The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-24
led, homely. but kind old face.

Mrs. Sampson nodded
81 thought 1t was" Pap went on,
Though | want cloSt enough to see
her face. Somcthin wrong with her,
amt theyf"
"The pore critters in a peck of trou-
ble," Mrs. Sampson answered
"Pd Say't" Pap exclaimed thought
fully. "IIumph! All along Of what
folks are a-Sayin of her an Sim Banks,
l reckon"
"Waal it's along of that, Pap, but
not bout that exactly. You know she's
got piece OF wheat down on her farm,
an It's ripe and needs cuttin"
"WaalE"
AN 1t pears lack she'd made a trade
with Sim good spell ago to cut it for
her on the Shccrs."
"She did. Mirandy. was witness
to the trade, an mind X we'll"
"Waal. now, becus of all the talk
that's a-gwin" bout, Sim he's backed
out an won't tech that wheat"
"Why, wondcl:'
"BccuS he say if he did itd give
more color to wh folks are a-sayin"
AN it would, toe. Mrandy; il would
| shore"
|
| an not brin able to make no trade with
nobody else. Mary Mann is plumb at
the end of her row. an she don't know
| which way to turn"
Naturally she would be. Mirandy.
Yes. Stree" Pap paused for quite
awhile, during which time he chcwcd
i his tobacco vigorously, showing that
he was engaged in earnest thought.
| Then he added slowly: "Ycs. stree!
| Naturally she would be; naturally she
would be-"
Cant YOU see no way out for her,
PapT Mrs. Sampson asked.
Il was jest athinhin, Mirandy.
han't no great admiration for Mary
Mann, an | guess thar amt many as
has. but for all that she's Il woman, an
n widder woman at that. Wonder when
her whcatll do to cut"
"Tomorry, she said"
| "Waal, it won't nigh do to let that
wheat 20 to waste; so, as thar don't
| seem to be nothin else for 1t, guess |
better go out this cvcnin an gather up
n handful OF men an take 'cm over
thar tomor"y an cut it for her"
Mrs. SampSon'S face frightened at
once She was one OF those great Soml.
cd plain people who can never bear TO
see any one in trouble without want
ing to move heaven and earth to re-
lCvc his distress
care you shore you can git the men
to go?" she asked.
Lord. yes. Yes. stree. Thars Ja-
son Roberts. Jason an me has it up
an down sometimes, an reckon the
nl inf -,
sides ag'in me in everything | say: but
my land. that amt nothin, an when it
comes right down to the pinch Jason
Will sw'ar by me. Yes; Jason'll go an
Sam Morgan an Ebenezcr Sparks an a
lot of the others"
do you reckon they won't want to
charge her for their work, thought"
Lord. Mirandy, you don't know
them fellcrs shorcly. Charge Il woman.
an widdcr woman ut that. for hclpin
her out Of Il pinch. Land. You lest
let Mary Mann give us n good dinner.
an well have all the pay we want
Wen even go To the length of furnish
in our jug of liquor if we con git a boy
to so to the still aftC: It. NJ ! g,lt IS we
shorely can"
Pap Sampson was buster thar after
noon than Ec had been for Il long time
He hunted around till he found six
good men TO accompany him to Mrs
Mann's farm. Then he hunted I'D era.
dies. and last. but not least. he hunted
n boy To so after IL jug Of whisky
"Mought jest rs well try to Git long
without cradles as without n lug of
liquor" he said to himself as he potter.
ed about getting everything in rcadi.
ness "a gcthcrn without n Jug
wouldn't be no gcthrrn at ALL"
Pap was in great spirits the next
morning when he marshalcd his force
into the whcatficld and got the cradles
TO gong. He hoppcd about as spry as a
boy and gave orders like n co',oral. Uc
even graspcd cradle and AIRED to
lead the way with the frst> II, but
Jason took The cradle out Of hands
and wouldn't let him.
NO. Pap Jason said, "w ant
nave that Thar's plenty OF us younger
men here. ion jest set down in the
shade somcwhhr an take 1t easy"
Pap harcd up with resentment I'm an
instant.
me set down In the shadep' he cried.
"Have you got notion. Jason Roberts,
that I'm so 10 count IN played out as
all that!"
why, Lord, Pap. of course not" ia.
son replied. II didn't say nothin like
that, did II"
Nor you better not say nothin like
1t If you don't want me to show YOU in
way you won't forgit that amt nigh
played out. Mcbby YOU don't blicyc il,
Jason Roberts, but if yOn feel like irwin
IL III guarantee to whnp you i'm two
shakes Of sleeps tail TIL you won't
know who you are"
"Oh, that's all right, Pap amt
wantin to fight YOU"
'Co'Sc YOU ain't, Jason. cause YOU
amt no fool, an you know it amt safe
to fool with me- Humph. Set down in
the shade nm rest. My land Jason Rob
ertS, I've cut more wheat I'm my time
an never gruntcd ut il than you'll ever
cut If you live to bc Il thousan' years
old. Set down in the shade an rcst,
Lord. Sich talk makes me mad"
Pap didn't sit down either. Though
they denied him the privilege OF WELD,
Ing cradle. he found an opportunity
to busy himself by putting the wheat
bundles into shocks This was light
work compared with the other. ana
seeing mat Pap was determined TO do