Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-02-24


for the train, long over due, or walk
home "arross lots" The trains on
this one-horse line were run presum-
ably for the accommodation of the
public. but as they were invariably
behind time, and ran at snails pace,
it was an open question whether the
public in that particular locality were
much better accommodated than they
had been by the old ssagecoach which
had fallen into disuse when the rail
road went through. 1t had been al
most q mystery how the road ever
came to be built there, and talk OF
discontinuing the branch had been rife
many times; but old Colonel Hale,
who had some influence with the legis-
lature and the railroad company, saw
to it that it ended in talk.
So the road was open, and as the
night was chill and snowy, Milton
decided to wait for the train, which
would take him within an eighth OF a
mile of home, and sat down with what
patience he could muster to wait. A
half hour passed, and slowly into The
station pulled the belated engine at
tached to the freight and accommoda-
ton. Davis boarded it and sat down
in seat near the door. The compaTt-
ment was divided in such way that
one end was used as sort Of caboose,
where tho trainmen were allowed to
wait when not busy, and any passenger
having o desire to smoke could crafty
it in that end OF the car.
Milton Davis was one of the wealth
lest farmers about Hintonville. In
addition to farming he engaged in
stock.raising, Bookkeeping, and. in
short, anything thst promised big re.
turns for not too large investments.
All he touched prospered. His crops
were generally fine, though perhaps
his neighbors' were not worth harvest.
ing. OF course he would have told
you that this was due neither TO luck
nor ill luck, but to simple attention
to business, and he might have added
having the means at hand to pay for
help Just at the right time, which
often turned almost failure into sue
cess. But aside from his financial
stability he was a man whom oil the
town respected, whose word was as
good as his bond any day, and who
had filed many of the Offices in the
gift Of his townsmen SO acceptably
that the opposing party was generally
satisfied if Milton Davis was elected,
and the defeated candidates were
solaced by the fact that nothing else
was to be expected. In church and
missionary work he shone especially,
and more than one obscure country
church had been matelisliEDellPea by
his checks.
So you yiilss surprised at what fol-
rs as he was when his attention was
attracted by the voices of two men in
the smokers end Of the car, and only
separated from him by SO thin a parti-
ton that he could distinctly hear every
word they uttered. He did not notice
what they were saying till his own
name caught his eur. though he had
recognized the voice of Doctor Cramer,
an old friend.
'I should not like to have Milt
Davis's sins on my conscience" said
Doctor Cramer in q half vexed, half
serious tone, evidently continuing O
theme under discussion.
"Why," interrupted his companion,
81 was under the Impression"
Eyes, you were under the impress
sion that he had probably as few sins
to account for as any mau we'll could
have, being always to the front in every
good work, and go forth, and 1 sup
pose you are right, generally speak
ing; but I have just come from Colosse,
where went to consult with Doctor
Hill over Walt Davis. wife. She is
dying rs sure as I am sitting here, and
Just as surely Milton Davis will be re-
sponsible for her death"
"Why, 1 don't see"
"Of course you don't! But 1 do,
you know, and that makes oil the diff
ference in tho world"
'.But what has Davis done that you
should accuse him thus harshly?"
''Gt is what he has not done. He is
allowing his sons wife to suffer while
he has more money than he knows
what to do with in this small place"
'Oh, yes, / see! You are speaking
of Walter Davis's wife she that was Net
tie Eller. Walter did not marry to
please his father, I believe"
"No, I presume not. 1 fancy he
exercised his rightful prerogatlve, and
married to please himself. You and I
did the same, l believe, old fellow,
and would have done so if q dozen
fathers had objected.
'.But there was something especi-
ally repugnant in this affair, was there
not? 1t seems to me / remember to
have heard so.
"Not with the girl herself. Nettie
Fller had brains and beauty enough
to turn the head of stronger minded
man than Walt Davis, but her father
well. he died with the tremens, you
know, end if he hadn't lie would proba,
bly, have been convicted of man.
slaughter at the next session."
ST rather wonder that young Davis
should have looked in that direction
for wife. No wonder his father was
angry"
"But the girl was all man could
desire"
e, "Nevertheless, blood will tell"
s.It does III her case, for she in
herits her mothers virtues, and a
better woman never lived. Why
should Nettie be held responsible for
the crime of her father?"
''Do you think Davis knows the con-
dition they are in?" queried his com
panion, willing to change the subject,
for the very unconventional views OF
Doctor Cramer were we'll known.
"Probably not. Knowing his want
of sympathy they would be in nc
hurry to force themselves upon his
attention. They are not reduced to
actual want; but Nettie is settling into