The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-12-13
TWO THaNKSGIVINGS.
BY CECIL CHARLES.

"Down on my luck7 We'll, | should
| say So" Cory Dickinson shouldcrcd his
| pack and got up. lie left the shadow of
| the mountain foliage reluctantly and
began again his toilsomc ascent of tic
road. The blazo of the tropical sun
| produced upon him n strange sensation.
| 1t did not blind him; on the contrary, il
seemed to stimulate his faculties. Or was
| it wholly the varied atmosphere rs he
| climbed higher aud higher? No, il was
was partly responsible, but the sun-thc
tropical sun-seemcd to show him con
stantly new, strange sights. somewhat
even as the tropical night sky with its
| thousand new stars, had divulgcd new
| secrets to his marveling senses.
SO he trudgcd under his small pack
| over the mountain to reach the capital
Meeting him, one would have hardly
suspected him to be down on his luck, :"
us no had but lately declared. Tall,
| good looking, well dressed, barely thirty
| years Of age, Cory Dickinson looked like
the son of a rich man out on n pleasure
tramp--not like n self-cxilcd cvadcr of
tho law seeking an unknown field in u
| remote Central American republic
But that was what Cory Dickinson
WAS doing.
AS he plodded along the dusty road in
| the afternoon splendor, his thoughts
wandered far away from his actual sur
roundings. He lost sight Of the distant,
, dreamy peaks, the still holows, the in
tense emerald hues of foliage, the trick
ling, musical mountain streams and saw
| only the small New England town
whence he hal lately fled, late Autumn
| rombrc, staid, matter. of fact and Sun
| day observing. lie saw his late home,
! his stern-faocd uncle, his invalid aunt,
Mason, the hired man, with his grim
scowl, and 4 on'Y hathc servant Girl.
| Masou's face and Hanuah's stood out
| particularly clear and obnoxious. Mason
| had rejoiced ut his trouble, revcngeful
! of the day when Cory had come upon
him Drutally kicking the poor old family
horse, and struck him smart blow with
bis umbrella. Mason had never for
| gotten that blow nor the way in which
Cory had threatened him if he ever ill
treated the animal again. Hannah, too,
had been overjoyed at his disgrace; she
was Mason's sweetheart.
Then, all ut once. there came another
| face that Cory could only see in u thick
blur of-something like mist The face
of little Lydia Post, tho school teacher,
the only one OF those who knew, who be-
licvcd in him.
| lie had to dash something away from
| his eyes rs he strobe on.
Late in the afternoon he came to the
first outskirts of the hes ter entered a
s%"Il sn". no nroossaweb; tho "h2Hn1ie ,,s could S
numerous children cbngipT ,H'her could
speak no English. But she looked at
him with generous eyes a"Et htdc him sit
down on the best seat u thGpoor room
lie made motion Of dSGSing and said
appcalingly '1'Aqua 2" For he had not
paused to drink ut tne last mountain
stream, fearing night migh ovcrtako
him on the way. She brought water
quickly, and when he would have risen,
made signs for him to wait, that she
might prepare food for him. IIe drew
out the last hi. of money left him-less
than dollar, for he had little remaining
when he left the steamer ut the port
but she waved II away and made him see
| :nat she desired no pay.
The humble food of the country was
very good, he thought. Ho had had
nothing but biscuit since early uIorn-
ing. lie ate the eggs and black beans
that had grown and blossomcd out few
miles away as If they weie the choicest
delicacics. As he sat eating he wondered
what they were doing at home; it was
their supper time, and it was blenk
autumn day--a late November day, al
| most the last of tho month. Something
rose IN his throat, lump like, and he made
haste TO finish, fearful OF breaking down
koL n.
thanked her over aud over in words that
the could not comprehend, but with
looks that she surely read, and continued
on his wny. But continuing on, he found
that this was but a small villag and that
there were yet some few miles Is traverse
before he came TO the capital
The upland scenery seemed less
strange to him now. but for the queer,
low houses, with the heavy tile roofs,
he could almost nave funcicd himself
back in the States. Only, all at once,
the twilight had turned To marsh gloom
and he remembered that he was very far
of from home under tho eduator--with
no pllcc to lay his head.
lie sat down by the roadside, utterly
exhausted, IL cannot GO any further.
I'm dead tired" he murmurcd exhaust
edly. lie leaned his head back against
Kind OF stone wall that seemed to pro.
tect property of some SOFT, possibly de-
serted country house. It had been get
ting chilly since sundown, but the ground
was dry. lie began to undo his pack TO
take ont the blanket. He spread it out
and dropped his weary head upon 1t. lIe
could have fallen asleep at that instant,
only that he was startled by the clattcr
OF horses boofs that seemed TO ride up
his side
"olaP said voice, and other words
that he could nos understani.