The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-04-11

"Waal, s'pose l did l couldn't help
| myself. couldn't jest walk on IN leave
her while she was talkin, could lT
"Certainly not when her talk was so
sweet and interesting. You must have
round 1t real pleasant to have her as
| sure you that | didn't love you, but
| ahat she knew some woman who did"
| II didn't find 1t pleasant, an If had
| ] wouldn't "a done the way did"
| "Wouldn't have staid to listen to
herY
| 81 wouldn't have let Oh that didn't
understand what she meant al discour-
aged her ever way I could"
"By hanging over the fence and talk
ing back to her?"
| "If did hang over the fence an talk
| back to her, l never said nothin out Of
the way an nothin to be ashamed Of.
nary word"
| sense Of shame"
Sim paused for moment. Then he
said very sobcrly:
"Loueesy, YOU don't love me. If you
0ln, YOU wouldn't never believe the lies
| somebody's gone an told you when
| tell you they ure lies. a woman that
| loves her man amt never a-gOin to be-
| licvc some old long tongucd tattler as
| agin him. It's Il gospel truth, If ever |
spoke one In my life, when say nev-
er made love to Mary Mann, an I'd
| swear to 1t on Il stack Of Bibles hun
dred feet high. You amt got no right
to accuse me OF any sich a thing"
| but YOU have right to accuse me
| Of something just rs bad?"
| 81 amt never accused YOU Of nothin
Loueesy, an you know It,"
| "Not exactly in so many words, per.
haps. but you have intimatcd it pretty
plainly"
''Me intimated that you made love to
some other man besides meW
"Something like that. You remem-
Der, suppose, what you said about
that notc!'
IL never said an | never meant that
YOU loved somebody else"
81 know what you think"
| "lf l thought slch Il thing as that,
would l IA told Mary Mann yisteddy
that she was a-lyin when she said what t
She did? An last night, when jim
| Thorn limited at the same thing, do
you know what done to him? / list
Knocked him down plumb fat on his
back, an If they hadn't IA held me Id
a stamped the very daylghts outen
him."
Louisa looked up a surprised and
panied expression on her face.
"Did Jim Thorn dare to say such q
thing as that of me?" she crcd
'lIe did, Sim replied, and. feeling
sure Of her gratitude at least, he added
but he amt never goin to say it nc
more, | bet. | done settled him fol
that"
'Ies." she said; "but you've gone and
set everybody else to talking. l wisl
you had let jim Thorn alone"
Sim was amazed. and the look on his
face showed it.
"Why, my land. Louccsy," he cx
claimed, you amt aimin to say done
wrong in knockin jim Thorn down
are you:"
"iou had better not have done it,
she replied, land wish you hadn't"
"Waal, I'll be blamed! Why, PaI
Sampson an Hicks all Jason an all the
rest, they all lowed done jest right
an ever one Of 'em said he'd "a don,
jest like | did II he'd "A been in M,
-, place. Lord. ! was cOuntin shore OF
, you bcin pleased cause | tuck up fo
you that away, an now you don
think ort a done it! Pears like can
nothin do please you, Loueesy, al
ever time | try to do somcthin for 20,
| seem to make mess Of it,"
Sims voice was SO pathetic and hi
disappointment SO evident that, In spit
Of her i'll humor, Louisa was touched
She looked at him, and there was al
expression Of pity and something lik
sympathy in her eyes. Slowly AM
sadly she said:
"Slm, it Is a sad thing to say, AM
you may think it cruel, but God know