The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-04-20

y SthAS
we had our first trouble. She was tho
prctticst girl in the county, and she was
just as sweet and good as she was pretty.
She was the dominie's daughter, and
when she came to school Jim and I both
set our cups for her ut the same time.
Funny, stranger, how n pretty girl will
come between old friends. Two men
can live like twins Il whole lifetime, but
just let a pretty woman come in and they
will fight like brothcrs-in-law ovcra will.
When little Phillis came to school, and
Jim and l ran races to ask to see her
home or to fetch her to singing school or
Sunday night meeting, then, stranger, we
knowcd the first trouble of our lives.
Somehow we grew cold like, and before
that year was ended VIC did not speak.
One night Jim and l met ut her house.
l was seventeen then, aud Jim was over
eighteen and us big as a man. He had a
beard, almost, and he was rs handsome
as a picture. He didn't know that I was
there, or I don't think he'd a called. 1
had been there about an hour, and just
before the knocker sounded Phillis had
told me the old story VIC all Of us love to
hear so we'll, and 1 felt as happy and
light-heartcd rs n lark. When Jim came
in and saw us sitting in the little old par
lor he seemed to know just what had
happened like a flash. For a moment l
thought he'd do something he'd regret
sometime. His face got so black and
sullen and his eyes got ugly. Phillis saw
it, too, soon us I did.
"tJim,' said SHE, her voice trembling
just a little. Jim, I want you and Bob
to shake hands and be friends
"Then I got up and held out my hand;
though, to tell the truth, I felt sort of
nervous.
'Jim,' she went on, her voice get
ting stronger and her face getting sweet
or and swcctcr. Il want you to love Bob
again just as you used to, bccausc-bc-
cause-I love him so much. Won't you,
Jim2 for-my sake
81 wish you could have seen Jim just
then, stranger. never saw the good in
n man fight SO hard with the bad and
come out ahead in all my life before or
since and never expect to again. He
stood there by the epen window just as
if he'd been carved out of stone. l didn't
know whether he'd heard what she said
or not, he was SO still. Then just as I
was about to take back my hand Jim
took it in both OF his so hard l almost
dropped. Then he threw his arms
around my neck, kissed me on my lips,
Topped down on a chair, stranger, and
cried like a baby. Phillis, the little
woman, cried too, and there we all were
with our arms around each other crying
like women and not any of us knowing
what we was crying about.
"That settled things with us. After
that we was brothers just like VIC used to
be. Well, it's n long story, and l guess
you won't care to hear it all. So I'll cut
it short. When I was twenty-one I was
married. Jim was our best man, and my
oldest boy is named James Churchill
Brown. About a year or SO later Jim
married. She was a cripple and sup
ported her mother doing sewing. But
if she had been a royal princess Jim
couldn't have treated her any better.
After he got on the road he built her a
little house near us and there they lived
and there these little tots came into the
world. About a year ago a little boy
came to their cottage, but he only stayed
a day or so, and when he went back to
where he came from he took the little
mother back too, and these little ones
were left behind. Jim never lost heart
though, but the blow nearly killed him.
He stood up under it as brave rs a lion,
md you'd never have known from his
face, except that he didn't smile the way
he used to, that he knew what sorrow
was. One evening last week-it was an
off-day with Jim-hc and Phillis was out
walking by the creek that runs through
my meadow by the red barn. 1t was
just dusk and my little boy was running
on ahead playing in the snow when they
came to the railroad crossing. Just as
they got there Jim heard a whistle. 1t
wasn't time for the regular train, SO he
wasn't watching for danger. 1t was a
special and it was coming round the
curve like lightning. My little Jim was
playing on the culvert. Phillis heard the
whistle, she saw the boy on the track,
and heard the rattle of the engine just as