Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-20

"Oh, any time you please! It's your
business, not mine" Mr.. Topmark said,
with short laugh. Mr.. Howell laughed,
too. languidly and in half apologetic
fashion, as he said:
"Pardon the correction, but if this is
not your business it certainly is not
mine"
"Say, what in the nation air you
drivin at?" Mr.. Topmark asked angrily.
Mr.. Howell's face grew more than ever
tranquil as he replied:
"I thought I was explicit enough
but, if I must speak palmer, 1 begin
work only upon receipt of suitable re-
tainer, and Miss Tubbs says, with ad-
mirable candor, she has not $40 to her
name"
"Well, what er that? Sue fer half
you recover, Mr.. Topmark said sulkily.
Again the lawyer smiled.
II think I need not tell one so we'll
informed as yourself" he said silken.
ly, that law is not an exact science,
and that in contingent cases one is never
certain Of not having his trouble for his
pains. I"
"Confound you'll" Mr.. Topmark
growled. "I've done let you inter this,
an you know you can bleed me. All you
lawyers is reg'ler leeches, though-as
we'll you as ernother. {"
81 thought you would hear reason, |"
Mr.. Howell returned, with a bow.
"Now, let's get our bearings, so to
speak. I judge you wish very greatly to
marry the heiress of Roscoe
"It amt that" Topmark broke in.
"It mought er been at first. Befo' my
wife died I did want the land, but
now
81 understand" the lawyer said.
"But, 7 repeat, you wish to marry the
heiress of Roscoe? You wish, too, that
that person shall turn out to be Miss
Rob McGregor, but only after she has
become Mrs. Topmark?''
Yes-no-I don't hardly know.
You've got me fustered with your fine
talk. But I'll tell you plain jest whar
an how stan with her. I been thar
this mornin; found her SO took up with
er passel er nasty little turkeys I couldn' e
scasely git er word with her. She
'peared moughty bright, though, sorter
on aidge, as you may say. So l waited,
talkin ter the ole man, until I seen her
slip off out ter the par trees. Then 1
chased off arter her; found her fingin
sticks an rocks up in 'em an p'ars jest
rainin down at every throw she made.
Then she up an said how lazy she was
any industrious body'd climb an pick
the fruits onbruised, as they was fer
p'serves. Then I up all said I'd git up
thar. though 1 WANT quite er boy, an
she laughed real tantalizin an said she
couldn't let the father er fam 'ly resk
hisself that way. Then she KEEP on
throwin an set me ter pick up what she
knocked down. An laughl You oughter
er heard her when them fruits come
dancin an hoppin over my bald head.
But arter bit she says:
"'Let's 60 in the grape arbor an rest.
I'm 'fraid you'll have apoplexy. I CANT
have your death on my conscience.
$50 in we went an set on the two turf
benches, her one side, me the other. She
had her apern full or p'ars an flung one
over ter me, sayin:
Have er par, Mr.. Topmark. I'm
shore you've earned it.
"Then sorter aidged round ter let
tin on wanted ernother sort er par, an
she flung up her head an laughed an
said:
"'Oh, Mr.. Topmark, jest fer er
change, now, s'pose you was ter talk
sense ter me! I know it would improve
your health.
"'Oh, says I. then you wanter talk
business? I'm agreeable. Jest you fire
erway.'
"An she says, lookin over my head,
I can't talk your sorter business, cause
amt got none er my own, an other
folks is clean out er the question.
" Why says I, everybody thinks
you've got er heap er business-heap too
much fer er pretty young thing like
you'll
"An then she held up her hand, say
in: Stop! You know business is buyin
an sellin an payin debts. Now, I've
nothin ter buy right now, thank God,
next ter nothin ter sell sence the colt
was stole an not er debt in the world.
In fact, can't git in debt. Nobody'd
trust me fer 10 cents. They know they
couldn't fetch the land fer it-that's all
we've got-an I'd shoot the man that
would name sale er mortgage ter dad.
dy.'
"'You oughter be rich with all this
land says I. Wouldn't you like ter be?
It's with er fortune eff it was managed
right.
"Then she thought er mint an flung
her arms over her head, sayin: yes, I
do want money, er heap of it, ernough
to make some rascals suffer an give
daddy an the dogs all all the black folks
er good time
"'You amt namin nothin fer your
SELF T says 'Shorely you want some
thin eff it amt no mon fine weddin
clothes.
can then she laughed-she's jest like
quicksilver-an says she: oh, Mr.. Top
mark, Mr.. Topmark! How can you tam
talize me So! You know eff ever fall in
love with anybody he'll be shore ter
have mothers al sisters an cousins an
aunts that'll hate mo on the face. er