The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-05-22

that mans life"
Louisa turned grateful look on the
old man, and the tears started to her
eyes.
"rhank you, Pap, with my whole
heart" she said. IT'S Il comfort to
know that Sim has one true friend In
all the world who will stand up In his
defense to the last"
can will stand up for him, Loucesy.
As long as there's q breath Of life In
my body I'll defend Sim Banks against
ull the world, because | know he's an
Innocent man."
jim Thorn stood with his head bent
and his gaze fixed on the ground. lie
made no reply to anything Louisa or
Pap said. Perhaps, for all that, he
may have been honest I'm his expressed
belief in Sims guilt. There were 9th
ers there who were. They could scarce
y be blamed under the circumstances.
"You and know Sim Is innocent"
Louisa said, laying her hand on Pnp's
arm "cven If all the world believes
he's guilty"
1--WE do" Pap replied. "But we are
not alone, Loueesy. Thar's others here
who b'leve Sim Is innocent"
| Louisa SHOOK ncr neau.
"But thar is" Pap insisted. "Sam
Morgan, you b'licvc it, don't YOU"
Sans head dropped, and after hesi-
tating n moment he turned and walked
slowly away. 1t needed no words to
tell what he thought. Pap was disap-
pointed but he said:
"Ncvcr mind, Loueesy. Sam Morgan
Is honest, and he can't help his opn-
ions. Thars one here, though, know
is with us. Jason Roberts, you don't
b'lleve Sim Banks Is guilty, do youT
Jason, too, dropped his head and hes
itated, but he replied:
81 wish, Pap" he said In low tones,
"that you hadn't asked me that.
don't want to tell you the truth, and
can't tell you lle."
Pap said no more. Two such keen
dsappointments were enough. BE.
sides, If those two men were not
friendly to Sim, where should he look
for one who was?
The action OF Sam and Jason cut
Louisa to the heart. They had been
among Sims nearest friends. and If
anybody could believe in H., innocence
certainly they could.
not the place for you Let me take you
to my hom" loull find II true friend
in Milnndy. an mrnby Shc'n do you
good
Louisa took raps arm and walked
away WITH u.m For some time after
they were h"th silent but there was
Sunvlnt:I" occupying raps mind
There wn> %rn,thng he wanted to
say. hur IL" WAS al II loss for words to
express hliu"r.i ~; lir felt he should. II
was wHii;I tl.ai IL him was very
delicate. nr.d to breach ii without Civ
in- ut!rnSr s""mrd no easy task. Blu,
finally h" >ruim"d to begin by saying.
"LourcSy YOU know Tm your frisnd
Ut that | w:'u. to do everything for
you Gamma ttmt wouldn't knuwin'ly
do nary Il thin. to hurt you for nothin
on earth. You b'lirvr that. don't youI'
Il do. Pap. ! believe every word you
say. DO YOU know before Sim went
away he wrote Il note and left 1t for
me- and in that note he said, IF you
ever need II friend. 80 to Pap Sampson
lie said | could trust you and depend
on You"
Lord! Did Sim write that away
bout Hlc Hil'l iD lict tdlTlN Dtill
cd with pleasure.
Gle did"
! "My land, amt that quairc. now
, Who'd ever a thought OF Sim writir
like that bout old no count scrub
, like me? Waal, waal!'
, "Sm thought Il great Gc:l of you
Pap, more than he thought ui' nnybod,
, else
"Iou don't say So.'
, eyes, | do. And it's true too"
"Waal. waal! Who'd n thought slcl
| a thing? a old played out plug like me
. tOo-my, my. But allus liked Sim. IIt
, was pOwful fine fcllcr. Sim was. N
n n good, honest fcllcr too. IN Sim to,
you to come to me? Waal, swan
, "But | didn't have to come to you
I did /? You came to me-"
THAT'S Quairc, too. amt It? But it's
all right, an now we understand caci
other, don't wc?"
81 understand that Sim was righ
about YOU"
81 hope so. Louccsy, l hope SO. Ant
now | was Jest a.thinkin bout some
thin that | Sortcr felt like ort to men
tion. but yit didn't know exactly"
"What is 1t. pap?"
81 dunno. I.ouccSy. I'm most afccrt
I'll hurt your fcclins."
"No: speak out. know you mean Il
do that which is right"
"rhcn 1t is about Melvin. You see
we know all that bout you an him, m
thOught-you see, l don't know, o
! co SO. an may he all i'm the wrong, bu'
I kinder lowed mcbby. on count o
what was atwiXt YOU two. that natral
ly you'd like to see him once more
Jest sortcr lowed 1T mought be tha
away. YOU know, an | hope / aim
said nothin to hurt YOU"
"No. you have not" she replied. "anG
perhaps it's wrong. but I would like tC
see him. | hope you won't think me
wicked. Pap. for God knows cam
help my feelings"
81 don't. Louccsy. 1t amt my place
to judge, an | amt blamin nobody foI
nothin. ! know It's sad that you an
Sim couldn't git along, but If you
couldn't you couldn't, an that's all thar
Is to 1t. Sim amt never faultcd you
for nOthin an I'm moughty shore |
amt a-goin 20 nuthcr. Whatever may
be said, | know one thing, Louccsy. an
that Is, no matter what you thought OF
anybody else, you've always been a
true wife to Sim. Your conduct has
bppn RIGHT nm THAT'S nj thn ,ynrII Ino