The Holly chieftain., 1898-02-11
yy.
THE END OF ALL THINGS.

THE END OF ALL THINGS.
Like few other sensible people
Philip and Helen deferred their we'd
Us a welcome relief from the round os
domestic and social duties for the wife.
and needed rest from the drudgery
Of business for the husband. Philip
had said summer AMI Europe, bu5
Helen had pleaded for autumn and the
south, and she had her way.
1--WE can go on to New Orleans il yoil
like. but want to see Allacoochee." she
said.
You're too late for that; Allacoo
chee is dead and buricd-so Protheroc
writes"
NO matter; we can see the place
where it was. shall always love it.
alive or dead, for what il did for you"
And SO it came about that on n GER
tain golden October day. when the rug
ged outlines Of Jubal mountain were
melting in the soft autumn haze. and
the fragrance of summer blossoms had
given place to the spicy sweetness OF
withered leaves and ripened fruit, n
thinIy-peopled train on the Chiwassee
Valley Extension debarkcd two OF its
passengers at the ornate station which,
aforetime had been too small to nc-
commodase the throngs bcsieging Il
at trnin-hours. There was no lack OF
room now, however. and when Philip
lifted Helen to the platform the empty
traiu-shed echoed their steps MS If pro-
testing against the invasion of its soli-
tude. At the arched entrance, where
the crowd Of vocifcrous hackmen used
to fight for patronage. they were mcs
by a single decrepit negro.
Hotel. sah?" he asked. dofflng his
battered hat and bowing with touch
of unspoiled courtesy.
"Yes; you may take us TO the Johan-
nisbcrg."
.Cnyn't do dat. sah--no, sab; Gaze
hit amt runnin' no mo-. Dee amt no
hotel in de new town now, sub. Tab
to take yoi-all to de Mountain house"
Philip put his wife into the shackiy
vehicle. SIS your horse good for six
mile drive, uncle?'
''Oh. yass. sah-he suttinly am dat;
ef hits anywhars on de plain dirt
road
"All right. Put the top down so we
can see. and drive us around town u
bit; then III tell you where to co.
Three hundred yards from the sta
tion the carriage turned into Broad
way. Nature reasserts herself speedi-
ly in u semi-tropical climate and the
rank grass sprouting between the paw
ing-stones deadened the sound of the
horses hoofs and muffied the jingling
accompaniment of loose bolts in the
worn-out hackney-coach.s
''Protheroe didn't stretch it much,
said Philip. unconsciously lowering his
voice in Difference to the sepulchrai
quiet of the street. you'd hardly be-
lievc that have stood on the sidewalk
just here. waiting my chance to dodge
across through the endless stream OF
carriages and wagons and electric
rars."
ut doesn't seem possible"
"No. II doesn't. And In that last
afternoon, when was breaking my
heart to catch the New York train.
the Johannisberg omnibus was actually
stopped in jam OF vehicles somewhere
along in this square. and was afraid
we'd miss IL"
On either side Of the grass-grown
streets were the costly monuments of
the sham city's brief day Of activity and
life. Lofty buildings. empty from cei-
lar to roof; rows of vacant store-rooms.
lined with dusty shelving and Uttered
with the forlorn debris Of hasty re-
movak: shattered glass on the side
walk: withered grass festooning the
cornices; and. in front Of the dlsman-
tied Bank Of Allacoochce. the skeleton
of an electric car left to dissolve peace
fully on the rusty tracks In the road
way. Here and there the desolation
WINS emphasized rather than relieved
by scanty and shop-worn display in
the windows Of some merchant who
had been unwilling or unable to join
his ncighbors in the general exodus
following the crash: pitiabIe fiotsam
ard jctsam left BY the high tide of
commerce to bleach and nolder ON the
rocks Of an uncharted island in the
ocean Of trafic. OF these stranded
wrecks, the most notable was the store
Of q dealer In hardware just acrosy
from the Chiwassee national bank.
That II where bought my pistol
on the night Of the gnrroting." said
rhilip telling the driver 70 pull mp at
the curtstope. ss,
The proprietor Of the place was sit-
| |lins on : spool d barissd wirsin front
/ of bin 0wpdoor. and be roe uudsrpseesi-
- sidewalk y raspenss - fAi1ip's