Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-15
AN HUMBLE HERO.
Rv THOMAS p. MONTFORT-

Cured to him at once that Sim and
Louisa were going to separate and that
Sim was going to divide his posses.
sions with her. g.
"All right" he said. bringing out
some blanks and preparing to fill In
the deed. What part of your land are
you goin to give LoueesyT
call Of it," Sim replied.
"All!' the squire exclaimed.
Gall"
The squire laid his pen down and
turned around. facing Sim. He took
his spectacles off, wiped them slowly
with his red cotton handkerchief, then
put them on again.
"Sim," be said slowly, lit amt none
Of my business. Of course, but If I was
you wouldn't do that"
wouldn't do whichW Sim asked.
81 wouldn't give Loueesy all the
land"
why"
"Cause it amt right. 1t amt jes-
tice to yourself"
But it's jestice to Loueesy. all the
jestice can do her now. God knows
it's little enough, considerin all owe
her."
The squire looked puzzled.
81 don't understand about that" he
said. From what I've heard. it amt
your fault that things are the way they
are"
1T is, though. It's all my fault"
81 can't see how that Is. Sim. |
amt never hearn of nothin you've done
to wrong Loueesy."
"But | have. squire. I've done her a
wrong I'll never forgive myself for.
the cruelest. wickedest wrong ever any
man can do woman"
The squire stared in astonishment.
"Why. Sim," he said. 81 can't under
stand you. I've knowed you all your
life, an I've never yit hearn Of you doin
anybody wrong. much less Loueesy."
"But it's so. have wronged her, as
l say"
"When?"
''The day married her,"
"Simv
"It's the truth. squire. the Gods
truth. I didn't know 1t then. but l
| know 1t now. Id "a better "a killed
her any day than to a made her my
wife,"
The squire shook his head.
81 can't see," he said, "how you 60
bout maxim that out. Men have been
a-marryin women ever sence the begin
min of creation, an I amt never before
| hearn it looked on as q crime"
"It amt no crime whar the man an
the woman love each other" Sim re-
piled. IAN whar they're ekal ever way
an suited together. But whar them
things amt so It's q crime. an they
amt so in our case"
"But you loved Loueesy, Sim"
81 did, squire, an love her yit, an
I'll 20 on a-lovin her till l draw my
last breath. How much love her no.
body but God knows. Thar ain't no
words strong enough to tell"
"Then 1t amt your fault bout what's
happened. Sim. Loueesy ain't done you
right an
Sim sprang to his feet and held bis
hand up warnlngly.
"Hold on. squire" he said. Don't
you 90 an say nothin ag'in Loueesy.
not nary n word. cause thar'll be hard
ness betwixt US If you do. I've allus
liked you. squire. an like you yit, an
/ want to 60 on a-likin YOU but won't
# you talk ag'in Loueesy."
The squire shrugged his shoulders
and turned back to his desk. A little
curtly. 1t seemed to Sim. he said:
"Tell me what you want In this deed.
an I'll 90 to work an make it out"
Instead Of replying, Sim drew nearer
to the squire and placed his hand on
his shoulder
Squire" he said pleadingly. "I hope
l amt gone an made you mad. God
knows never meant to do no sich a
thing. an I'm sorry If | have. I don't
than can help. an specially now.
when | feel like amt got no friends
on earth"
The squire softened Immediately.
81 amt mad at you. Sim." be replied,
nor | amt a-goin to git mad at you.
! jest can't make out no jestice in your
way Of reasonin; that's ALL"
"An yit it's jest, for all that"
| "Mebby IL Is | dunno"
You know. squire. Loueesy an me
don't suit You know that. don't your"
"Yes. everybody knows that now"
"Evcr'body knows it now, an guess
q good many knowed it fore we mar
ried. That's whar | done wrong. I
ort "a had sense enough to know 1t
then. an mebby would If I'd a keer-
ed enough to stop an think. Loueesy
was young. an she couldn't know, but
was older, an ort to a seen that she
couldn't never be happy with man
like me. | done wrong TO urge her to
marry me, an that's whar all the fault
lies. I've ruined her life an destroyed
her happiness. but | was too blind to
see it till it was too late"
so now
$50 now I'm a-goin to do what little
can to make amends. I'm a-Goin to
give her all have, then take myself
out of her life"
The squire was silent and thoughtful
long time, and when ut last he spoke
he said:
"Yum reasonin may be jest, Sim
but whether it be or not l ain't a-goln
to argue with you bout 1t, cause II
wouldn't be no use. You've got your
head sot that away, an nothin ain''
a-goin to change it"