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

lQeTe Is uo uopP pPAneo' AVA w NoS 49, NoN"G
our duty"
But this was like nothing she had
ever known. He was her brother,
though he had sunk so far from her as to
do this thing. He was Jim, and she
could love him no less, nor ever would.
What was this boy to hera He was in
nocent and Jim was guilty, and he would
suffer and Jim would go free. She pit
led the boy. But could shea o Jim!
o Jim!
Finally she went and stood before tho
boy. eff they don't find you when they
come after you," she said, her voice
trembling, ssthat will give you chance,
won't it9 Then they might find out
who did i'll"
"They'll find me-" he returned.
"You don't ask me to help you"
81 didn't think you would" he said,
blankly.
I WILL" Anne said, slowly. "You
didn't do it, and you shouldn't suffer for
it; it couldn't be right! could hide
you here till they have come and gone,
and then you can go home. You must
not pay for what he did. If I can
save you from it I will. There is a gar
ret room nobody goes into, and nobody
will know"
Uncle Elias was stirring wakefully and
she could hear the children's voices.
She opened the stair door hurriedly.
The boy looked at her as he passed
up. She was feeling chilled and strange,
so long had the tension been and so great
her effort, but the boys face, with its
half-abashed glow, sent warm thrill
through her.
"I'll never forget you for this" he
said.
Her decision and her deed gave her
strength, of a kind. She went through
the day as she would otherwise have
done. She got supper, attended to the
children's wants, and all the evening
talked with Uncle Elias. When the
children were in bed and she had helped
Uncle Elias up stairs, she made up a
plateful of food and took it up to the
garret room. The boy was asleep, with
the hard lines smoothed out of his face,
its badness softened, She left the plate
beside him and stole away.
Early next morning, as she bent over
the fire cooking the breakfast, she heard
wheels, and saw Sammy run through the
yard in answer to the call of a man In
mud-splashed buggy. He drove away
after a word, and Sammy ran in.
"He wanted to know if we'd seen q
boy tramping through here yesterday, "he
said, round-eyed. II told him no."
His dster looked away from him.
Where was Jim2
1t was not till the children had gone to
school and Uncle Elias out for an airing
that she could go to the garret. She
took the remains of the breakfast, and
told the boy of the man in the buggy.
"I'll 60, then" he said, with long
breath. ssI'll cut over to the north road
and keep on there, and he'll go back
without me. Nc! they'd better get after
the right one."
She stood in the door, q few minutes
later, and watched him 60. Then shc
put on her mail-carrying uniform OF
short skirt and boots, and went on her
daily journey. Yesterday it had been
raining, but she had been happy; to-day
it was fragrantly warm and sunny, but
all the light was gone out of her life.
Suddenly at turn in the road she saw
coming toward her rapidly figure, the
sight of which made her gasp and stand
still.
"Well, Anne! I thought I'd meet you
somewhere along" a hearty voice called
to her. "I got into Calhoun on the
morning freight and I started right
home. I'll turn round and go back with
you, Anne. Here, let me have the mail
bag"
Her brother kissed her. Without q
word or a question she knew, as she
looked at his smiling, fresh face that all
that had been cruelty weighing her down
was the nightmare it had seemed. Her
eyes filed with tears as she looked at him,
tears of thanksgiving so great that her
heart seemed to stand still with it.
"What have you come home for, Jim9"
she whispered; they walked on together.
"Therc's . strike at the factory" he
said. "There's been rough time-one
mans been hurt. I wasn't in it, Anne.
About twenty of us wasn't. We didn't
join in. The foreman and manager knew
it, and they've promised us work right
along and first chance for more wages.
There aint anything doing just now,
things are SO stirred up, and the. ones
that lived near enough have gone home
till tomorrow. started the minute I
could; I've been homcsick enough for
you and the children, Anne"
He turned to her, lifting his hat from
his warm forehead and eagerly smiling.
She took his hand in hers tightly, and
told him all her strange story in one
trembling breath.
30 Jim" she said. "And believed
it ALL"
Hepaused fora little, blankly. "Aune,
he wasn't lying" he said. ''It was Jim
Davis SHOT him, and everybody knows it
now. Anne, wish you could see tho
other Jim Davis. It's been sort of G
joke with the fellows, our name being
alike-it amt so uncommon-and US
being so different. He's six feet, and the
roughest-looking you ever saw. He
shot Mccormick, and he laid it on Mat
Dcmming; that was Mat Demming that
came here. l know him, but l don't
train with him. But McCormick's better,
and Jim Davis amt so scared, and
he let out that he did the shooting. He's
nG thnt'c 1,h of