Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-08-14
md she gazed after him till he was out of

and she gazed after him till he was out OF
sight.
His reflections were not agreeable, as he
retraced his footsteps over the dusty high
way, travelled but yesterday with so light
heart. The loss of his money meant 8
good deal to John Boyd. The pressure of
anxiety seemed to settle again upon his
shoulders, as he thought over the probabili-
ties of it's nonrecovery. "But won't give
in without a fight for it," he thought, GRIM
ly, as he urged his horse forward.
Miles seemed doubly long when measured
by heavy heart, what with dust, heat and
the continual effect to clear his mental con-
fusion as to when and where he had last
seen the wallet, the young farmer was
tagged and dispirited enough, before noon
was fairly come.
He stopped to dine at little tavern at
tached to toll-gate, and with some vague
hope that the money might have been
picked up on the road by some one, men
toned his loss. The toll-keeper shook his
head.
''BoIton's your only chance" he said. eff
it was on the road you dropped it there's no
likelihood that you will ever hear of it again.
The dust is eight inches deep, ! should say,
and there's been three big droves of sheep
and one of bullocks along since yesterday,
trampled it under pretty thoroughly. 1t
is buried deep enough, you may be sure,
unless, which is just as likely to happen,
some one has picked it up and made off with
it. Your chance is slim one, I reckon"
Cold comfort this but John was forced to
agree with his opinion. Despondingly he
rode through the afternoon, scanning the
way as he went, for despite the toll-keeper,
faint hope still fingered in his heart,
though the track, deep in dust and churn-
ed and trampled by the crowded droves,
presented sorry field for either hope or
discovery.
He had gained the top of long hill, from
which Bolton was dimly visible, when a
moving object far ahead caught his eye and
he rose in his stirrups in order to see more
clearly. AS he did so his horse made false
step, stumbled and threw him forward in
the saddle so that his head grazed the horses
neck. 1t was in this position that tiny
heart gave little leap, then he called him
self q fool, but all the saline he dismounted
to examine.
Already a random hoof-strOke had buried
the red patch from sight, but John recollect-
ed the spot, and STOPPING, dug and scooped
till it again became visible. His fingers
recognized a solid substance. Trembling
with excitement, he continued to dig; an
other second and the object was uncovered,
lifted out, and with wild, incredulous
whoop of JOY, John Boyd held in his hand
his wallet, buried deep by the hurrying
herds, and uncovered for one passing mo
ment that his eyes might rest upon it, and
no other. Except for that lucky stumble,
he would have ridden over the lost treas
ure, and never dreamed what lay beneath
his horses feet.
"And some folks say there amt no God ~
was his mental comment, spoken half-aloud.
Then-for John Boyd's religion, though a
homely, was a true One-he bent his head,
and said few words of thanksgiving after
which, jumping on his horse, he took the
backward route, eager to tell his good for
he now remembered with self reproach,
must have passed painful day under the
stigma of undeserved suspicion.
The heat was yielding to evening breezes,
and he urged his horse, impatient to set
matters straight, but with his best endeavor
it was IL O'Clock before he at last drew rein
in front of Nash's hotel. He was expected ;
that was evident, for lights were burning
and Nash and his wife hurried out to meet
him, wearing faces of lugubrious length,
which only in part changed to cheerfulness
when they heard of the recovery of the
wallet.
'There, what did tell you?" cried the
husband. Haven't I been saying all day
that likely as not this scare wouldn't turn
out all for nothing? And you would not
listen to a word, but just kept on to that
poor thing inside there, and she nothing to
Ill &Lo r ;f3c ho RI
the way women act to each other-and folks
calling them the softer sexp A man would
be ashamed to act so. Well, do tell! And
so the money was lying there all the time in
the dust! Well, Pm mighty glad, for your
sake and ours too. Go right in, sir, and
wife will give you some supper. Pll see to
the horse"
Mrs. Nash waited on the meal in grim
silence. She seemed only half rejoiced at
the denouement.
"It's mighty queer" she remarked as she
sat the last dish on the table. II don't feel
as if we had got to bottom of it yet. Why
didn't Lucy deny more positive?"
"But she did," said John, between two
she said she hadn't got it,"
"Why, of course, she said as much as
that. You didn't expect her to say that
she'd got it, did you?" rejoined the landla-
dy with fine scorn. "But she didn't speak
up violent and bold, as you'd expect an in
nocent girl would"
''But She was innocent all the time, you
know"
81 amt so over sure about that" replied
Mrs. Nash, with shake Of her head. "It's
a queer business"
"Now, look here" shouted John, reused
by this persistent injustice, "what is there
queer about it, l should like to know I?
Here's my wallet"-slapping his pocket
And you know as we'll as do that never
put it under the pillow, and that girl of
YOURS had no more to do with it than babe
unborn. It's her pardon that l ought to
beg, and you, too. So I hope, madam,
You'll drop the subject and just make it up
to the poor thing by being extra kind, as
it were, for the bad day we made her
spend"
Mrs. Nash seemed by no means modified
by this not over judicious appeal, and as
soon as her duties as hostess would permit,
left the room muttering under her breath
something that John did not catch. He was
too sleepy to care particularly about the
matter, and presently went to bed, when
dreamless slumber drew her veil over the
days vicissitudes.
Hurrying out to the barn next morning
in the best of spirits, a low, sobbing sigh
called his attention to bench outside the
kitchen door, where sat figure crumpled
I'D in forlorn little heap, in which he rec
ognized the pretty maid of the day before.
She wore her bonnet and bundle lay
beside her. Her face was hidden on her
arms, which were crossed on the back of
the bench.