Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-13
AN HUMBLE HERO.
Rv THOMAS p. MONTFORT.

sent. 1t occurred to him, however, that
if the people Oh the other side of Coon
Run were any more lacking in learning
than Turner was their condition, as far
Us education goes, was pitiable indeed.
But he was very far from giving utter
ance to any such thought, for already
he had learned that the average Pos.
sum Ridger was sorely sensitive indi-
vidual. who was liable to take offenSe
on the smallest provocation.
There was silence Of two or three
minutes. and Melvin's thoughts had
drifted back to Beckett's Mill and to
the little scene there that day in which
he had been participant And in
the center Of that scene there was
one figure that stood out boldly and
distinctly from all the rest. What the
others said or what the others did he
did not know or care, but every word
uttered by Louisa Banks and her every
movement and every look was as WV
idly before him now as it had been at
that time. Nor was this strange, for
to him she was the only living reality
there. The rest were only so many fig
ures whose trivial deeds and existence
were unworthy Of thought.
He recalled the expression on her
face at the moment when her eyes met
his, and now 1t was q wonder to him
how he had ever managed to hold him
self so we'll in check as not to betray
even q hint of the great, consuming
passion that filled his heart.
Suddenly his wandering thoughts
were recalled by Turner. who renewed
the conversation by opening up a new
subject.
"Mr. Melvin" he said, II reckon you
amt one Of them doggoned overly nice
an fnicky sort of chaps who are so
dad blamed hard to please that they
jest put everybody all up on edge"
"Why, | don't think I'm particularly
hard to please" Melvin replied. II try
not to lie. at least"
That's kind. of tie way fggered
you out. but you know body can't al
ways tell about folks. Sometimes
feller's fggerin don't turn out nothin
like right. One time got pow'ful fool
ed on one Of them doggoned pill ped
dlers. an | been little mite shy of
folks ever since"
How was that about the pill ped
dler?"
"Why, it was this Away. He rode
up to tie fence thar one night an want
ed to know if he could stop. jest for all
the world like you done while ago. Hc
was in sich a tizz all stew that he
wouldn't tell NE nothin sca'cely an
'peared like he didn't want to answer
nary a question l asked him. though the
Lord knows l amt no hand to inquire
into other folks business an ask fool
questions bout things that don't con.
sarn me. You know that's so. jedge,
from what you've seed Of me?
Melvin smiled, but with reckless hard
ihood replied:
ooh. certainly"
"Waal." Turner went on. that thar
pill peddler lower he was jest bound
to stop yere, an stop he did. But oh.
my land. what q bother an pestcr he
was! Staid most a month, guess. an
that whole endurin time he was for
ever an eternally a-grumblin an fndin
fault. Want never satisfied with
nothin. The very fust thing he done
was to raise q furse cause he had to
sleep in the bed with the hired man.
an
"You are not keeping a hired man
now, are YOU" Melvin asked, little
anXiously.
"No, not now, amt. But, as l was
goin to say. when we tried to humor