Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-05-18

toward him II he should give utterance
to his thoughts
So when after a long pause Melvin
finally spoke It was on another and an
entirely different subject. A little diff
hdently, as IL he knew he was ap-
preaching dangerous ground. he said:
Il presume. Mr.. Turner. you are ac-
qualnted with a man named Banks.
who lives over at Beckett's Mill?"
"Who-Sim Banks?' Turner ques-
toned.
Il think so-a tall man with red hair
and
"Oh. It's Simw Turner interrupted.
Ute bound to be him, cause thar amt
no other Banks thar"
You know him, thenY'
Lord, me know Sim Banks, Why.
what a dern fool question! Do YOU
reckon l know myself? Know Sim
Banks! Why, Lord a-massy, man, I've
knowed that chap ever since he was
knee high to grasshopper. Yes,
sir-eev
Hes married. believer"
ITO be shore. Yes, Sims married"
"And happy. presumed"
Happy as some, ] reckon"
There was short pause. Then Mel
vim said:
81 saw Banks and his wife today
over at Beckert's Mill. l don't know.
OF course, that it is SO, but IL appeared
to me that they are a mismated pair.
What do you think about itT'
Turner looked at Melvin, squ,nted
bis eyes and grinned.
Young feller," he said, ''them two
may be mismated for all 1 know, an
they may not, an IL they are mismated
1t amt more OF my doin's, an I amt
nowise responsible for It."
Certainly not" Melvin admitted,
"but 1 thought perhaps you had mo-
ticed that the wife is so different from
the husband. She appears to be edu-
Gated and refined, while he does not.
Haven't you observed that3
81 hain't blind" Turner replied quiet
ly, "an what see see"
DO you think it possible for two
people so entirely different to live to-
gether happilyT
az hain't been doln no thinkin along
that line, Mr.. Melvin. 1 don't fgger
that got any call to-
"But you certainly have an idea along
that liner
Turner eyed Melvin very narrowly
for moment, then slowly replied:
Young Teller, 1 can't make out that
you got any call to worry bout Sim
Banks an his wife, an I low it'd be
Jest as well for all parties concerned IL
you didn't do 1t. I'm a-gittin along up
In years myself, an amt lived ali my
life In this world without learnin one
or two things. One OF the things I've
done learnt is never to mix I'D In no
body else's business when I amt got
no interest in II, an another thing is
never to bother myself bout what goes
on between a man an his wife. amt
so blamed smart as some, mebby, nor
I amt no derned idiot asylum, an I
know enough to know that bout the
most dangerous place q Teller kin stick
his nose is In between a man an his
woman. He'd dad burned sight bet
ter stick 1t in steel trap. Yes, stree!
You bet he had"
Turner paused, but Melvin offered no
ASPAJ' AkSoShug NAo kOTueE went on,
speaking in all seriousness:
"You are a young Teller, Mr.. Mel
VIM" he said, can I guess you amt had
no great experience with the world, so
I'll Jest risk given you little piece OF
advice. Whatever else you do In this
life an however many other mistakes
you may make, be shore OF one thing,
an that Is don't you ever go an git
mixed up In no mess with no other
mans wife. No matter what comes
nor what goes, don't you ever do no
sich thing as that, for as shore as
you do you'll live to see the day when
you'll bitterly rue It. You mark my
words for that"
Melvin laughed at the old mans seri-
business and turned the matter OF light
ly. He had no intention OF going to
any dangerous extremes, and he felt
that there was no occasion for all this
sermonizing.
However, there came a time In after
days when those words came home to
him with stunning force, and he wish
ed with all his heart that he had heed
ed them.
ITo m ooNrINurD.1