The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-09-09

sion, for Sile was very sick man. 1T
was his own fault, that is, he had no
business to 60, as he did, with Sheriff
Tom Owens, to suppress that riot over
in the Bloomer District, last month. 1t
was not in the line Of his duties. But,
then, the call had been hasty and i'm
perative one, and poor Tom was short
deputies as well rs being pressed for
time, and Sile could hardly have refused
TO 90 even if he had wanted to, which
he did not. He enjoyed little row as
well as the Sheriff himself did, and, be.
sides, hc was one Of the most obHging
men in the world. So he went, and
not only got hit with club or some
thing, but received 44.bullet In his in
terror department, while Tom and the
rest of tho posse escaped without n
scratch. Sile was better now, and could
think with considerable facility; which
was unfortunate, perhaps, because his
thoughts were mostly OF his expiring
term OF Office and his helpless condition.
1t was pretty tough, everybody agreed,
because it was going to be n "c!osc'
year, and Sile was II great worker. His
friends, 100, unfortunately were kept
pretty busy looking out for their own
scalps, and could not give his affairs the
attention they needed.
There was the last payment still duo ON
the house; there was i'paper" in the bank
to be taken up; Sile Burton was in bad
financial way, because, in addition to
being what Is known as a "good fellow"
he had made some unfortunate invest
ments lately, aud now, to complete his
misery and overflow tho cup, Brad Bout
well, of Chloride District, had come out,
in his sncaking but effective way, for
Jcre Hobart for county auditor, and was
working night and day for his man, who
had hcen Slle's strongest opponent in the
last convention. Oh, it was rough, and
here was Silc, lying helpless, with the
nominating convention only two weeks
awayl
All this, and much more, Silc poured
into the caIs OF his pretty little wife, as
she lowered over him attending to his
many wants, III the way that nobody but
woman, and Il wumauly woman, ever
will learn. She did not say so, but she
had talk with Tom Owen, that day,
aud he had agreed with her that the out
look was pretty blue; for Brad Boutwell,,
opso Oi tEc NIOuuttIu VIII Huu TWO IC5SST
mines, employer Of three hundred men
aad an entirely INSCRIPTIONS politician,
was about the worst man in the county
20 have on the other side, aud he had
assured Ovens that he certainly intended
to defeat Burtous denomination, and
'that's all there is in it. IL goes, too,
what Brad Boutwell, says: and you know
it, Tom Owens.
YES, Tom did know it, and he knew
that without Boutwell, his own name was
"DcnnS, !" for he had not the strength in
the precincts near town that Burton had.
So his hands were tied, and he could do
nothing for Silc i'll the Chloride Dis
trCt.
Mrs. Burton said nothing to Silc Of
Toms visit to the boss of Chloride. She
closed his complaining lips with kiss
every now and then, and chrped away
as checrluliy as though mortgages, and
unpaid notes, and big surgeons bills,
ana conventions had never part in her
lie And all this time she kept up a
"bIame sight o thinkin'," as Tom
Owens used to say to his wife, who was
aiso au ardent admirer of the little
'tcnderioo:" bride Sile Burton had
brought from the States few months
ago.
oilc Burton was sleeping soundly rc.t
morning, when his wife, the usual smile
gone from her face, stole up to his bed
s!"e' Kissed him softly two or three
'ithes' ana ran over to the Owens's. II
was not until ten o'cloc!. that nc awoko
and noticed that the woman by tbc win
dow was not Mary, but Mrs. Owens.
And he d!! not know that this kindly,
big hearted woman tibbed when she told
him that Mary had 'just gone down to
the springs to get prescription filed
that they couldn't put up here, and
would be back on the two.thirty train"
Tom Owens, with the buck board and
trre- nan, 'snoft distance IRON ChTotlIS,
Camp. y pretty little woman, stared at
respectfully hy the numerous mca loaf
ing about-for women were scarce in
Chloride, tripped down the street, tryino
10 look unconscious, and entered fhn
uoor OF Brad Boutwcll's office. It was
the noon hour, and he was alone, en-
Sagcd in the pleasurable occupation of
ulsposlng OF an excellent lunch. He
hcard the hes!;ating step in the outer
'ilcc, and stepped to the door of his
sanctum, where he stood, somewhat
taken aback at the sight of his visitor
Il was several seconds after her sweet
voice had asked SIS this Mr.. Boutwell,"
that he recovered his cquanimty and
gracefully acknowledged the fact.
81 am Mrs. Burton Mrs. Slas Bur.
ton. | came to see, you-to to-to-'
But her courage gave on: for the
moment, and she did the very best thing
she could have done--just wept few
relieving tears, while the sympathetic
boutwell,, who bad. bad been bachelor
himself said, 'My dear madun edp bcr
hammered, grew red in the face, vaoueIr
,elt himself a triumphant ass, and 6noljy
Iei her gently to chair, where sLe
hnishcd her weep.
linen she pulled herself together and
,"!d Nun the whole pitiiul ta!c. II w,v
'hoecd--tIou9&t Boutwell,, who II,
always had more money tha, ne h"o
known what to do with-a harrow;u.
ate Of ailai!s; and so, his blchclo;
cart overlooking with sympathy for tho
."r, frightened little cmissary who sa,
oetore him, and being, it must be said