The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1886-12-06
THE OLE MANS GREDGE.
by JENNIE E. JUDSON.

"Never tuck the gol." cried the old
man, fierce fire blazing in his sunksn
eyes. "Mightn't he as we'll a tuck hit?
Didn't he up an die 'thout givin no
sign"
'It mought ben that he'd forgot. "
'No, chile, 'twan't that. He knowed,
he shorely knowed. 'Twere jes the ole
gredge a-workin on him tell the las'."
can what ware the gredge2" ..
"Hit ware fur bekase thru a-bein
shif'less an ornery he miss a-gittin g, the
CONAN he wanted fur wife, while was
, mo pyearter and come in ahead"
The girl sat silent q moment, then
asked: "How kim he ever to know
whar the gol an silver ware put2"
''He holp me bury 'em, Telury. Mus
allus keep a-tellin you"-fretfully-
''as how when we heerd the Northun
troops ware a-comin axed HIM to holp
me tote hit to safet place an bury hit.
II was cen mos down with a fever.
Yo nav ware bedfast, an 20 want moth
in but little gosln of Chi. Carruth-
ers had kim over to borry sumthin, an
peared like hit ware my onliest chance.
II LEI the house a-reelin like drunk
man. Lightnin ware dancin befo my
eyes an thundar a-roarin in my yers; but
Ike on n on, an It las heerd Carru-
theirs say, dim like, as in a dream
They amt no safeter place than what
this is Then his pick struck into the
yeath, an 'th that l tumbled right in my
tracks with the feelin that Jake Carru-
theirs ware a-diggin my grave.
"An hit ware the grave to all my
hopes, Telury," "he added, patheticaliy,
'fur I had jtuckered myself clean out
a-manY n a-many day a maxim that
money, for you an 20 nav, kase I had
my hyeart plumb set on a-sendin you to
Meeridgyun to skule, and a.hirin fine
phizziken to cyore 20 nav O. that spine
in her back.
IAN hyer," he continued, with a
tremu Gus break in his voice, ''yo maw's
done gone, tuck off by the very mizry
mistrusted would cause her eerd, an you
'thout no edaication but what you've
got fun these piney-woods skules, which
the good Lord knows aint much. -
"Haint good reason to hate him2'
, with painting breath, IAN to cuss his hull
hateful brood? Haint I right to wish
EN- every evil under the SUM-" s,a.
"Not them, pap," cried the young
girl, excitedly; ''don't cuss the 1nho-
cent. 'Tware the oil man as done wrong.
Wouldn't he never tell you" she asked,
as if in haste to turn the current of his
words, "whar the box ware buried7"
"Tell me! I reckin he's told me a
thousing times as how 'tware put at the
foot of the quinch tree in the summer
guarding. Pve dug the tree down by
piecetmeal in the yers I've KEEP a-lookin' :.
But when I'd tell him twan't thar, an
never had been thar, he'd VOW the Yam
KEGS mus tuck hit away"
SAN moughtn't that ben?'
"No, chill. The troops wasn't skasely
gone tell 1 began to pyeartin up, an
when went to dig whar Jake had tol'
me, plain seed't groun' had never ben
broke.
'But he air arestin oneasy in his
grave, Telury," he continued, in a grue-
some whisper. ''Two scritch ow-els
scrotch n scrotch under my winder las
night, which air shore sign of the dyin
ur the dead, an when I went to sleep I
drempt Jake stood out thar in the south
field a-pintin twodes the oil oak, an a.
sayin; go thar, an dig in the dead Of
night Well 60 tonight, an see what
we kin fin.n
Telura made no sign of dissent. Long
experience had fought her that a ready
interest in the oft-told tale, and ready
acquiescence in her fathers plans for the
recovery of the treasure were by far the
best. Opposition only reused within
him spirit of excitement which wore
cruelty on his weakened frame.
She rose, and went slowly away to her
work, but as the clock struck four she
left the back entrance and disappeared
quietly in the woods. The sun had set
when she returned. AS she passed her
father on the front porch he clutched at
her gown with trembling fingers
"Who ware you a-walking with in the
pine-grove, Telury?" he asked, huskily.
"'Twarc Tom Carruthers." she an
swered, lifting white face and fright
ened eyes.
The blow had fallen and the old man
quailed beneath it.
'I've los my propity," he muttered,
miserably, 1--WE los my wife, an now Pm
a-goin to lose my emil. My Godm he
painted, as if from overpowering pain,
"hit pears too hard to bar"
ooh, pap" cried the young girl,
wildly. as she threw her arms about him,
"you amt a-going to lose me. III stan
by you tell the eend. / ware a-partin
with him forever, beka:e I knowed hit
ware 20 wish. I had growed to keer
fur him 'thout a-knowin of it. He ware
allus so kind when we ware a-goin to
skule, and sence then 'peared like could
n 20 nowhur, nur do nothin but Toms
allus on hands. want never perlite to
him, pap, but looked like as if the mo
hatefulIer I actid twodes him the mo
kinder was a getting to feel Hit spited
rue turrible, an I wrastlcd hard to hate
him, but hit ddn' pear to do no good.
He's.a goin away to-morrer, though, an
I'll furgit him, I shorely will" But a
fresh burst of tears and sobs gave scant
promise of fulfillment of her words.
"He air q bad stock, Telury an we
has reason to thank the Lord that you
| has yot shet of him.