Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-01-12
ties win be iausic 10 his tiSsd brain
aud lalT him to sleep, and To- morrow


Itlea win be iausic 70 his tired brain
land isilI him TO {sleep, and o-morgow
! he viii hnila its sgsin, ss.s a tho next
j day sdGny a az BE- hes for the pa % ssass.' 4
/ Then putting his 6nger 10 yhislfore-
j head, he shook his head. IEnoS' un-
| derstand why the Poolsyille bank
had now closed its doors -its presi-
dent was living over again his days
Of usefulness. It would be harsh to
say he was insane his mind was
merely peopled with the fgments
and tfancies Of his former greatness. yelsfs !.
What harm if he chose to keep
Allen Gordon sitting on his high
stool from 8 q. m. to4p. m. at the
cashiers window, to which no GUS
toner ever came !?
Allen Gordon knew that his duties
were no longer those of o cashier,
but those of an attendant, and he
was ever faithful to the trust.
1t was about 2 O'Clock one after
noon when Aliens bell rang furiously.
Running quickly into the presidents
private room, he found him greatly
excited.
"We have had fearful wreck,
Alieh," he said; s'you must dispatch
q relief train with doctors at once ;
see that nothing is left undone for
the relief of the injured" ."
1t was always Gordon's policy to
agree with him, but he had never
seen him in this mood before. He
was alarmed and rushing out he
called in Doctor Duggan. They
found the old man unconscious. The
excitement of the wreck had been too
much for him, and mconsciousness
had charitably come over him.
1t was only short time until he
was himself again, and, looking at
his watch, he ohided Allen for allow
ing him to sleep when 80 many
things claimed his attention.
81 never sleep during business
hours, and if I happened to doze to-
day | cannot understand why you
did not awaken me, Allen; my time
is too valuable-leave sleep to slug
gards-I have work to do"
The wreck and all it's dire results
were foggotten, and, putting on his
tor coat, he wended his dignifed
way down the street to his home,
and the next day he commenced and
finished the great P. & &. II. r..
agair
1t was here that so years ago he
had brought Bessie Moorland homo
his bride, and for DO years her gentle
nature had ruled over him and his
home, then one morning there was
Grape on the door and the old Judges
head was bowed with grief-his little
Bessie was dead.
That day and night he was watched
and attended by anxious and tender
friends, his grief was 80 great that
they feared for him. His great
frame shook with emotion, and he
cried out against his God for robbing
him of his Bessie, but tho next day
at the funeral his eyes were dry and
there was no trace of his great grief,
but a great change had come over
him. He seemed almost oblivious to
mis- surroundings, the brightness of
his eye was of that intense peculiar
brightness that you have 80 often
seen in the eye that is not moistened
by the workings of an active brain.
1t was the next day that he first
began to build the great p. tS G. r. r.
Allen Gordon realized at once the
situation and his first impulse was to
counsel him to close up the bank and
devote the rest of his days to ease
and comfort, in fact, he did once
gently hint that the banks business
hardly justified its continuance. The
old Judge looked at him in a sur
prised, sorrowfui way for moment,
thcn he flew into the first passion
Allen had ever seen him in. "What? :?
Close the Poolsville bank2 Never!
1t is immortal. Do you hear? Im-
mortal"
Allen never broached the subject
again, but from that day he lnew
his duties were those of an attendant
and net 6. cashier. It was perhaps
an irksome life for him, but his love
for the old Judge led him to guard
him tenderly and carefully.
The ravages of advancing years
were fast making inroads on the old
Judges once vigorous frame. Allen
Gordon could not help but notice his
increasing feebleness and determined
once more to try to get him to arrange
his affairs and end his days in quiet
4