The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-12-09
WITHOUT DUE,
AUTHORITY

He stood at the street corner, looking
drearily into the growing fog.
A Minute or two before he had been
standing behind the railings in the
mark, absorbed in an effort, altogether
unayailing, to save the souls Of his fel-
low citizens in this metropolis of evils.
A few yaHds away q revolutionary
bricklayer-out of work and with the
strongest private objection to being in
it-had hurled denunciations at the
insquitous British constitution, to the
delight of himself and the amusement
OF his audience, and of couple of
placidly smiling policemen who stood
near in that impersonal yet protective
attitude characteristic of the force. A
little farther on, q "Hghtning artist of
tender years furnished quiet antidote
to gesticplafory anarchy by the repro
duction on paper OF the Duke Of
York's baby" to q chorus of loyal ap-
plause. On the preachers other hand,
., martyr, whose motives his country
had ignorantly misunderstood, per-
haps, not without just occasion, had
related with some feeling much abuse
OF authorities, and more Of that luck
Iexs eighth letter Of the alphabet,
which is the chosen victim Of elO-
qnence In fustian, the melancholy de-
tails of an enforced retreat from public
lIfe which, to judge from appearances,
he had very richly deserved. When the
.preacber's, audience tired. of his dis
course, they had only to turn their
lleaGs to imbibe incipient anarchy and
detected patriotism, or cultivate a
healthy admiration for juvenile talent
Hnd the reigning house-a combination
OF conflicting sentiments peculiar to
Hyde Park ON Sunday afternoon.
The other orators, however. had
found compensation for their wrongs
In the delight of airing them at large.
They retired from the field Of battle
hoarse, but triumphant. The preach
er,s triumph was q question which he
c0uid only regard rs much more dubi-
ous. In moments Of despair, which
sometimes fell to his lot, he knew that
his congregation merely regarded him
as an interlude between the denuncia-
tons Of the political bricklayer and the
dismal rhetoric of the ex-thlef. But, to
do him justice, those moments were
few and far between. He had fought 4
hard battle from very early age, and
defeat had ceased to depress him save
at odd times when he was, perhaps. a
Rttle colder, hungrier or sadder than it
was his usual fate to be.
As be stood at the corner hand was
laid on his shoulder, and he turned to
find himself face to face with DR.. JEFF.
They had met before. in slums and by
ways, ana each man knew enough Of
the others life to respect it. cannot
assert that Jeff Is the little doctors real
name, and perhaps he has story or
mystery, or both-a skeleton which he
hides in the cupboard at his shabby
lodgings. with the stale bread and high
ly unprofessional cheese which that re-
ceptacle contains-but am sure that
<1C 10 AO hlhuCA SOoI dts i<OhuolI,
despite his snarls, his sarcasms and the
inexpressibly unorthodoX opinions
which he scatters broadcast in this
way. All men have their hypocrisies,
and he has his. 1t is his delight to
shock people, to pose as something very
little better than the archfiend himself.
have seen him succeed admirably in
his deception-with strangers. Those
who know the good little man know
also that he would not willingly bruise
a butterfy's wing nor offend the dir
test and most melodious tabby that
serenades his hard-earned slumberS.
Even now, as the preached turned his
white face and tired eyes upon him and
forced a smile, there was a charitable
scheme brewing in Jeffs mind.
FINISHED spouting:" he asked, gruf-
fy. walk my way, will you? Abom-
Unable weather."
He spoke with 4 savage air, as
though the weather and he were on
terms of violent hostility. Jef's man.
rer generally suggested the feud-brief
and stiletto and other pharaphernalia
5 OF mediaeval murder.
( They walked for some time in 81
hence, during which the doctor eyed his
.companion with bloodthirsty express
sion Of countenance.
Better give it up," he said at last.
Wearing yourself out for nothing. All
,boShr'
"Is it?' asked the preacher, half