The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-16

fortin; second is, eff ever I ketches you
md Jack Greer tergether agin, him nd
me III hev trouble"
The old mans eyes blazed, and he
flung himself off to bed with an angry
curse upon his lips. Hardly had he dis
appeared, when he thrust his lean face
again through the doorway and said;
"Termo'ler mornin' airly, you take
yoreself down ter Sharp's store md GIT
me five pounds O. blastin' powder
five pound dye hyur" .,
"Ics. pap, but whose ter pay fer it3
Sharp saws he won't credick you
"Sharp be blowed You pay for that
thar powder long O. that war wash
money, et we uns has ter live on bread
nd water atterw'r'ds. III about strike
that vein in day or two, I reckon"
Jack Greer was at Sharp's store when
Nep Fenton came in with her basket of
clothes. She avoided his eye, as she
took up the amount of her wash money
in various articles, naming last the five
pounds of powder. Sharp looked dubl-
Gus; but, at meaning look from Greer
he assented so quickly, that Nep, sus,
pecting the cause, came over and faced
Jack.
81 can't let you do it," she murmured,
'atter what pap said"
"Nep," he whispered, pleadingly,
"don't ye say no. It's all kin do fer
ye now: but, even if you've stopped a
keerin' fer me, /"
"Jack," she moaued, in piteous
whisper. =.
Her tone and one mutual, melting
look was enough. Neb objected no
more, while Jack walked slowly oil to
his work down the hollow, feeling that
his previous suspicious were unwar-
ranted. Nep did love him still, despite
old Fenton and his vaporings.
"Dikc needs klllin', he do" said Jack
to himself. Thar the pore girl hev ter
wash ter keep life in 'em bof, md Dixie a
foolin' long of played out claim.
Sta,vin' ter death, md yit he thinks the
guv'nor O. the State o Georgy hlsset,
air har'ly good 'nuif fer her"
Several days after this Greer inter
cepted Nep on her return from another
trip to Sharp's store. She was silently
crying, and her basket was empty on
her arm.
"Nep," said he, taking her hand,
"thur hcv gotter be a eend put to thlsh
yer. seed Sharp this mornin', md l
wanted ter pay up yore count, but ne
sez you TOP him not ter take it. ND
now-see.-h won't let you hev emmy
thin more ';well you're up md paid him
for what you hev had. What's the
reesin ye w'udn't lemme pay up agln
fer ye'"
"kase you've done that too off'n
already, Jack. Ireckon I've got lettle
sperrit lef', eff do like ye. Lukin' on
ye as pap do, hit aint right fer ye ter be
a payin' out money fer me-for us,
mean.
"Nep," said he, scanning her earnest
ly, ':ye LUX pale md peaked. Pm master
fear'd We didn't hev no dinner to-day.
I've ben watchin' ye. You'll pinch
md do 'thout yoreself, ter let old Dixie
eat enuff ter git strenk ter wuk in that
cussed mine, el ell starve ye bof out.
You'll be down sick next, md I'm
goin' ter put stop to it one way er-
nuthcr shore. I'm goin' home with ye
right now"
Greer's manner was at once stern,
decided, yet tender; and, though Nep
tried to dissuade lin from again facing
her father, he paid little heed and only
said:
"Right's right, Nep, md it's beyond
endurin' to see you KILN yoreself fer
yore pap's caazy nosens. Haint he never
!, goin' ter lc'rn no sense?"
Il think, for the las day or so, he's
ben a gittin' ont O. heart hisself, she
confessed at last.
"pm a gittin' pestercd about him; he
Just progues eroun' the ole mine md
don't pay no tenshun to nuthin'."
"'Nd you've ben keepin' yore trub-
bles from me-" he said, reproachfully,
but her tears made him the more ten
der.
Hand in hand they walked on, with
the roar of Tallulah Falls growing
louder, while the sun rested upon the
gildcd crest of the great precipice be-
meath which Dixie Fenton mooned and
delved in vain. AS they neared the
cabin, Nep again grew alarmed.
"You'd better go back" she said,
shit'll unly make pap mad to see US two
together"
"Let him git mad then" replied Greer
firmly. "He'll halter get pleezed agIn,
afore lets him starveye plum ter death.
Don't you poster yoreself; I'll do the
talkin'."
She said no more, for they were at the
cabin, but found no one there. Then on
up under the great cliff to the mine, at
the mouth of which they could sec Dixie
Fenton seated, with his gaze fixed va
cantly on the falls. and a whit of
blue smoke rising behind him from
within the tunnel.
The two drew near, but Fenton needed
not, but sat like one in dream.
"What can lie the matter long o'pap?"
said Nep, anxiously; but upon Greer,
the meaning of the peculiar shade of
smoke flashed like lightning. He leaped
forward like a deer, and she, not know
ing, followed him.
Within the tunnel, not ten feet from
where Fen:on sat, q Kissing fuse pro-
truded from the bed rock below where
the veiI had been sought for. Not a
foot remained unburled. Nep saw and
screamed. but stood as though petriged,
while old Fenton cast dull glance at
them and growled:
"Git away frum hyur its all over long
o. me-"
But Greer pushed Nep, even as she
shrieked, down the steep slope up which
they had climbed. Then turning, he
he seized the old man, and, despite