The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-09
BALDY'S LAST TUNE.
By MARTHA MoULLooH WILLIAMS.
rConvr,cht, 1sOs. by tho Author.l

forgive thy unworthy servant the sins
he daily commitsP'
''Don't, pop, don'tl Whenever you git
che prayin fit, it brings me bad luck"
"Lucki What has luck to do with sech
rs your There's nc chance for you to
lose, except when you want to-"
"But a mighty heap Of chance for me
not to win when the other Teller holds
ell the guards. Don't be soft, pop. If
whatever it is that sits up above us
keeps any sort Of accounts, l reckon you
started with such o big credit Is amt
nigh balanced yit. Seems to me you
used to read somethin bout him that
saveth o soul from death shall hide a
multitude Of SINS"
"Silenoel How dare you"-
"Dare? I dare anything, because I'm
your son, I reckon. I've heard tell aa
you warn't afraid Of nothin, not even
satan. Besides I remember that last
camp meetin, the love feast an the hun
died new converts all crowdin round
an huggin you an tellin you how your
preaohin had kept 'em out Of the fire an
birthstone. 1t made me proud of you,
pop-it did, indeed. Imost felt like I'd
he q preacher myself until-well, after.
ward"
A swift hardness came upon both
faces. The elder man said grimly:
"Afterward you changed your mind,
We'll, you had good reason to do it."
Then, dropping his face in his hands
and speaking very low: "Do you know,
Jim, If I was sure Of heaven-as sure as
! felt in them times-I'd give it up for
jest one year of tho old life-ridin an
preachin six days in seven an comm
homo to the poor little house that held
you-ap Sally choking a bit over
the name.
"Tell mo one thing" the other said,
a dark red flushing all over his face.
"Did you give up all that for-jest a
horse?'
The old man shrank uneasily from
his sons keen look. Flo opened his lips
ag though to speak, then shut them close,
turned away and began %fumbling with
the keys Of an old fiddle. Jim went on
remorselessly:
eff you did, you must "a been crazy.
Cad, it makes me SILVER, man, to think
about that night 1t was August, sorter
starlight, fog all about, an out of it
came them yellin flcnds with torches an
VIII BVlb III W" hol hsg al you III OIlc
middle, ell tar All feathers. Then some
body shouted, Here's tho noble Chris
tian gentleman that stole Colonel Clay.'s
horsei' an I don't remember no more
till mornin, an ! knew I must go away
with you"
"What made you do it, Jim? I've
wanted to ask you often, but somehow l
couldn't seem to fetch it, tho father
said wistfully, without looking at his
Son.
Jim answered simply, because she
said I must"
Warm light glowed all over tho with
cred, haggard, old face, SO piteously
averted; slow tears dropped over the
tangle Of beard, and tho worn lips muir
INJURED softly, "Thank God, I held my
peacei'
There was s~cornful speculation in
Jim's eye.
II can't make you out, " he said after
minute. $50 let's stop talkin foolish
an come down to business. "What arc
the tunes for tonightp"
whats the gamer"
Poker, if they'll let mo in. If not,
I'll try old sledgo an vantoon."
"'Black Satin III mean 'he's bluff.
in Tom Meriweather,' raise him..
If ] strike Rock of Ages call him an
be quick about it,"
"Popr'
"Well."
DO you want TO ruin my luck for
good an always? Shorely you wouldn't
dare to play mothers hymn"
why not?' with q reckless laugh.
Your mother gave me her son. Didn't
she love you better than her soul, an do
you think she'd mind what I did IL 1t
was to help your"
Say you rather But let that tune
alone. You play 500 other ones. It's
Christmas eve, an I feel enough like
somethin was about to happen with
out hearin that tune in q gamblin den. {"
"Well, you won't hear 1t tonight,
unless there's danger-dreadful danger
ahead. Somehow I'm d bit shaky,
too, an all this improvin conversation
we've had hasn't helped to set me up. "
"Try this-it's the only friend left
u.s." Jim said, pouring q glass half full
OF whisky and handing it to his father.
"Half that, Jimmy - half - Jest
enough 30 make my wits an fingers
nimble.' the old man said, oying the
glass thirstily, but not touching 10.
Without a word Jim poured part of
Z the liquor IN the floor; then, rs his ia
Their snatched the glass md drained it,
he said slowly:
I'll wait till after the game to drink
damnation to Colonel Clay"
The old man got mp with sparkling
eyes. 1.-THE blue devils arc all gone,
Jim," he said, catching up his fiddle
and striking a bar or two of "Oh to
Charleston" "Keep a level head, my
lad. Hear the old woman talk-she'll
tell you all that's against you tonight,
an not half try"
I'm afraid it's luck that's against
me- Jim muttered to himself as Inc fol.
lowed his father into the street. "I've
felt thunder in tho air ever since that
letter from Kentucky told mo that
Colonel Allen CLAY had started down
the river to New Orleans"
v u
Christmas before the war was the
southern s~aturnalia, especially in tho
river towns. White men, black men,
mon Of all intermediate c~omplexionr,
drank and caroused and burned powd
in honor of the day. Christmas eve W.
peculiarly uproarious. Planters froi
many miles around came in to sell and
buy and to end q day Of furious trading
with n mint pP biob Dla1 Ia. o,l