The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-17

cape. Suspicion seemeu 10 centre on
Samanthy for some reason, and she
met many dark and angry looks as
she took frequent observations of the
crowd. The suspicion with which she
was regarded gave her a sense of exul-
tant pleasure which she could not
keep from showing in her face. But
none of them saw fit to say anything
to her.
Perhaps the neighbors were some
what afraid of what the result might
be if they reused her temper. Saman-
thy had more than once given those
who interfered with her a foretaste of
what might be expected if she "got
mad" It is possible that they may
have felt it unbecoming the dignity of
a man to quarrel with woman. 1t is
possible that they hardly thought it
hardly worth while, now that the bird
had flown, to handy words about the
manner of his flight, since accusing
anyone of completely in the matter was
not going to give him back into their
hands. Be the reason what it might,
Samanthy was not openly charged with
having helped Dick to get away from
them and the penalty of the crime of
which most of them considered him
really guilty.
Mr.. Porter was severely blamed for
not having mentioned the under
ground passage between the milk
house and cellar. Many were conf
dent that if Mr.. Porter or other mem
bers of the family had not helped
Dick to make his escape, they had
been sure that he would let himself
out of prison by means of this passage,
and therefore they had kept silent re-
garding it. It was plain to be seen
that both Mr.. Porter and Mr.. Boone
were glad that he was gone.
Later in the day there was little
clash of arms between Samanthy and
Bill Green.
"There'sa nigger in the fence" said
Bill, with surly, glowering look at
Samanthy. eyes, Stree, gol-durned
big nigger, n I'd like nothin' better n
to git him by the wool. I would SO!
Eff Dick Brayton got out O. there alone,
I'm liar''
"Mebbe ye be, anyway" said Sa-
manthy, dryly, exultant at the pros
pect of set-to with her old enemy, to
whom she had never "felt friendly dis
posed" since the time when he called
her an old maid. That was years ago,
but Samanthy had good memory.
"I wa mt talkin' to you," said Bill,
not relishing the idea of a quarrel with
her when there was any one byto listen
to it. He was rather fearful of coming
out second best.
"Oh, wa mt ye? T thought ye
was by the way ye glared at me-" said
Samanthy, coolly. "Butit don't make
no difrunce, one way or t'other. I'm
goin' to give ye leetle advice, an ye
can take it or not, jest as yelike. Don't
go round the kentry huntin fer fences
with niggers in 'em. Some day,
mebbe, yell find the niger yer look
in fer, an It won't be healthy fer ye."
"Shaw, now, I want to know" said
Bill, at loss for anything else to say.
"Sh'd jedge ye mought ha' had
tussel with niger, or suthin' ruther
lately, by the looks O yer face" said
Samanthy, looking Bills swollen and
discolored countenance over critically.
"Arniky's good fer bruises, after ye We
got 'em, but the best medicin' fer 'em
is to mind yer own bisness an not fool
with suthin' ye can't handle"
Bill turned away with what was
meant to represent lofty disdain ex-
pressed on his black-and- feat
ures.
Samanthy put on her sunbonnet and
ran over to Mr.. Boone's.
Mamie met her at the gate.
That young woman's eyes were red
and swollen, and she looked as if she
had passed a sleepless night.
"Oh, Samanthy," cried Mamie, be-
ginning to cry again, "they'll hang
poor Dick, I know they will"
They'll hev to git him first, kin
der reckon" said Samanthy, with
wink and grin.
"Oh, Samanthy, what do you mean?"
cried Mamie, eagerly. "Has anything
happened? Have they found anything
out?"
eyes, they've found him out"
chuckled Samanthy-"out O. the milk
house!"
ooh! OH" cried Mamie, all in a
culver of excitement. "Has he got
away from them"
'He has so," answered Samanthy.
''They thought they'd got him where
nothin' or nobody cd git tu him when
they shet the milk-house door on him
las night, but it seems as eff suthin'
or somebody must ha' got tu him an
helped him tu git out O. their clutches,
fer he's gone this mornin', that's
sure"
"Oh, I know how he got away"
cried Mamie, flinging her arms about
Samanthy's neck and giving her great
hug. "You helped him-I know you
did! You're the best woman in the
world, and I just love you for what
you've done"
And then Mamie mustered up
courage to do what she had never
known Of any one else doing-she
kissed Samanthy, who tolerated the
caress, but didn't seem to enjoy it very
much. She had been heard to say
that she couldn't abide "huggin' an
kissin' 1T made her sick to see it
jest fairly turned her stomach-but in