The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-02

| by paper. There's fuss at the factory !,
the hands are on a strike, but l don't
s'pose Jim's mixed up in it."
ga man shot" Anne gaspcd.
"a foreman. Shot, but amt dead. l
| shouldn't wonder if Jim had KEEP out OF
| it; he wouldn't been likely to throw up
| good place the minute he got it,"
tsNo," said Aune, but her hand, hold
ing the paper, trembled.
IIf We hear any more we'll let you
know, but don't you go to fretting,"
Mrs. Baldwin repeated. She drove away,
and Anne, remembering her fire as she
turned back, went to the wood-shed.
The clouds had broken over on autum-
nal yellow sky, and cold wind was
springing up. She had piled her strong
arms full, and was turning, when some
thing crouched in a corner rose.
"You needn't be scared" it said. 81
amt going to touch YOU"
1t was a boy, under-sized and slight,
but a look at his face showed Anne that
he was older than herself. He looked
like tramp, with his bundle done up in
handkerchief and mud-drabbled
clothes.
"Do you want anything-somcthing to
eat2" she said, gently, for she thought OF
Jim. "Come in and I'll give you some
thing, You're cold" His teeth chat
tered.
He followed her in, and she drew a
chair and brought him food. He pressed
forward to warm his chilled hands, but
ate little. His eyes roved uneasily, and
at an abrupt movement of Uncle Elias IN
his sleep he started.
"Every woman so far's been afraid OF
me-" he said, in sullen tones. "They
needn't be. Iain'ta tramp, nor thief,
nor a murderer. That's what they say
am" he ended, narrowly cycling her.
Her first thought was that this was
strange, foolish bravado, but the boy sat
bitterly smiling. His face was q weak
and yet bad one; his eyes had a shall
low yet hardened look.
"I can prove it easy enough" he went
on. Desperation and pitiful wistful-
ness mingled in his face. "Do you know
how far I've tramped since yesterday"
ne demanded. From Ingleby. Thirty
miles"
s'Inglebys"
"rve had job in the tool-factory over
there" Whatever his confession was,
he wavered on the verge of it, in dread
of its effect.
"Did you know the other hands9 Did
YOU know Jim Davis?" Anne questioned,
eagerly.
The boy gaped at her, his face chang
ing. "Do you2" he demanded. 81
heard he come from round here. You
know him2"
Eyes" Something held Anne from
saying more, and the boy went on hur-
ricdly:
"They think shot Mccormick They
believe it, because I haint kept straight
since been there. Well, there's others
been bad as me, and worse, and Jim
Davis is one. know Jim Davis. We
was thick enough one time. Now he
turns on me; sneaks out of this, and lays
it on to me. I'lllive to get it back on
himl' said the boy fercely.
"Thcy think twas me at the bottom OF
the strike" he went on. cit was Jim
Davis more'n anybody. he said We was
shaving for starvation wages, and he'd
put in for more and see it through, and
be stuck to it. I'd backed out more'n
once if jim Davis hadn't KEEP us to it. 1t
was him heading us when it happened.
He wanted to 60 up to McCormick's and
get fuss going; he thought twas Nc
Cormick holding the bosses against US,
and be was down on him. he want
quite sober, you see. He was the one
that called Mccormick out and went at
him about leaving town or getting hurt,
and then when Mccormick talked back
and showed he want afraid, Jim was
crazy. He took out his pistol and fired,
and it hit him in the side and he fell
over. Didn't 1 see him! didn't have
pistol; any of the fellows knew that.
They could prove he's lying if they want
set of towards! Well, he settled things
for me, Jim Davis did. He said I shot
him, and the whole town thinks so. I
might s we'll done it, I wouldn't been no
worse. I was right up with jim Davis
all through, like fool. Seeing I didn't, !"
said the boy, his voice hoarsened by his
dreary monologue, ~ hadn't ought to
pay for it. shall, if they get hold of
me. Some of 'cm said I better get out
the way and I did. They'll be after me
fast enough, and then, Lord knows!"
The poor girl VINO had heard him sat
still, benumbed when he had done. The
fires cracking and Uncle Elias's peace
full breathing were all that broke the
silence.
Jim, whom her love and hope had
been centred in! How much she had
loved him and hoped from him she had
not realized till now; now that her ten
der trust was betrayed as she had never
dreamed it could be. Jim kind-hearted
jim, with his honest eyes so like his
mothers, the mother he had promised
never again to hurt. That he had for
gotten! This, if she had been alive,
would have killed her.
What had led to it? II was strangely
unlike Jim-this awful thing. He had
never been riotous and bad !; never a lead
or in wrong doing, only q follower.
But off in that rough place alone, with
bad companions and coarse Influences
it had, she felt, transformed him, and SO
soon, into something different from the
brother she had known.
Yet she could not doubt the boy. He
was q moor little snecilnen Of humanity