The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-31

If9Are Stitc 0Vnt THub UIc 10 LtffeHtm
what 4 think of him !; and the dea-
con fairly glafed at Mrs. Jones, who
sighed, and concluded that there was
little, use in trying to avert d quarrel.
1t vas snre to come.
81 do wish we could get s letter
! from Henry" she said, changing the
subject. Henry was the Youngest OF.
the family. He had gone to Dakota
to try his luck at farming. Crops
had been q failure, and the last let
ter from him had been a most down
hearted and discouraging one. GIN
afraid he's sick. If he wa MT, it
seems g if he would write. Mr.. Sny-
der's been out there, they say. Bein'
so near, when he was In Minnesoty,
he thought he'd make his sister
Marian q visit. / don't jest know
what part she lives in, but mebbe it's
near Henry. / hope he see him."
Deacon Jones shifted, az if to ex-
press the idea that it wasn't any
credit TO the boy to have been seen
by a man like his enemy.
The Christmas service was over,
and the Williamses loaded the dea-
con and his wife and Mr.. Snyder
into their big double sleigh aud set
off homeward. Neither Of the two
men looked at each other or seemed
to be conscious of the others pres
ence.
"My! but it makes me feel craw-
Iy," said Mrs. Jones to Mrs. Will
liams, as she took off her wraps in
the "best bedroom" "I'm all of a
twitter, Pm so nervous. l sh'll
tremble fer fear of what's comm
ey'ry time they open their mouths.
/ do wish you hadn't ask'd both Of
me, Mis- Williams"
9" didn't hardly dare to-" said
Mrs. Williams, "but, John, he said,
what was the use O. lettin' their
foolishness keep us from bein' neigh
borly. He was goin''to ask 'em, ZEN
take the chance O the consequences"
81 hope twill all be peaceable,"
said Mrs. Jones, "but-I know
'twon't."
They all sat down to dinner, and
the conversation became general, ex-
cept between MI. Snyder and Dea.
con Jones. Not a word did they
address to each other. They simply
ignored each others existence.
After dinner, the men went out tc
the barn with Mr.. Williams, to lool
t at the stock, and Mrs. Jones anC
, Mrs. Williams "visited" with eacl
l other as they cleared away the re
t mains of the Christmas feast. Mrs
t Jones tried to be at ease, and no,
: worry, but Coming events cast theil
9 shadows BEFORE" and she felt tina
}, her fears were sure to be realized. 1
P was simply a question of time.
f The men came in from the barr
y and sat down. Conversation Aagge,
g for a time, as it is quite likely to d,
l among men who are not in the habi
n of visiting" women-fashion. Th
awkward silence that ensued was a
length broken by Mr.. Williams, VIII
asked what his guests thought abou
o the new town hall that vas to b
1, built.
"I haven't heard anything abou
e it," said Mr.. Snyder. otis all bee
talked up sence I went ava,
IS Where's it going to be ?"
is "On the Dusenberry corner" re
,e piled Mr.. Williams.
"That's a good place for it," sal
d MIR. Snyder, a%pprovingly. ga ger
re good place. The best place in town.
Mrs. Jones felt her face gettin
pale with a dread of what was con
Is ing. The Dusenberry corner ws
ii where. Nh. Snyder had wanted tt
ne new church built. She glanced ,
6. the deacon. HIS face was red, an
she knew by the look of him that
ne was preparing for a battle royal.
he "What do you think about it, de;
ed con 7" asked Mr.. Williams, not ava,
o, that he was precipitating matters.
The deacon cleared his throat an
ey blew his o with a blast that W,
rs like the sound Of a trumpet urgin
on to combat.
id Cali | have to say is, eff anybody
b. fool enough to want the town ha
ar built on that site, they hain't g,
or sence enough to last 'em over nigh
n: l sh'll oppose it, sir! L won't COZ
bit sent to have the funds O. the tow
Us squandered in a buildin' put upi
OF sech a place as that"
"Of course you'll oppose it," sal
s. Ny; Snyder, glazing at his opponen
Everybody chat knows you'll expe,
8. that. st that's all the good 'twi
i. do. Folks hev got their eyes opene
lie in the last ten or a dozen year, j
st they amt a-goin' to>be bulldozed ,
ID they used to be. 1 Mlays said I'll
% Dusenberry corner was the best sit
te in town fer q church or any.otht
ly pubic buildin', m Pm reddy to bac
my opinion with money. The tow
halls goin' to be built, m it's goi,
y to be built on the Dusenberry CO.
le ner, too"
81 think that's. the place for
myself" said Mr.. Williams, rattle
lie family, though, for he was fright
ened at the prospective quarrel h
u had %innocently paved the way for.
sr ooh, yes, of course!" cried til
" wrathy deacon. "Of course you do
:. II Coo on-,I-