The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-01-23

and he spat leisurely out into the dusty
road.
Delaney looked down the long, slop-
Ing hillside to the ferry. The great
Hat barge was slowly crossing the river,
loaded with white-covered Immigrant
wagons, with a group of men, women
and children huddled together in the
prov.
"Pshaw {! those people have their
W conveyances," he said.
Are you in a hurry, sir
81 am"
Then III advise you to walk on,
and I'll overtake you," said the driver,
coolly.
Delaney flashed a naughty glance at
him; but he merely drew his whip
across his boot leg and turned to speak
to the FESTIVE horses. Angry impati.
restlessly up and down the street, and
finally entered the postofice to get a
newspaper. As he came out, the
Immigrant wagons were coming slow
ger walked ahead Of them, u tall,
rather thin. haggard-looking man, in a
faded gray uniform and with a stout
walking stick to help along his hating
steps. Some poor soldier making his
! way home, or else seeking q new one,
thought Delaney, and felt ashamed that
he had grudged the few minutes Of
waiting. But as the man came nearer,
his face changed, grew rigid and
CHASTITY pale.
Whats this! Airlie, you alive ?"
he cried, and reeled toward, clutching
the soldier by the arm, as though to
make sure of his material substance.
The strangers thin face lighted up
wonderfully.
why Justin, dear old fellow, what
good luck to meet you here"
The immigrants stared %curiously at
them as they passed by, aud the coach
driver whistled softly while he waited.
The broad, dusty street seemed to rise
and fall before Dellaney's dizzy eyes
he s~huddered in the hot sunshine.
You don't take me for q ghost, do
you ?" said Airlie, laughing, and noting
his friends strange manner
1t is a shock to meet youths way
Observation-Disclosures as dead for two
years." said Delaney, huskily.
II was desperately wounded"
Where have you been all this
timeo?'" and he could not make his voice
other than harsh and tremulous.
- was picked up and sent OFF with
others to u Northern prison." Airlic re-
piled, attributing his friends strange
GOODNESS to the surprise of meeting
him. After the surrender l started
South again, fell sick, and nearly gave
up in despair; but / knew one dear
heart was grieving for me; and as
soon as could travel l set out again,
working and tramping my way. Thank
heaven, Pm nearly home at last I"
DELANEY smiled in a faint, ghostly
way.
"You have shown pluck; you-you
~deserve-all that awaits you. Come,
we must take the coach. The man is
reckoning to u.s."
Are you going up in it too ?" ex-
claimed Airlic, in pleased surprise
THAT is better than | expected. Tell
me, have you seen Dorkis lately ?"
in a low tone, full ,of eagerness and
suspense.
Yes. a week ago 1 saw her; she
looks well, and y
My poor girl, my dear girl !! NUT
tered the soldier.
Oh, hat ride Carrying one man
nearer and nearer his happiness, and
tho other further and further away
from his. They sat side by side, they
talked. Airlie with the volubility of
one long shut off from friendly com
partnership Delaney in monosyllables.
lie sank into strange reveries, while
his friend leaned from the coach with
EXPLANATIONS of boyish pleasure at
every familiar landmark. He was too
absorbed, too delighted, to fully rea
lie that DELANEY had not met him
with the gladness OF q friend, to notice
the drawn look of his face, the wild.
hard stare of his eyes. He gave an ac-
count OF his prison life, of his home
sickness, of his desperate attempts to
0nf hnnH n,,,,nro. ~ -
stream of excited, joyous stories for
even the sad one seemed to catch the
light and life of present feelings,
DELANEY listened with eyes cast
down, gnawing the tips OF his finger
nails, or clenching his hands. Airlie
tortured him with question about old
friends, above all, about Dorkis and
Miss Samantha.
"Jove ! what q surprise it will be to
them but | hope l shall not scare
them as 1 did you, my dear fellow"
laughing, and slapping his friend on
the knee.
Delaney shuddered, and drew him
self further away into the corner.
Perhaps they will be better pre-
pared to see you" he said.
81 know they will be ready to well
come me-" said Airlie, with maddening
confidence.
He did not purpose to go to the
village, but to leave the coach and take
a short cut through a plantation road
q mile from Marion. He had travers-
ed it often in the old days before the
war and its cruel privations and ex-
periences had aged him beyond, far
beyond his years. But the fire and the
strength of his youth seemed to thrill
him again, kindling his eyes, flushing
his face until it's haggard lines were
all smoOthed out under the magical in
luence.
He leaped from the coach when it
was drawn up at the place he designat-
ed to the driver. and turned to wave
his friend a final goodbye; but Del
lancy followed him.
~ Will see you across the fields" he
said, briefly. In the garish light of
the moon he looked SO shrunken and
old that even Airlie noticed his chang
ed appearance.
You have been through hard ex-
perlences, too" he said in a sympa-
thetic, atfectionate tone. We've
none OF us escaped the strife"
DELANEY wet his his dry lips with
the tip of his tongue.
~ have had every hope in life crush
ed out"
is that SO? am awfully sorry"
1T is OF no consequence now"
II have been so absorbed In myself
that ] have not had u thought for any
thing else this morning" said Airlie,
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And perfectly excusohle. considor-