Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-10-17
The Sturg Teller.
TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
By JAMES T. M'KAY.
Copyright
].
PRENT.
BY N T. M'KAY.

PRENT.
evil you ever be done collecting,
Prents"
ooh, I hope so, Nell. I think I'll get
through the best of it today. I expect to
bring you home $50, 900 tonight"
"HushG' she said. YOU'RE foolish to
talk SC. I wish you were well out Of the
business, Prent."
"Pshaw, NELL" he answered, 'there's
O danger. I'd like to leave it in Bath &
Westbury's safe in Caramore, but Bath
told me yesterday they wouldn't ave any
more. There's been a safe robbery down
west, and they're afraid. don't blame
'em, though"
"Where are you going today" .
tI'm going south, through Dixon and
Camthorp to Shore, and then west by the
south country road to Seaville and Plum
lev, and then home by Caramore. 1t Is q
long pull. but I haven't much WORK TO 40,
and l guess Driver'u do it by dark
He got up from the breakfast table and
prepared to 60 out.
"Well, don't be rash, Prent."
ooh. I'll look out. Don't you fear.
Good-by, Nell"
She saw him ride brown Driver through
the gate and trot away down the south
road. 49,,
At 10 Prent rode out to Shore, and held
on east along the wide South pike; at .
he was in Seaville Center. In Plumley
he was delayed. To get home by dark ne
should have been at Caramore by half
past 4. The sun was low on Three Pine
hills when he rode up to Bath g. West
burv's general country store. He hitched
Driver to a post, went in and warmed his
hands ut the stove.
"-everin', Broom" said Bath.
He beckoned and passed through to the
back store. Prent followed and shut the
door behind him.
"Broom," suys Bath, you've got to
take that money along with you, an oil l
got to say is the Don you get shet of 1t,
the better for you"
'Why what's to pay now, Bath?".
asked Prent.
sThere was two regular sporters stopped
at Jim Crickett's last night. They come
by different trains, didn't know each
other at all, at first, but got very thick
afore the night was out. The first one
gave his name as William Paddlebox, and
when the other fellow Jaw it on the book,
he put his'n down James NJ. Walking
beam. Last week, too, there was a fell
low in here pretended he was agent for a
Bellamy tobacco company. l asked him
some quizzing questions that showed he
wasn't up to the tobacco trade at all, I'd
be swore. I saw him examine the lock Of
the north door, and walk all around the
building when he went out. I'm mighty
mistaken If somebody amt broke into
before long. Leastways, you must take
that package out of our safe tonight. Ive
changed off the small money for you and
got it into as small bulk as I could. And,
look here, Broom" he added, 1.-The money
being in our safes been talked Of over to
Wimble's, and it's no more'n right you to
drop in there and happen to mention its
been took out"
"Well," said Broom, eff you say so. T
don't want you to run any risk by me-"
Thee were one or two persons in the
store as he passed through, took he
package from Bath, and buttoned it under
his coat.
"You ought to be armed, Broom" Bath
whispered.
Prent opened his coat a little way; the
butt of a pistol showed on his left breast.
He stepped over to Wimble's hotel, bought
q cigar at the bar. Wimble came up.
How do, Broom Comm over t. the
rattle tomorrow? Lem me git you a
ticket, only a dollar"
"No, guess not" says Prent. "Got to
10 t. the CITY,"
"Going to take them ten thousan' Ben
Baths got in his safe o. your'nF"
"Bath hasn't no ten thousand nor ten
cents of mine," said Broom.
BE went out and started on. The sun
was set. He had nineteen miles to do yet.
He kept Driver going smartly, though he
began to lag q little with his long days
tramp. The road lay north, through level,
waste plain lands, covered with stunted
pines, scrub oak, and smaller matted under
growth. The road is a single wagon track
cut down through the thin surface soil
into the white, fetlock deep sand under
meath. It was q dreary ride enough.
Broom kept his horse at a steady pace,
urging him now and then a little faster.
Nell would be looking for him now, and
eighteen miles with a tired horse between
them yet. Four miles Of the same mo-
notonous waste; then, far away across the
level, he caught sight Of the buildings Of
Camarack station on the line Of the rail-
way. He heard the whistle Of q train
coming west, and presently saw it roll in
and stop. It moved of, Kissing and clang-
ing, just Us he came up. Crossing the
track, he was hailed by a man he knew.
"Hello, Broom! hold on"
He stopped and the man came out.
"Look here, Broom" he said; "half an
hour ago I got this telegram. What the
deuce does it means' 1t was dated,
"Half past six, Brammerley," ten miles
west on the line. 1t was addressed to
Henry Tarlow, and read thus:
"Prentiss Broom will pass through
c. about Z. Tell him this: Don't go
beyond Brame's tonight"
1t was signed "a Friend"
II don't know what it means. Good
night, Tarlow, I've got fourteen miles be-
fore me-"
He rode on, keeping Driver we'll up to
his work. 1t was five miles to Squire
Brame's tavern; five miles of the same
dreary waste around and the same clog
glng sand under foot. The road bent
more to the west now; it was fast growing
dark.
Two miles short of Brame's he caught
sight of a wagon also going north. He
pushed the brown ahead to overtake it,
and coming up recognized the sturdy per-
son and gray hair of the stout old squire
himself. The squire was q fast friend of
Prent's, and he was glad enough to see
him jogging home.
"Hold up, square," he called. What's
your hurry"
"Whoa, Bill" answered the squire, in
his hearty voice. "Well, now, if it amt
Prent Broom"
"Give s a ride, square. I been in the
saddle all day."
He dropped off Driver and got in with
the squire.
81 want some advice, square," he said.
"Look here-or hold on; you can't see it
now, but I'll tell you what's int"
He read and explained the message.
"'Don't 60 beyond Brame's tonight,
the squire repeated. "Well, that's good
advice anyway, Prent. How much have
you got on your"
"Nineteen thousand dollars and odd"
"Whew!" the old man whistled. "You
better take a friends advice. Don't 80
beyond Brame's tonight. Your horse is
tired, too. Look how he h~angs>back."
"But I've got to 60 home. Nells all
alone"
"Then you better leave the money with
me-"
mo, no, square, I amt going to get
you into any trouble like that. And, be-
sides, I'm going to town with it in the
morning. l won't lose sight of it any