The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-08-29
WILL
4 THEFT CONDONED.
BY GERTRUDE SMITH.


The houses in Pawuee were all one
story wooden buildings, with the gable.
ends toward the street. Mrs. Dyer:
house was painted dull red; the othel
houses were not painted.
1t had been a warm day and the SUI
had shone glaringly on the unbroker
prairie around Pawnee.
The town was or slight rise o.
ground. You could see more thar
twenty miles in three directions. a
narrow strip of woods broke the view
on the north, half mile away.
Mrs. Dyer stood in her front door and
looked over the prairie. The railroad
track wound away toward the south and
disappeared where the earth and SKY
seemed to meet. The sun was going
down aud the short thin prairie
grass looked white and gold. The rail
road track shoue like silver. There
were no clouds. In places the blue o.
the sky was 50 light that it was almos
white. The air was cool and clear afte
the warm GAY.
The suns going down without an!
fuss tonight" Mrs. Dyer said, sitting
down Gu the doorstep. "Just droppin
of the edge. like the string that held il
had been cut"
She folded her arms in her lap and
turned her face away from the bright
light. Sic was q small, old womat
with thin textures. Size wore her hair,
which was still very black, combec
smoothly behind her ears. Her eye!
were black, with keen look Of resist
anc, in them. THIS look was enpha
snsd in tie lines around her nouth.
Mrs. Dyer lived alone. Eer son KEEP
little store and the postotfice IN the
front room Of Que Of the othe
houses. Two years before when hel
husband had died Mrs. Dyer had come
J.es1 to &c near her son. Her son hao
invited her to live with them, but. she
had refused. pa.
"Iou amt got room for your own.
didn't come out here to be beholden tt
anybody. I'll have my own place, ano
You'll see enough of me-, dodgin' in and
out, as it is"
She haG spent the greater past Of the
time watching the carpenters at work or
her house, during her forced stay at hel
sons, ur.iag them to work faster, and a
last ir her impatiencc moved in before
they had finished sbinglng the root.
She had decd to postpone the plaster
in& uatil soi1c time when she should &C
away on a visit.
The sun had gore down. The air was
a soft gray and very still.
"Weil. mustn't sit here gettin' the
cramps" she said, getting up from the
step. II 90 say amt seen them mover
wagons before. I wonder now if they We
stopped Since been sitting here. They
canped near enough! I suppose they'd
buy something up to the store. The NOV
ers bring in John quite little, off and on.
There comes John up this way. wonder
now what's he comm up here for. What
you want, John2 They amt anything
the matter. is they2' she called.
John came slowly toward her. DC
was large man, but his clothes, which
hung loosely, gave him the appearance
of 5eins - F1Te ; soft felt hat
eus.sa PVss III Is .a; color, bnt sat
tScrs VIZ Termination ln
then.
"Have you seen the movers ca:npin'
over yon0er2' he asked, pointing across
the prairie.
Yes, just was lookin' at them when
I see you comm up"
Well, they were just two of them up
to tie store, and the3 was evi!-!ookin |
can tell you. Msrthy was IN the store
and see them. and she would have II
YOU must come over and stay to our
house tonight"
"Why, l amt afraid OF movers, as |
know Of" .,..
Size don't want to think Of you stay
in here by yourself, and I'll own don't
neither"
"Well, amt sQ;a' to leave my bed
cause some movers happen 10 be camp.
ir' near. There's always movers comm
and goiu'. l guess if they stole me
they'd drop HE when it come light
enough to see what they'd got"
well, l think you'd better cnne.
Marthy wont feel easy unless y.u do. "
II ain't go!n' to be SO silly,
to please Marthy or no one. 1
amt got anythin' they want, with
out it's that money I've saved to have
nv carpet rags wove up, and they i
never thiok of lookin' IL 3 can for it..
It's cne of them cove oyster cans. I've
made pin cushion that fits down lEto
the can, and sewed cover around the
outside. You'd never know it was Can
to look at it. see one made something
Like it when liveI East"
"You amt got much money in it;
have yoal"
Its all in n:c'5e.s. I've been savin
Of it up toI uear TWO years. Oh, sues7
they must be four OF five dollars. l ain
ccunted it just lately"
well, | think you're foolish to stay
here by yourself, wheu you can just As
we'll come over. l think you'd bette.
change your mind anu come aloog."
He TUNED and Went back along th'
grassy road toward his own home. H.
walked with his had bent down ano
with a shanb!ing sa;:. He was dreading
his wife's reprcacaes shat be had not
been able to induce his mother to Gene