The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-11

those wide ana lonely plains. her eye
brows are thin and gray, and so Is her
hair, which she curls on slate pencil
to resemble tho hair of the ladies Of
Delmar. 1t would be pretty hair II she
would not disfgure 1t.
Yes" says Myron, "Lorlllard is q
hard man to deal with, but you have
the money In the Delmar bank oil right"
1T aln't in the Delmar bank; it Is in
the other bank, Mr.. Starling's bank at
Ranford.
Myron's black brows met. "Why,
Uncle Joshua certainly told me he was
going to put it in the Delmar bank.
We'll, he did start to put it there, but
he happened to hear Mr.. Maxwell was a
drinking man"
Maxwell! Why, he never was drunk
In his life. He is as temperate o man
as ever lived and as honest.
JOSHUA didn't hear anything about
his honesty, but - 1t was this way:
Joshua had gone to Delmar with that
money and he met Mr.. Startling in town.
Well, guess MIR. Startling came up to
him and congratulated him on the high
price he got for his wheat and its being
likely our corn would do well, too; and
Joshua told him what he got ami how he
was on his way to put 1t in the bank.
And, someway, that led them to talking
bout Mr.. Maxwell, and Mr.. Startling
said he was sorry Maxwell was voting
with the liquor party; and 1t come out
that Mr.. Maxwell sometimes took q
glass Of beer himself. Mr.. Startling
seemed to feel real sorry about it.
Here Myron burst in: Sorry? Why,
he was just telling Uncle Josh that to
prejudice him. He sorry, the hypocrite!
Then, I dare say, when Uncle Josh
wanted to put the money in his bank, he
wouldn't take it at frst!"
NO, he truly WOULDN'T t, Joshua. But
you know your Uncle Joshua feels 30.
strong about the temperance question
because his sister, she married drunk
ard; he said he wouldn't let his money
90 to help the breweries, and he fairly
made Mr.. Startling take it"
Myron was gloomily gnawing his mus
tache. did he get deposit receipt"
said he.
They went right on back 70 Ranford
and put the money in the bank there"
She stole worried glance at the young
mans dark face. For years she had
trusted to Myron's knowledge OF the
great, dim, wicked mystery that she
called "the world" Even she sus-
pected that Joshua was simple as a
child. Il hope-oh, there amt any
thing wrong about doing that way, Is
there, Myron.
Myron LAUGHED; 1t was all right he
guessed, and he would not stay for par
leying, but swung his long legs over the
barbed wire fence in a handspring, and
was off to seek Joshua. Judith caught
her breath because she always ex-
pected to see him catch" on the jagged
line Of iron. Poor Judith! hers was a
soul that inclined to terror as the sparks
fly upward. She was afraid Of cows,
and mice, and June bugs, and horses,
and hired men. She went to church be-
hind staid old horses, feeling that she
was risking her life for her religion.
When they first came to the prairie she
had been braver and younger and used
to ride; but since the brown colt ran
away and threw her on the railway
track in front Of train Of cars she had
never mounted horse. She told Mrs.
Dwight that if she had to choose be-
tween being shot and riding Starlight,
the colt, she would ask to be shot, be
cause it is an easier DEATH" said Mrs.
Crest. OF course she lived in dread Of
the hired men," except Axel Petersen,
the latest hired man, who was to be
married to girl in Sweden and had
told her about the courtship. Axel was
to buy the farm. Most Of all she feared
tramps at harvest time; she feared them
SO much that she had secretly bought
a secondhand pistol thatwould not fire,
which she locked up in drawer; and
she was on the whole rather more afraid
of it's exploding than of the tramps.
For while she watched the tall, light
figure bounding between the rows OF
corn; with the pensive admiration Of
age for youths activity; then she
walked slowly, little stif]y, back to
the house. 1t would soon be time for
Joshua's supper; perhaps Myron would
stop 10 supper, too, and it would be
worth while to make pancakes.