The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-11-11
THE WEDDINGS
THAT WERE POSTPONED.
BY LAFAYETTE McLAWS y
IF THERE is a hotter place or one

Georgia, at three o'clock of a July
afternoon, that place is the kaolin re-
gion of South Carolina. The sun, re-
Aected from the dazzling white chalk
cliffs, etches on the retina myriads OF
burning, dancing stars and makes one
grateful for the shadows of the gullies
serrating the cliffs.
DR.. Byne had driven me over from
Aiken to take look at the kaolin de-
posits on his land. AS we crept along
the, single track of the road, winding
around and between the stunted black
jack oaks and sparkleberry trees,
there were three sounds which broke
upon the silence: the murmured re-
monstrance of the sand as the wheels
pressed onward, the scrarch. scrape,
scrarch of the caterpillars feeding
on the already scant foliage, and the
pit-a-pur of the sun rays pelting the
green umbrella stretched above our
heads.
"If you have no objection" he re-
marked, 81 will turn out of the road
and speak to a friend. l always do
when come this way. He is only few
steps along the branch beyon' those
hriars and gall-bushes."
So we turned up the stream, and be-
yond the thicket came to small pond
of water just above the group Of bush
es which screened it from the road. In
the middle of the pond sat an old man
clad in a bathing suit, smoking and
reading, while up to his neck in wa
ter. Without word the doctor left
the buggy and marched down the slope
to the edge of the pond. Having moth
ing else to do I sat there and waited.
l noticed that the entire bottom Of the
pond was floored, and that here and
there new boards had been put in as
II the place were constantly watched
and kept in repair. The old man sat e'n
a rough bench with back. In front OF
him was a rude desk formed by
planks nailed on two posts planted in
the bottom of the pond. When the doc
tor reached the waters edge he called
loudly as if to deaf person.: Hello.
Quintilian; how are you to-day?"
"Hey?" said the old man, dropping
HIS pipe lutO lHc WdtCL % hC 1OOhSd -
from his book in search of the speak
er. "Hey?" he repeated, with gaze
directed toward the doctor. Then a
smile of recognition distorted his
wrinkled face. 'Tip-top, Henry; tip
top. The pond is just the place on day
like this. It's all right, Henry. It's all
right. Clara gave her permission for
h. c4narn11clx-
chuckling with childish pleasure. "She
said must try to break myself of the
habit, for when her year is up she
couldn't permit me to spend my time
here" Then he leaned forward as if
the better to see the doctors face, and
inquired anxiously: Her year is al
most up, isn't it, Henry? Tell me, is
her year almost up?"
"Yes," said the doctor, "it is almost
up, Quintilian So you must be doubiy
careful of your health. What news in
the literary world? What are you
reading to-day?"
"Hogg," the old man replied. with
enthusiasm. "Hogg, the Ettrick Shep-
herd. 1t is his very latest, the Confes-
SlOHS VI d SlAACAs IL - q " "oh
derful book, Henry. You must read it.
I will send it over as soon as Blossom
is done with 1t. You know that she
likes to read everything that do, be-
cause she says we have to live together
and should have something to talk
about. But it won't be for long. You
said it wouldn't be long. didn't you,
Henry?"
"No, no. Quintihan; not long. But
you must take good care of yourself.
And Quintilian," he called, for the old
man, as if forgetful of the doctors
presence, had gone back to reading,
don't forget to send me that book
after Blossom reads it."
"Hey?" he looked around, as if
aroused for the first time. as that
you, Henry? Did you say her year was
up?"
"No. Quintilian, not yet; but it soon
will be. You must send me that book
when you finish. And don't forget to
tell Blossom"
81 never forget, Henry. Inever for
get. I will tell Blossom that you say
the year is almost up"
He went back to reading, smiling
contentedly, while the doctor walked
up the slope, climbed into the buggy,
and, turning the mules head down the
creek, drove back to the road. For five
minutes or more we travelled in silence,
then the doctor spoke.
There was time when Quintilian
Skreene was considered the most
promising young man in the state. He
was graduated from college and sent
to the legislature a few weeks after
he'd reached his majority. Then he
was elected to the state senate an
made speaker of the house. 1t was
durin' the recess of his. secon' term.
when he was 26. that HIS mother re-
ceived a letter from Mrs. Chisholm, her
old friend an playmate, tellin' of her
husban's death and that even her home
would be taken for debt.
at wasn't in Mrs. Skreene's nature
to allowed her frien' to suffer while she
had plenty, so the upshot of it all was
Quintilian's goin' down to see what
could be done for the family. Iremem-
Der comm over to see him the evenin
befo' he left-it was then I learned OF
blossoms engagement to Hal Steiner.
"Quintilian was away about three
weeks, and on his return was accom-
panied by Mrs. Chisholm an her five
children. They staid at the Skreenes'
for n month or more, and Mrs
Skreene was always careful to tell the
,