The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-11-17
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enjoyment that he craved. And Lem
Sanderson seemed to love his boy the
better for this strange passion. as if he
was therein the reflection of something
that touched his parent vanity.
Many times | endeavored to lift tho
blaci; mantle from Lem Saldersol's past,
but save the fact that he was n south
erner, and the intimation that his wife
had proved recreant to her vows, my de-
signing queries were futile. There was
only conclusion to be drawn: That
Len Sanderson vas a name of conceal
ment, and hat he had outwitted the
legal powers by stealing his own child.
Once l implOred him, as he loved his
boy, to the evil habit which
must certainly be impaired to the lad
as he grew older, but the mere suf.ges-
ton of evil Detailing his child only
served to invite a fresh volley Of his APP
palling oaths, and abandoned all hope
Of ever being concerned in his redemp
ton. That the same Lem Sanderson could
have been, by any human accident or
intervention, Induced to seek comfort
in a Bible was almost incomprchensi-
bile, mentally argued. as my inform
"'N' "A'ii a AlObi III VI III w III lllulCulCu
where | was to sit at the single log.top
table which graced he corner OF the
saloon. a grim-visaged bottle, that had
at some period of its existence evil
IDENTIFY lone virtuous service as Il pickle
receptacle, was placed on the board be-
tween us, and my loQuacious companion
continues:
) you was q friend of old Lem San
derson. Tough ole sinner, wasn't he?
don't jest somehow remember all how it
came round tibet w&y-i aIurs was scarf
OF Lem as death and kept mighty quiet
on his Clain-but anyway one night,
tibet was last fall, inc and him kinder
pooled u int'rests and made a bargain
to prospect the hill together all winter.
Course YOU know how them things is
done. So shifted my traps into his
cabin up the gulch yondcr, and settled
down like an ole bear f'winter with Lem
an tn little n The greatest kid in
these parts, thct boy. Bright an good,
an cute amt no names fur him,
stranger. Little Lem. thet's the kid
wur goin' onto ! about then, and stunted
and small like. Tough an strong,
though, he was, same as mount'n oak.
Y never seed n babe fonder of his daddy
then Lem Junier' was, and Lem, well,
he worshipt thet boy, so know'd some
thin terrible was comm long some of
these fine days. An sure as ylivo it
did, jest as / said.
Over Their upon Battil mount'n mo
and Lem whacked up on some alfred
wcll-appearin' claims. Their was the
Gulch Sperrct, Fust Chance, Owl Roost,
an I1ell's Fire lodes, all good, an every
one Of EN- under seven foot of snow.
Tn Hells Fire laid down acrost Lime
stun flat, bout half ways tween tn
cabin an tn Owl Roost. TIL Roost,
see, o n sharp shoot over tn east ell
bow of tn mount'n Their. Now, it didn't
pan out near swell as me an Lem had
calkerlated. We put tn shaft down q
hundred an ten foot by tn tape, tim
bered her mp snug, too, but the vein
give out like a knife blade runnin' to a
pint, 30 we quit. Course We couldn't
ford to loaf longer'n we could help, so
the next thing we lone we jest pulled
up tn ole winlass and moved her up on
tn Owl Roost. Early in tho winter
thet was fore much snow fell. Poorly
near ev'ry day Lem Junier would
scramble up tn trail same as a Sonora
mule, up past tn ole Hell's Fire shaft
'course tibet was one of LENS darned
wicked names-to were we war blastin';
then soon as he come long tired he'd
take the back trail to tn gulch. He
never knowed anything bout fear, an
when he made up his mind
20 go well, ole Lem never
said nothin'. One bright day,
Jun high, as Lem an the kid an me was
sittin' at the shaft eating bacon an
sour dough bread-nobody made better
sour dough bread N Lem-long comes
a big white cloud over Holy Cross
mount'n.
Say, dad spoke up the young'n,
who makes the clouds?'
"Ole Lem looked at me kinder shamed,
an said nuthin'.
Course l know'd the Lord was r'spon-
Sible. but it scarf me to think Lem
might swear if / said so.
"Now, what d'yOu reckon that kid
thought on next? Says he, soft like:
Say, dad. have them clouds wings same
as anEl.:'
"Hs was gain dumb at thet cloud,
it seemed to me as if it was comm
right down with open arms to carry him
off.
lem didn't take kind to what tn
Junier said, I could SEQ they, fur his face
wrinkled, but tho fust time on rec'rd he
forgot to swear. Tho kid jest took his
breath way. Where d'yOu 'spose
boy heard of angils2 Their
warn'J another word spoke, in all fifteen
minutes it must hev been, till student
tn sun got lost an tn snow come down,
then th kid took tn back track
spite OF us. Somethin' must hev told
Lem what was layin' mp fur lin. He
mighty little talkin' rest of tibet
day. Well, stranger, tibet storm beat
all-th' allfir'dest hlizzlrd ever seed in
parts. In ten minutes tho WIND