The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-08-29


ter life? I suppose wouldn't though,
Of 1t If the railroad hadn't been mi
through. l got to goin there first
when they was layin the tracks. We'll,
that was all right enough, an then"-
''Thatll do! Enough Of that! wont
hear it from your lips"
can them
"Stop, man! 1 say stop, in the name
Of what little regard for dccency you've
got left! l won't hear from you! ]
didn't come out here to listen to youl
boastin an plumin yourself about youl
reckless. scnsclcss goin on"
The deacon's Dloodless lips tremblcd
as he fairly thundercd the command
and shook his clinchcd fist in unbridlcd
wrath. II won't have it made any
worse by your goin into all the details
Oh what you did," he went OH hotly. II
wanted you to listen to reason, an
wanted to talk to you like brother
out there amt any reason left in YOU
LIS gone too far, an Martha an Pm tOu
iate. You're proud OF that broader life
you talk about, are you? All right
theh. NOW listen to what I'ye cot ia
say. The ways still open for Won ia
turn over new leaf an come bocI, an
De one OF us as you was before tbc
LoWdens an their tavern came ia
Quaker Church. It's got to be ono or
the other, an you've got to decide righ,
now. Either you quit this new. broad.
er llfe that you've been harDin on or
you must get along without Martha an
me from this day for'ardw
Ihe deacon pronounced the sentence
III excited, impasSioned tones. .,rhc
ways open. Which do you takeY' ne
repeated. wiping away the beads of
cold sweat that stood out upon his
brow.
Jocrs flushed face turned pale at the
dcacon'S words. They cut him like q
sharp knife, and his brother knew it.
But quickly the scornful look returned
and he met the issue sQuarcly half
way. Without Il trcmor he stcDpcd
close to his brother and, placing his
hand gently on the others shoulder
eXclaimed:
"William, William, II it was the last
thing on earth [ didn't expect this of
you! If 1t was anybody else, I'd n
said he'd gone clean crazy. You an
mother never did circulate much
around among the ncighbors, but |
never once had an idea either Of YOU
had anything against Mis- Cook. I
emit understand 1t. Her husbands
been dead for three years now, m dur
IN that whole time she's hardly been
outside her dooryard. It's goin to be
hnrd to tell her that this IS our wcddIn
present from you an Martha, but | can
DO 1T, an l will. One thing has got to
be settled between you an me, howsom-
ever. Here JOcl's words became dclib-
crate and forebodng. IL amt goin to
stand up an listen to anybody throw
miserable slur3 on the woman that's
goin to be my wife. not even you, my
own brother an Il deacon in the church,
who ought to be above such q thing.
want you to understand that IL the
l1oWden boys did build their tavern
across from her house she ain't respon-
s1Dle nor the worse for it. An as far as
thnt place Is concerned. | hate it worse
than you do. It's hurt her property
scand lous"
wedding bells often ring out in unex-
pectcd places. Their notes are the
swceter when they sound above tic din
Oh dlScord. In vain the deacon, per-
picked and confused. his excited mind
III Whirl. tried to interrupt Joel's
words. Then he gave up the attempt
and graspcd weakly at the objects near
him for support. He could only gasp
Mis- Cook; you marry Mis- Cook-thc
Widow Cook at the crossin-I-you"-
"We've been thinkln it over ever
since the day the circus was In town.
an last night we fixed it all up an de-
cidcd to hitch"
Lord save us all! Joel, r. 1t was
too much for the deacon, and his
strength deserted him. His knees bent
beneath his weight, and his voice drop
ped to an lnaudible whisper. He lean
ed upon the sleigh and rubbed his eyes
rs If to bring back his scattered senses.
Then he suddenly found his voice
again. "1s that the meanin of it all?
Is that where you've been goin evonin
after cvcnin when mother an me
thought you was Mt the Lowdcns'! Say
somethin, man! Are you struck clean
dumb?"
The scornful look had left Jocrs
lace, and the suggestion OF tri-
umphant smile played around the cor
nerS or his mO;Itn as lie w::trhcI IL,
successive stages Of his brothers. col
lapse. But malice WAS not a part O,
Joel BirdSells make up. He answered
the deacon's question with question
You ain't forgot, William,' he asked