The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-23

thought dawns upon his Ignorant and
common mind and sends him Into the.

49,
thought daWns upon his fignorant and
common mind and sends him Into the
fcabln.
Mr, Teaster rides up and throws d
keen glance around the yard: a man
not in the least likely 20 forego the pus.
pose ofjyears, thinks Judge Benton,wlth
q 3quielt reading OF the shallow, yet win.
dictlye face, Hello. Hepsy. wasn't
that Philip Hallowes who passed here
II Just now?"f
Nobody ain. come dis here. road.
I skusln' you EN- Lljah. en- dis here inem-
MAJ" she replies, lvlng superbly ,'Yas-
SIR seeing him examine the ground:
dem rs Judge Benton ha wise track. en-
de mules. You raise de mule. en- you
know de track. Nosslr; Marse Phil doin'
too well In Georgy t'rcome back lt',dese
her san hills. Ilgot a letter yisllday,
en- II say, TEX good kyah de ole house.
Nanny Hepsy, kase I dunno Wen ]
eber see Vt ag'in.." She, hurried ITO the
bars while talking, In hope of OBTAINING
him but he secs through her and
smiles evilly..
sof course, you'll Say all lthat. Don't
I5know that YOU pray TO ,HallowesSin-
stead OF God? I'm not mistaken. that
was Philip on, his way to the old rem
devious atthe Big Oak, And he, hash't
much OF q chance this time Twenty
years OF city life must have watered his
blood and Weakened his aim, while my
finger IS ds, steady and my purpose MS
resolute as ever" @
Brushing the woman's hand from his
horses name, where she had placed II
In her eagerness, he pursues HIS way III
H. a N tINtn tItta E trtttt, ~ nh N#""- A M 20 fnntt+N ~ nj
Aunt Hepsy's despair breaks 'Lljah-a
transformed 'Lijah. Dressed In the old
gray suit erect with the dignity Of a
noble purpose, and his face alight with
tho intelligence born OF that new
thought he looks In the dying day 80
like the Philip Hallowes Judge Benton
ionee, knew that the latter starts In his
chair. The case of pistols under Ii
yjah's arm assists the deluslon material
3ly.
.1ll cut across de ole flel' en- git dere
lEqnick as Ole Man Tcaster. Marse Phil
lis bleed Z be n Ill bit later, Don't cry,
NANNY; Miss Nellie ain gwlne lose her
llusban' dis time"
Miss Nellie! AS II his mother cared
for her! She stands stupefled, looking
after her son, her no count 'Lijah, who.
moved by the one absorbing, interest OF
his life, is Found on an errand whlcha
very few brave men In the world have
attempted. Then she sinks to her knees
In the loose sand. wringing her hands
d~lstractedly.
20, Use a bad oman, TO- true: I cain
call my own chile back! Dem two boys
Is brudders-so nuff brudders-en Il
dunno witch 1 love de bess. Ain dey
bofe mine? Ole Miss die Wen her baby
was bawn, en- l nuss 1t fun dat day
out. En- deye bofe had de same daddy.
Ain dat nuff'nY Lawd, I does love my
own chile, dough dou didst mex UNI no
Ipcount; I would die To- UNI any time.
But wen I t'ink bout Marse Phil, my
wife baby wild de Ill fair hams en-
frien'ly, masterfu' ways, l sit as weak
as water; I ain't got no pow I say
come yere, ner so dere."
Hush, Aunt Hespy." says Judge
Benton, very gently, III go and look
after both your boys"
He knows we'll he will be too hate;
but anything is better than witnessing
this agonizing wrestling between her
soul and its maker. Why did he not
bestir himself earlier, and prevent the
meeting? Why. indeed! Who can say
what secret sympathy held him back;
what remnant Of an old sentiment
prompted him to let the men settle the
affair according to their own notions
Of honor?
1.-THE Big Oak, stands in a perfectly
open glade OF natures manufacture,
and is so thickly fringed with scrub
oaks that the sight cannot penetrate
them five feet away. The falling dusk
Is no impeachment TO an old time duel
list, whose shot Is still fatal, and In
whom age has only intensified the pas
slons.
you were a long time coming,
Philip" he A'sneers. ,-s"Your memory
isn't as good as mine. I don't presume
to question the Hollowes courage" Not
daring to trust his tongue, 'Lijah mere
fy shrugs his shoulders and takes a
pistol from the case.
"The same old pistols? Well, so are
mine. That puts US even."
1t does not, for 'Lijah has small
knowledge OF firearms. one at all Of
pistols; he does not ever know that
these are loaded. Never. was self more
utterly sacrificed. Suddenly Teaster
raises, his head, detecting the sound o
s%currying feet.
Take your stand, Hallowes; there's
no time to measure ground. l conclude
that you're as anxious for this affair
as I am: so hurry up before we're In
terrupted. Those old servants Of yours
have given the alarm"
He takes the proper position, and
'Lijah does the same simply by initial
ing him.
"One-two-three" A single shot
rings out ard 'Lljah falls heavily Just
as two men rusE in from opposite di-
rections.
What is all this?" asks Philip Hal
loves. in utter bewllderment. II came
to appralse the old place for which I
have "a bid; O. here you are, Judge
Benton-I pass Teaster's place and his
wife sends a boy out to tell me that her
husband has gone on to the Big Oak,
and then 1t occurs to me that this Is the