The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-17
aaaesssa gntslIIaeafss,
Consulting The Signs.

I was sitting on log in the shade
of the Cumberland company's sawmill
one June afternoon, when Jack Fra
zee, mountain farmer, pretty well-to-
do and bachelor, came by, very evi-
dent comfort invited himself to sit
down onoa part of the log not occupied.
[ was glad enough to have somebody
help me loaf for the hour or so [ had
to spare, and greeted his proposition
with applause. We talked awhile
about politics and hard times, and
then Jack became scattering in lis
ideas, and I was pretty certain wanted
to talk to me on something more I'M
portant to him than the general affairs
fof the country at large. let him get
around to the subject himself so as
not to confuse him, and it WASH t long
before he was ready to present his case.
Colonel" he hesitated, do you
believe in signs,P'
"Well Jack, 1 replied, ''it depends
on what Kind Of signs: For instance,
if seega sign over a building Saw
mill'-I don't go ia there to buy dry
goods!"
"I don't mean that kind" he said,
with "a nervous laugh.
"Nof?'" and I looked at him just a
bit curiously.
"No. I meanthe other kind. Those
that 'are signs lasi signs. You know
what signs is, don't you?' he ex-
planned slucidly,
"Superstitions,, you mean = ven
turedst
"Yes,n he answered, with a CLEAN
ID ihissface.ee sThem' s them. Do you
believe in them?p
"That depends, too. Have you been
seeing anyg'1
4 he blushed Ssheepisbly and changed
his seaton the log..S
"Well, that s whatI wanted to ask
youp about,a,, heii said "Yon know
Mandy MAser,a doh'tlyoul?''-
nodded, for I had seen Mandy,
andhshe was the best specimen OF
youbgF gomanhOod lin that neck OF
wyoods.a
"Weil,n he went ou:. We been
kinder sparkiin 2 Mandy for better'n a
year now, andIshe ain livery iacourid-
|gin'l.n In course, / hain't ever, men
tionea sthe subject. right to, her, but
live been tbeatin the devil around the
stumpiaighty close for some time, and
lI I.doa5S know Whether I've got much
hopes seranot. When I got my new
house about dohe Fast her, one day il
shethought thar 3ort to be a porch in
front, uylit and she said she thought
they sort.g SofI put one thar Next
tineaIe seen her Z astlif thar. ,ort!to be
saipalina fence er q. post an rail acrost
theyard,, ,sand she said they ort.!, So j
put tiione irhar.3 Then after that 1 asst
herleif. the house ort to be painted
whfteief pink and she saidlshe thought
it; Srto to be white. z SoSP painted, ii
white! e One !dayaT was at her house
|stalkihs and Fast hcrif the we'll ort to
fthave d wind!ass er a sweep, andIshc
Esaid al sweep, fer the sweep was SO
,pictursauee -what's pictursquee, colo
nel2 and he stopped a moment. y =
II explained what it was to be pic
turesdue, and he went on.
i"1Ven,plI didn't know" he said,
but I spat3up the,sweep. Then [ ast
herlif j ort2 TO scts, out peach trees el
apple trees in the yard, and she said
theraortsto be both, cause they would
come handy for family use! So ,1esot
out both kinds Last week I moved
intSi the. one lroomo I've got fixed up,
and nI'ye been Kinder lonesome and
thinEinn like. Yistiddy Mardy come
Eby and as,settin, en- the porch, and
she stopped at the gate d minute and
saida she was mighty glad to see what
nice house Z had, and she hoped I'd
be powerful comfortable in it, and, !
astaherltif she didn't think [ ort to
have wife TO take keer NV it, and she
saidashe thought I .ort.
Jack stopped his story to mop his
brow, for the exertion of Interestswas
making him warm
iaWhat did you do then?" I in
quiredr with a smile e
}'sNota darn thing, colonel,''he said
in a tone liof disapproyal of himself
"and lthat' s what I want to asta you
about. IF tharss any truth IN signs;
don'tt You Believe I could come nigh
gittins M andy EFF was to ast her, say
hislaery evenin?n
jack s whole heart and soul were IN
his slquestion, and I promptly Slapped
him. on, the, back and offered to bet him
81 thatqke could. ~
And I didn't lose nv bet.