The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-04-20

l haven't heard OF their paying any
thing back"
However, the next day Fan came ur
to our house and returned the sugar
she had borrowed the week before
and asked for some more -four. Mi
mother, who was frying doughnuts,
gave ran three or TOUR or THESE, In so
dition to the -four. to carry home to
her little brother.
ooh, I'm ever so much obliged,
Mis- HarleyI' Fan exclaimed, with
tears in her eyes. ''Carey'll be sc
pleased l was trying to make up my
mind to ask You for one Of them. bxi
was ashamed. Dad don't earn
scarcely anything, but he's huskins
.orn now for farmer, and I hope
he'll have steady work for while"
But the next evening we heard that
"dad' had been at Jim Fifer's saloon
ali day, and we knew that Fans hopes
had come to naught. At ten o'clock
that same evening my father, as he
was preparing to go to bed, heard
what seemed to him light, timid
knock on the front door.
TWAS a dark, cold and stormy night ;
the wind blew with such force that
my father could not be sure that what
he heard was knock at the door. He
listened, AMI when the knock was re-
pested he opened the door. Fan and
Carey Tracy stood there in the cold,
barehaaded and without wraps. They
had been crying, and Carey's lips were
quiveriny still.
"WiH you let us come in out of the
storm, Mr. Harley said Fan, with
bitterness in her voice. "We've no
place to go, and wouldn't ask for any
place for myself--Id crawl into hay
stack or stay in the woods all night !;
but don't dare to with Carey. He
isn't strong, and l wish you'd please
take him in, anyhow"
Come in, both of you, replied my
father. "Why are you out this time
Of the night?'
Fan hcsitated.
'I'll have to tell you the honest
truth, she said, presently. "Father
about an hour ago and turned us out.
He never would have done it if he
hadn't been drinking. He isn't mean
to us when he's sober. It's the fault
OF the saloon that he acts SO, and I'll
I'll tear down that saloon to the
ground! just will"
''But that would be breaking the
law, and another saloon would proba-
bly, be built in its place. said father.
"Perhaps if you spoke to the saloon
keeper it might"
81 have been to him." interrupted
Fan. 'Ii'yo coaxed and begged him
not to let father have drink, but what
good did it do? Not bit"
She put au arm around Carey pro-
tectingiy, and the little fellow clung
to her side. My mother rose and
prepared bed for Fan and her little
brother. The next morning my father
went home with theiE to see il he
could not make some appeal to Tracy
in behalf of his helpless children.
The man was sober now and repent
ant. He promised earnestly that this
should be the last time that he would
drink rum.
''But he's promised that so many
times" said Fan, wearily, following
my father H. short distance from the
old house. "He promised it over and
over to mother before she died, aud
he'd keep his promise If he could.
He can't while there are saloons
around. But there'll be one less
in this neighborhood some day, if this
happens agaiu!"
1t did happen again. 1t happened
three days later, but this time Tracy
did not at first turn his children ont
of the house He fell to rhe floor in
II drunken stupor the moment he
stumbled across his own threshold,
and lay there p helpless. degraded
creature, a shame and n sorrow to his
children and to himself
Fan had put little Carey to bed he.
fore his father came hons. Now she
ering fire in the rusty stove at one
end of the. room. Her father lay,
breathing heavily, just where lie had
fallen when lie had stumbled into the
house, and Fan sat or crouched down
on floor by the stove and looked at
him.
Finally she got up and touched the
sleeping man lightly on the shoulder.
Gather" she said.
II e made no relIy, and Fan bent
over him and shook him lightly.
''Father, she said again, "don't you
want to go to bed e
iio eri uen az ilci ia pLss uai n uess, anu
spranS suddenly to his feet, raging and
cursing. Fan knew what might come.
She ran to the bed and dragged
Carey from It. His clothes were on a
chair by the bed; Fan p&cked them up
and fled from the house with the child
in her arms, II ragged old quilt wrapped
around him. She did not stop running
antil Carey's weight com oeiled her to
do SO. He ching to her. frightened
and crying.
''Thcre, there; don't nc afraid !;
sister will take care Of you, said Fan,
soothingly.
She sat down on .allen log, put on
the child's clothes and wrapped the
old quilt around him, saying to her
sell rs she aid so:
"I'll do it! I'll do it! I've faid