
"They told me" he went on, show hard
they had tried to live by ordinary needle
work, and failed, and that as last re.
source they had tried to get the machines
"Poor things said the wife; but are
you sure the mother was lady"
GA clergyman's widow" says Luke, has
tily; "there isn't doubt about it. Poor
girl! and they've got to learn to use it be-
fore it will be of any use."
"Poor girl, Luke" said the wife softly !;
and I saw through my eyelashes that she
laid hand upon his arm, and was looking
curiously at him, when if he didn't cover
his face with his hands, rest his elbows on
the tavle, and give low groan! Then the
old woman got up, stood behind his chair,
and began playing with and caressing his
hair like the foolish old mother would.
Mother. he said, suddenly, "will you
go and see them?"
She didn't answer for minute, only
stood looking at him, and then said softly
"They paid you the first money!"
"No," he said hotly, 81 hadn't the heart
10 take it,
"Then that money you paid was yours,
Luke?"
"Yes, mother he says simply; and those
two stopped looking at the other, till the
wife bent down and kissed him, holding his
head afterward for few moments, between
her hands; for she always did worship that
chap, our only one; and then closed my
eyes tight, and went on breathing heavy and
thinking.
For something like new revelation had
come upon me. knew that Luke was 25,
and that was 81, but he always seemed
like boy to me, and here / was waking up
to the fact that hewas grown man, and
that he was thinking and feeling as I FIRST
thought and felt when saw his mother,
nigh upon eight-and-twenty years ago.
1 lay back, thinking and telling myself I
was very savage with him for deceiving me.
and that I wouldn't have him and his
mother plotting against me, and that l
wouldn't stand by and see him make fool
of himself with the first pretty girl he set
eyes on, when he might marry Maria Tur-
ner, the engineers daughter and have a
nice bit of money with her to put into the
business, and then be my partner.
"No," Isays, "if you plot together I'll plot
alone" and then I pretended to wake up
took no notice, and had my supper.
/ kept rather gruf next morning, and
made myself very busy about the place, and
I dare say spoke more sharply than usual
but the wife and Luke were as quiet as could
be; and about twelve o'clock went out
with little oil-can and two or three tooli
} in my pocket.
1t was not far to Bennett's place, and or
, getting 10 the right house 1 asked for Mrs
Murray, and was directed to the second
! floor, where, as I reached the door, coule
hear the clio ing of my sewing machine, anc
: whoever was there was 30 busy over it tha
sde did not hear me knock; 80 opened tn,
door softly and looked in upon as sad 1
, scene as shall ever, dare say, see.
7 There, in the bare room, sat, asleep il