The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-27
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When a Friend Deals :,
With a Friend. !,
By Fran kin Michael.
- n ND you say the mortgage
- " is twenty-five hundred dol
NJ lars, due March 1st."

~ lars, a1sd due Ton March esn,t lss;s set the
money anywhere" "a"
"Nowhere; I've tried every place IN
town, even old Peddicord. Money is
tighter now at the banks than at, any
time since the panic started. They
won't let out 4 dollar except to old
customers. So if you can't do this,
Raj my home is gone, that's ALL
s'i"1fHeni. Just state that proposition
over again, Mac "a
ITS this: I'll transfer the title OF
the farm to you; you assume the mort
gage and hold the place in your name;
when the panic is over and l get
Strengthened out, III take it back. pay
you for what you've paid out and for
your trouble besides. If | am nev-
er able to redeem it. the farm IL
be yours for good; understands"
.Yes; but Mac, you surely know that
this is not a good business PROPOSE
ton"
) Eyes, know that we'll enough. It's
n proposition would make to no man
living except Ealston Blair. The land
would bring at least seventy-fve dol
lars an acre if times were good; now it
would not sell at all, and if the mort
gage is foreclosed III get little or
nothing for my money and work.
Olive and I are both sick and dis
couraged, but if you can do this for
US, we'll have one chance left to get
on our feet again"
"Well, l don't kno-. what to say.
I must have time to think. My bur
dens are heavy enough now. as you
know. At the same time feel as
though l must help you. I'll tell YOU
you drop in-say Thursday morning
and Ill see what I can do for you"
The above Is in substance the talk
that took place between the Reverend
RalsDn Blair and Philip Mcclure one
morning in February, 1895. The men
had been intimate from Doyhood.
They graduated from school together,
Blair at the head of the class. Nc
Clurc near the foot. Blair was Dill
liant and popular in school; Mcclure
was dull and reserved. Blair passed
through college and entered the min
istry; Mcclure went from school to
the farm. Blair scored q success from
the start: married q girl as ambitious
as himself, and was at this time pas
tor of the most fashionable church i'll
Ailsbury. Mcclure married pretty
Olive Pinkney, bought an eighty-acrc
farm two miles out from Ailsbury ard
prospered until hard times, poor crops
low prices and sickness combined tc
reduce him to the extremity we have
seen.
The feeling that existed between the
young men could not be called friend
ship: it was not reciprocal On Nc
Clures part it was genuine hero wor'
ship. He idolizcd Blair; he gloried in
his successes. and, above all else, had
absolute faith in him. Blair, ,on the
other hand, accepted McClure's wor.
ship and encouraged it, because 1t sat
istied the demand Of a selfish nature
He was one Of those mortals who
while incapable Of deep feelings him
self, was yet able to play upon th'
heart strings Of those about him.
+ But to resume our story. The out
come of the talk recorded above wa!
that McClure's farm was legally trans
ferred to Blair. Mcclure at once
moved his wife and two babies t
Ailsbury; took possession Of SINAI
cottage and found work in Drie1
ward. He was q good worker.
The farm was rented, and thre'
years passed without incident. bu
the souls of the McClures' were wrun:
with anguish when they beheld th
havoc wrought by careless renters OF
their little farm. The young orchard