The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-20

Lord, i reckon sim Thorn is shore
right" Hicks said, breaking the pause.
Yes, street Come to think OF IT, 1 had
u sort of 3 sneakin notion while that
Teller was here that he want Jest ea-
actly plumb straight"
81 noticed" observed another. that
he had a sort Of an uneasy look about
the eye, like he was skeered that he
mought be overlook an ketched UP.
Didn't none of you uns notice thatf"
Lord, l reckon did" another re-
piled, "an l mind most distinctly that
he didn't appear to act Il bit nat'ral. 1t
flashed over me In Il minute that thar
was somethin wrong about him some
way"
"Shucks" exclaimed n third. 81 seed
through that Teller the very minute
clapped my eyes on him, an | knowed
as well as If he'd told me that he was
hidin from the law. l wouldn't never
a-mentioned 1t, though, If somebody
else hadn't a-mentioned 1t fust."
jim Thorn listened I'm silence to all
these men, Il cold, in%credulous smile on
his face and n loo of contempt shining
in his eyes. He knew that every one
of them was utteriDg n positive false
hood and that not one of them had
thought OF Jim Melvin as a rascal and
a fugitive from justice until he had
suggested 1t.
wonder what that chaps been up to
now" some one said after a pause,
chat he's had to take to hidin out this
a-way?"
Lord, | hope he amt been an killed
nobody" Hicks remarked, with n shud
der, "bnt like enough that's jest what
he's done"
"Or 1t may be that he's stoled n boss
or somethin," another added. IL reck-
Oh he's most mean enough to do any
thing, judgin by his looks"
"Or he mought "a robbed n bank, for
all we know. Land, like rs not he's
got Il bushel of money hiG about him
somewhat"
These were all merely Surmises on
h part Of the speakers. for none of
them knew Il thing on earth about
James Melvin. 1t Is strange, however,
how near TO the truth n mere surmlse
may sometimes draw. That James
Melvin was n fugitive from the law
was n fact and that some OF the other
Burmiscs smacked strongly OF the truth
were also facts.
All at once at this point the attention
of tho villagers was drawn away from
James Melvin and fixed on another
subject. Mrs. Sparks had come dash
Ing In among them, her face pale and
haggard II her eyes wet with tears.
"Whar's my old MANI she cried.
"Whar's Ebcnczcr? IIain't mono Of
you ms seed nothin Of him? Oh, my
I.ord!"
Not until this moment had any one
noticed that Ebcnezcr Sparks was alb.
sent, and consequently nobody was in
n position to c%nlightcn his other half
as to his whereabouts. Mrs. Sparks
looked eagerly from face to face, thcn
broke forth in hcartrcnding lamCnta-
lions.
ooh, my poor, brave, foolhardy Ebc-
ncZcr." she walled. IN mover git to
see him no more, never in all this
world! He'll be killed! Hes shore to
be killed! | jest know he willw
why, great granny, Mrs. Sparks
Hicks exclaimed, whatever has got
into you to make YOU talk that away
Who or what is goin to kill Ebcnczcr
do you s'posc?'
, ooh, my Lord, Jake, the war'll kill
him! It's jest shore to. an l won't ncv.
+ or git to lay my eyes on him ag'in."
g, "Why, land OF Goshen, Mrs. Sparks
how do YOU so bou tiggcrin that out
lows the war gwinc to kill EbcncZcl
when he amt got nothin to do with 1t
I'd like to know"
"But he's a-Goin to have somcthin t,
t do with it. Don't you all know tina
them annon an them guns has don,
Ent him nlnn,h n,nyy nm n,oln him, <,
wild to fight that he's jest put out Owe
thar to jine the war;"
Some of the little group laughed out
right, while some Of them only smiled
, Hicks did neither, although he wa!
strongly tcmn,cd to laugh. He saw
that Mrs. Sparks was Intensely in ear
nest and Sorcly troubled, and lie pitir(
her. Everybody knew Ebcnczcr Spark.
was Il braggart and a coward-cvcry
body NA.>rt his wife. the one pcrsor
who should have known it better thai
any one else on earth.
Ihe blind, unrcasoning faith some
, wives rcpose I'm their husbands woulC
be ridiculous were it not SO pathetic
and Mrs. Sparks was OF thai class.
II guess you amt got no call TO he
, skccrcd about Ebcnrzrr. Mrs. GDarEs,'
, Hicks remarked presently. You can
Jest bet he amt gone to lin" no war
an that he'll turn up here the rust
thing you know"
The woman shook her head.
You cant fool nc" she replied.
You uns all don't know EbcncZcr like
| do. If yo': uns had ever heard him
talk as / have, a-tcllin about the times
when he IT into the wal an whuppcd
the battles, You n would know whar
he Is now. Time an ag'in I've heard
him a-slgiln an a-hopin for Il war to
git started. SOS he could git n chanst
to jine 1t an fight like he ulster. lie
was shy, an lie wouldn't tell you all
them things, but he ,old en- to me-"
Even Hicks smiled at his. He could
not help 1t when he remembered how
often Ebcnezcr, sitting by the store
Soy" or winter evenings, i.vti i~,vrsipd
of his brave exploits in war and vcarn.
ed. rs a sick child yearns for its moth.
er, for n chance to repeat them. Eben.
eZers modcsty, like his bravery, was n
mere matter OF assumption.
Just ut that moment q boy came run.
nlng down the street In n high state Of
excitement. and. stopping in front of
inc group. painted out:
You all better come an cit Ebene.
yer Snnr"s "iiT.:: ~. st-.s lsii.- 90 nas