The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-05

~ vi ~
own, said she, "hudn't oughtcr be
too harsh. We never know from one
day to the other what troubles is com
IN on us-wc what's got children of
Il own"
"That's true admitted Susan, s'true
as gospel. Look now at Maria Tomp.
kins, for instance. Who'd ever err
thought that son of hcr'n would cr turn
ed out the way he did? Forgin' checks!
me most promlsin' young man IN Mul-
Vane, a young man what all the Urls
was fairly wild about-a thicfp'
cit came nigh KILN her, too" SAID
Martha rcmlnisccntly. CHATS what
1T did. 1t came nigh TO bcin' the
death on her. But she had a PRESENT.
mcnt OF it. She'd oughter bin pre-.
pared. The day before it ali come
out was over there, an she says to
me, she says: All las night, Martha,
drcamt Of muddy water. II vas
around me everywhere. | had to
walk through it. There want no
other way, there want crossin' of it
anywhere. | had to walk through it
an | did She sort of tremblcd. Il
can feel the feel of hat there water
yet, Martha says She
"Samc way with Mary Simpson
remarked Lucy, watching Jane, who
hoVercd over the kitchen stove i'm a
state of mind bordering on distraction.
her eyes fixed upon the Jelly, which
was just about to boil. "'l'ou rcmcm-
Der the night she married the paper
fell off the wall Of the church-fcll off
IN Tho shane of n ,uin, -.
OF that she was to die before the wear
was out, am die she did. 'Twa'nt
eleven months Has il come to n
boil, Janc?n
"Shhhh!" whispered Jane. "Bc
quiet 4 minit."
There was silence With the excep-
ton of Aartha's knitting needles.
They clicked.
"a watched pot never boils, Jane"
SAID Susan at last. "Comc away, an
1T will bubble up in a jify."
Jane lifted her head.
"lt's boilln' now!" she exclaimed
tr~iumphantly. "What time is lt?"
Lucy, rising, went into the hall to
look at the clock there. She came
back and silently resumed her seat.
"Well, what time was it?' uucrled
Jane.
Lacy laughed in an embarrassed
way. "I forgot she a~poloyizcd.
"lia!i.pa3t 4. | guess L must have
BIN thinkin' about Sarah Lawson"
"ltll have TO boil TIL ten minits of
D" announced Jane. "Ill leave a
good fire under it an talk to O til
them
Again rakin@ down the Goals, She
smoothod her apron with the palms of
her hands and, coming out on the
porch, took her seat IN the midst OF
them.
elm cxpectin' every mint TO hear
bad news of Sarah Lawson, ;" she aver
red. "lvc bin thinkin' of her all
day long. No matter what work |
was at, every little while she would
rise up before me, Representatives,, :
II IA BIN foremost in the talk about
that daughter OF hcr'n, which want
ono, you wa'n't,n Susan hastcnct
to affirm. "l.castways not that |
know of. You can never tell exactly
who starts talk like that. Seems 3 if
the wind does it; then keeps %fannin' il
about. You can't say boo but it's all
over town IN no time. Pears to me
IKE sometimes people finds out what
you're thinkin' about an tells it, add
IN an addin' TO 1t till you can't rccou
ME 1t yourself when ii comes back ia
you, an ii allus back to YOU. :
After a moment: .'I'hc thing tC
d. she advised, "is to keep a still
tongue in your head, but It's Il mighty
hard thing to do.'' She shook hcl
head lolefully. "It's a mighty hard
thing to do she reiterated.
GIVE bin the same about S,ral
Lawson all day long myself" sighed
Martha. CAN day long ! couidn,t
keep from thinkin' about hcl, no mat.
ter how hard | tried. mss her. She
was Il Jolly soul before the trouble
came. She was the life of the SEWN
bees an the church sociablcs. Things
has bin dead without her, to my think
m'-dcad as do%ornails."
"But nobody misses her like | do
declared Jane owe were thick rs
hops. If she want over here, was
oVer there. You sec that little gate
between the fcnccs2 had that made
sos we wouldn't have to waste time 90.
in around. She amt BIN through
1t since the talk about the girl. Seems
like she laid the whole blame of The
thing on me An 'twa'n't nv fault.
repeated what I'd heard. That was
ALL"
Suddenly Susan dropped her work
in her lap.
"Did you ever think an think about
somebody n long way OIL an get a let.
ter from her that very day?" she ask.
cd.
"Timc an ag'ln," answered the 9th.
ers III a chorus.
"Dld you ever feel like some friend
or other was comm an look up am see
her a-walkin' through the gate TO you?''
Cline am ag'in!"
Susan's voice sank to q whisper.
CTS the way ] feel about Sarah
Lawson now," said she. 81 wouldn't
be the least bit surprised, sick as they
say she 10, to see her come waikiki
through that little side gate. Jane.
what you had made SOS you wouldn't
have to waste time goin' around. II
seems like IS il she was right here
with us now, close to us, brushin' ac'in'
us almOst'--
they glanced fcarfully at each other,
then at the little side gate. Their ewes
met once more and again fastened
themselves on the gate, for a figure
had drawn near to it.
Bewlldcrcd they thought for ihn