The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-14
The PAST AND PRESENT.
A True STORY. by reter NA. wilson, in
Hates Weekly, 1879.

dred leagues from the State capital,
there is what is known in our vernacu-
lar as a country store" In high wa
ter the red ripples play around its
underpinning and in times of drought
the coating of mud Ieft there by the
spring floods is washed into queer-shap-
ed squares ana Jagged circles. This store
Is kept by u silent man; shaver up
per hp, chin beard and fiorld COM
pleXlon mark him as specimen OF the
natives. Ills hurley form warns oil
provocation; cold grey eyes speak
shrewdness, and a contempt for vests,
collars and crayats is intlmated by
their marked absence. He retails what
is called general merchandise" a
name quite broad enough to include
moist as well as dry goods. He sells
for cash only or on approved security,
and his goods never leave his store
without a sufficient gage.
What stranger who was passing
through the country and stopped to
rest himself and his tired horse saw
aud beard, is what we wish to tell.
He was seated in the porch in front
of the store talking to this merchant
prince of the neighborhood. Their
chairs were tilted back and rested a.
painst the railing of the porch. They
had exhausted politics and agreed that
the weather was hot and favorable to
cfops OF all sorts.
Just a. the merchant bit off a fresh
chew of tobacco and put the twist
back into his breeches pockets two men
emerged from the woods and walked
20 the store door. Neither had on a
coat. Both were barefoot. One car
ried rife on his shoulder, the other
toted q small cat squirrel that they
had killed. They jerked their heads
In familiar manner, rather than
bowed to the store keeper.
Good morning, gentlemen, said
be.
Morning" said they, togther.
They stared, not rudely, at the
stranger, and sat down on the bench
that was at the end of the porch oppo-
site HIM.
'AIl your folks WELL Squire?" asked
the man with squirrel, of the mer-
chant (Of course he was a Squire;
being a Squire expedites the collec-
s.
solemnity and power to contracts.)
Its mighty nigh the hottest day
we have had this year." said the man
who had laid his rife across his knees.
well, reether," said the merchant
In an absent tone.
TRADE good, Squire?" squeaked out
the cat squirrel man.
"Ain't been no customers here to-
day" he growled.
A silence as solemn as that which
falls upon a crowd of hilarious young
| bucks when a solemn looking tract
agent comes upon them with a sub
scription paper, reigned for few
| minutes. The quartette sat and
chewed and spat. Nothing was heard
| but the tapping of the waters against
| the willow bank and the croaking of a
rain crow hid in the tree that stood
| ia the edge of the woods.
| After few minutes. low voices were
| heard in the rear of the store, and pre-
aently two men rounded the corner
and stood before the musing four One
| of the new corners was very fat. He
| was very red from the eXertion OF
| pulling 300 pounds of human nature
\
| be stopped with a broad, bandless
straw hat. He wore a heavy, reddish
noustache that gave him a fierce, bull
dog expression, and the most limo
cent young preacher in his first pas
torate would never have mistaken hin
for the G. w. C. It. of dry" com
uunity. His shirt collar was open
very open, and he simply said as he
nodded at the party, 'hot!'
"Have a seat?' said the Squire.
Believe / will,' he said, as he tool
the Squire's chair, who went back into
the store room to fetch another.
His companion was small freckl.
faced, weayil eaten, washed out look
ing man with red hair, no sign of {
beard, with big hands, with little is
lands of perspiration standing abou
on them. He carried the poles and hac
on live oak withe one poor little muC
cat. Nobody asked him to have seat
but he gravitated over to the cat
squirrel man, took a seat by him OF
the bench, looked at him and grinned
Good fishing about here?" asked
the stranger
Nothing like it was before the war,
said the corpulent hot man. (IIe ha<
been an overseer and dated everything
from the war; 1--WE caught cats a
big as dogs down at the Ferry Hole
The stranger looked surprised, tn
huntemen looked incredulous, tn
merchant didn't look at all, and TIN
little man gave grin OF satisfaction
over his inward JOY of not having t
lug such cats.
The man with the rife said that al
tho squirrels seemed to be cats slnc
the last fresh" Same thing witt
the fsh said the grum old 300 FOUNDER
and thereupon all relapsed into stat
Of profound meditation on the subjec
Of cats.
Among men Of real genius there IS
fre-e-masonry in finding out each otE
er's thoughts that is only equalled b
the intuition that leads a man wh
wants drink TO divine d similar dis
position in men who are addicted t
and fond of the Juice Of the grains.
Without looking up, the man VII
was now deeply absorbed in toyin
= with the long, graceful tail of the dea
) squirrel, said in a voice full OF emo
: ton. and that would have stirred til
breast of stole:
81 wish somebody would treat 20
!, level quart"
Nobody responded, nobody moved
: muscle-not even a nerve quivere'
r. rEst..r a IS3sa JtI y1f