The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-11-04
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firm a hold on its victim that it '; Is
difficult - make an impression On it
John and Louise shared the duties OF
nurse. and often through the sad. sol
c;rn nights JOAN sat ont the hours by
The side Of MS sick wife, and IN tie
solitude and loneliness his thoughts
ran back over the events and scenes
OF his life. Oftcn il her dclirio!S hours
the mind of poor Mary wandered and
in a weak, frail voice She talked of
her youth, of her old home IL the east
and Of her father. Again and again
she imagined herself g child AID thought
her mother came and bent over her
and soothcd her with loving words
and carcsScS. just as she had SO often
done in the long ago. Again she would
remember her father as she knew him
when child, and in her wild fancy he
would come and kiss her ard fondle
her as he used to do in the old. happy
days. Sometimes she would dream
that she was in the old house. playing
about the large, airy, coy rooms, and
again at other times she romped over
the smooth, soft lawn.
Then her fancy would take turn,
and through her mind would come
trooping remembranceS of less pleasant
scenes. She would live over again all
the suffe-ings of later years and in the
agony of her soul cry out to her father
for mercy.
''Oh, papa, papa" she would cry,
not be 50 cold and cruel to your child.
but let me once more feel the touch of
your hand, the pressure of your lips.
Let me once r-ore hear you speak words
of tender love as you did when I was q
child
Thus the weeks dragged by and the
autumn came. Johns store of provis-
ions dwindlcd down until the larder
was almost empty. For days he and
Louise had gone on short allowances in
order that so much as possible might
be spared to the sick woman. But now
the time had come when the larder
must be replcnishcd in some way. John
pondcred the matter over long, and at
last lie hit upon a plan. He had his
wagon and team and few farm irnple
ments left. He would make an effort
to dispose of them. lie was 10th to take
this step. for with the sale of the things
he parted with all chance of raising
a crop the coming year.
"Yct, it must be done" he mused.
"They must go, il there is anyone to
buy them
So he made an effort to raise some
means that way, but day after day he
sought for purchaser in vain. There
was nobody to buy them, for few of the
settlers were much better off than he,
and many another would gladly have
exchanged his possessions for provisions
Or the means of securing them. Find
ing it impossible to get purchaser for
his things at any price, Jo.ia began
to seek out another plan, and at last hit
upon one.
Scraggs still lived, and as q last re-
sort he decided to go once more to him.
Perhaps under the circumstances
Scraggs would be so good as to increase
the loan on the farm, or at least accom-
modate him with loan on the wagon
and teara. There was ne great hope of
his doing either, but as a drowning
man catches at straw, so will starv-
ing one catch at anything that offers
bare prospect of relief. Nobody save
Scraggs seemed to have money to loan,
so to Scraggs John went.
When he entered Scraggs office John
found Harry Pearson there. Pearson
gave him a warm salutation, asked
after the health of the family, and was
greatly shocked and much saddened
when John told him of Mrs. Green's
sickness.
at is too bad," he said, "and regret
it exceedingly. You have my heartfelt
sympathy, Mr.. Green, indeed you have.
have felt great interest in you, and
while I was away l often thought of
you. should have been out to see you,
but only returned from the east three
days ago, and l have been very much
with business since"
John thanked Pearson for his kindly
nterest-thanked him from the bottom
If his heart, for he was in that condi-
lion when the kindness of dog, even,
would have been grateful. Moreover,
John looked upon Mr.. Pearson as an
generous young man and
vas glad to have his friendship and
company. So he expressed a wish that
Harry would visit his family as often as
lie found it convenient.
Scraggs looked on this little scene
With anything but a pleased ex-
preston. His face showed mingling
# anger and pity, and If John had
been q close observer, capable of read
ing the human countenance, he surely
would have seen something in the ex-
preston Of Scraggs' face and eyes to
have warned him against future
danger. But as it was John saw
"Nr Scraggs," John said when the
salutations were over, 81 have come to
you for little further accommodation;
as you call it, and in this instance will
term it an accommodation myself
even though dearly bought. I have
come to that point where must have
money from some source, even If I
have to steal it, and want to know
if you couldn't possibly make slight
advance on my loan. The farm is un-
doubtedly perfectly good for more than
double what is now on it, and you
could surely let me have fifty dollars
more, ct least. Come, Scraggs, can't
YOU do it under the circumstances?'
Scraggs made no reply further than
TO shake his head slowly in the mega
tive. 'Scraggs," said John, ''it is a
matter Of life and death. I must have
or my wife will die, and you
must let me have It. You must, do yo.
hear? can't get it anywhere else, and
you must let me have it"
1t was a long time before Scraggs
spoke, and then he delivered his words
slowly, and there was a tingc Of sadness
in his voice SO foreign to him that it
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