The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-10-09
Our 9anilp storp.
AN OLD LOVE AFFAIR.

~ 1tVhO lhho iAa ShOt
out, the sunken wooden planks that
served for sidewalk, yer heaped and
white with them,
Behind the house, its n stable
shining sharply against 1t, a blaze Of
saffron revealed the April sunset.
In ali the long street only two per-
o m were visible. One was a rosy
faced woman telling up from the
grocery store below with her arms full
of small packages the other, q lank
tall man, middle-aged. like herself,
opposite direction. They met ut tho
gate of the little house house.
Well, Rachel"
We'll, Bill"
"How are yo' gittin' long now 1
amt seen yo' TO near two weeks"
"Well, only toler'ble. Mothers
been ailin' more'n usual, an I've been
KEEP pretty close. She's better now.
You look we'll, Bill"
Yes, nothin' ever happens to me-"
He loaned his arms upon the palings
before him. Want any wood chopped,
RACHEL, or anything heavy moved, or a
nall put In somew here's"
mo. Bill: Pm real comfortable list
now"
"This fence needs fixin'." He shook
it roughly and O piece of paling broke
of in his hand. lone strip of timber
and a half u dozen nails'd make it all
right again. It's rotten, tho: he shook
1T once more.
Yes, it's Oh, Bill, like most every
thing bout hEre is. a now coat o
whitewashll make it better, / guess"
II won't be here to put it on TO yo.'
Rachel; I've got a three-months' job
down to Rider at Raversham. Pm
uninf 1nIun fhn ,.nnt an ria,o ,n1 n;t q,
lift in his cart. He's waitin, fo' me-
Pm real glad to hear it, Bill
"A good three months job. Riders
daughters gOin' to git married, am
he's goin' to give hor IL house, and I'm
to build it-sOrt o cousin o. mine yo'
know" He pulled himself away from
the feuce and held out his hand. "Yo'll
have to do without me for awhile,
Rachel goodbye"
"Good-byeJBill."
He fingered yet another minute.
mo show TO- me yet. Ell, Rachel ?"
She shook her head. She looked
that smile on her face she lifted tho
latch and let herself into tho littlo
green yard. A daffodil was blossom
ing at tho foot of the pear tree. She
stopped to pull it., and, carrying it like
a little candle in her hand, made her
way back to the kitchen. "A blaze of
sunset blinded her as she opened the
door. She CROPPED hor way across to
the table in the corner, and dropped
her packages in u heap upon it.
Two people were speaking in the
adjoining room. She could hear every
word that was said. With bonnet in
hand she stood listening.
1t Is fifteen years ago to-day since
Bill Tipsdale shot my Tom ,sMfs' Sim
MONS"
Yes, l remember all bout il, Mis-
Fuller"
"An' 1 amt never boon able to git
over his dom it, neither. An when
he come here an wanted my Rachel,
jist says: No: no girl o. mine is
goin' to marry into Il family whcr.
they are SIGH fools they pint loaded
guns ut their neighbors.' An he y
'9o' know | didn't do it o. purpose.
Mis- Fuller An l says: Purpose or
Rachel An / amt ever felt like
sayin' anything different"
The old woman turned her gaze to
the wall. There vas no sunset light
in this room: the only window opened
toward the east and the pike road. 1t
was light enough, however for her to
sec a face that stared down upon her
from its time-worn frame on the
bureau. 1t was a crud, boyish, unsat.
isfactory face, but it had been that of
her idol. A shot from Bill Tipsdale's
gun had shattered him. She grudged
the very grass its p ivilege OF growing
over him.
"To-morrow's Saturday." Rachel
won't on an Two got to git up early,
an stir round an work. | haven't a
day mex week [ en- call my own. I'm
goin' up to the Turner farm to help
with the Spring clean'in,' and then the
Methodist preachers wife stopped me
down on the pike, an asked me to
come an help her with her SEWN"
"Umph."
81 don't remember ever seein' the
trees SO full O bloom. They're Just
loaded down. 70 a see by the pear
tree in our garden"
bed: "Yo' en- bring mo in my dish
OF tea, Rachel, and some o. them sweet
rolls, ] think I'll eat my supper"
The daffodil in the glass on the little
table and a few Of it's kin still left un-
pulled ia the neighboring yards were
soon all that survived of tho April
bloom. n storm ragged the next day;
Green Meadows was swept clean of
its white. May came. June flashed
down upon the h1lly land. The bushes
that walled in Bill Tipsdalc's little
garden were heavy with roses. Many
a-time on her way back and forth
Rachel pulled handful to put in the
cracked Japanese pitcher on the
kitchen shelf. They seemed to bring
her uncOuth lover nearer to her. The
year took a great stride toward
Thanksgiving. There were scarlet
berries instead OF roses on Bill Tips
dale's long bushes.
On Sunday afternoon Rachel broke
off asprig from an overhanging branch
as she passed by on her way from
church.
"Yo' haven seen him lately, have
yo'. Rachel ?"
She turned and faced Mrs. Simmons.
mo, not TO- morn seven months, Mis-
Simmons"
The Older wOman stood silent q
moment and looked, first Mt Rachel
and then at the barred. smokeless
house standing in the thin November
light, and back at Rachel again.
They're hardly any o. them
in that way" nodding toward the
berries.
They're pretty said Rachel rather
stifiy.
He amt as nice as you think he is,
Rachel" laying o hand on her arm.
Don't you ever hear any news from
Haversham 2"
mo. what IL tho mnEtep Mia, Sim