The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-14
WHEN SOMETHING HAP PENED IN CASSANDRA.

The fervent faith of the dwellers in Cassandra Is well illustrated at the Sun day morning service when Deacon Cow art, gentle, guileess and full of charity. a man who would not knowingly harm fly, rises to lead in prayer. The old man, his head white with honorable years gives thanks that i've have been again permitted to assemble in the house or the Lord after a week of sinfulness and wickedness, and may our evil hearts be cleansed of their vileness and stubborn resistance to the promptings of con- science'.'
 Into this haven, so quiet and sheltered there came many years ago strange sort of craft. From an aimless, wander ing course one Michael Rafferty was blown to harbor there.
 To the Cassandrians it was strange country and strange port which sent abroad such derelicts as Rafferty.
 Rafferty became resident or Cassan- dra but never part of the town. ne was to, the well ordered. upright Cas- sapdrians. a pariah and an outcast. In the first days of his residence they looked upon him as a brand to be saved from the burning, but the brand refused inoe- pendently any offers to be saved. lie was well satisfied with his mode Of lie though it brought him the suspicion, 1T not the contempt, of his neighbors ana he was content to let them pursue the even tenor of their way, way Tn WHICH he had no part nor interest.
 Rafferty was red headed and red Wnis- kered, too cheerful and conviylai. ne became the town shoemaker anu 'he town disgrace He fulfilled the require ments of both roles most acceptabiy. He mended shoes neatly and with dispatch and his charges were moderate. as pe- came the shoemaker of a thrifty. eco- nomical community.
 There were times when he fell far rom the grace of his patrons ana ms heish- bors. These falls occurred when the shoemaker by close economy had saveo enough to take from the express oihce at the railroad station the round req mouthed jug that come from Montgomery addressed to Michael Ranerty. For days following it was matter oi supreme indifference to the little shoe- maker whether the entire population of Cassandra went barefooted. Early some morning the cheerful sound of his ham, mer mingled with subduel uncertain sing ing would come from his humble shop' notification to all who cared to know that the whiskey was out of the Jug ana Rafferty was on his bench. Tn direct antitheses to the convivlai l nender of soles was Theophilus Jenkins, the town pride. Jenkins was essentially Cassandrian. He was the product or t"o generations of the manners ana customs | of the town and he was In entlre mar mony with his surroundings No young man walked more erectly ana no one Ill | the town was more active in the various | works of the church. He taught in the Sunday School and sang in the choir Tn weak tenor. He was always on the Com | uittee of Arrangements for the annual | nicnics and he was the main stay or the | church festivals.
 | re daily stood behind the office counter l in Aliens store and entered ana adoeo | column after column of figures, or max i inc ont careful statements of accounts | for the farmers whose supplies came Iron
 the big store. | Physically Jenkins was not particularly | prepossessing. He was rather below the average height. thin and of a pale com ] plexion. He was not to blame TOT pan | of fshy eyes surmounted by white eye brows. but he suffered no less keenly for l their possession on that account But his character was beyond the re- proach of the most carping village gossip l and mothers pointed to him as a model | for their young and bashful sons. The town model and the town disgrace played conspicuous parts in an incident | which set ali gossIping tongues to wag- ping. an incident which was a comedy | to Rafferty and a tragedy to Jenkins. l This young bookkeeper's downfall, Ii such it might be called, was brought
 about by the fair but faithless belle oi | Cassandra. His Nemesis, if it be proper | to apply the term to an attractlve young | thing of eighteen summers, was Miss | T daIObtnr Of the town l rich man, and Jenkins's employer. She | who toppled ths model from his pedestal | had brunette ringlets, flashing black eyes | and red lips. She was given to wearing | highly colored dresses and very new and very tight shoes.
 | The undoing of Jenkins came at tho I annual picnic. The bookkeeper, who hac l been in the depths of despair from mark | ed and pointed neglect, presumed Hpor 1 his past friendship and future hopes tt l remonstrate with her upon tAe improprl' | ety of spending the whole morning IT | close conversAtion with Tom Rutherford
 Rutherford was a young fellow who hac
 through inheritance come into the pos
 session of a valuable plantation. He was
 moreover Jenkinss rival and pet aver | sion.
 The bookkeeper had hardly gotter
 started in his little speech of reproof wher | the storm broke. You see, Miss Lull | Belle" he began, 'it don't look righ
 for you to do that way. Folks are no | ticing it and i'm telling you for youl | own-
 I'd like to know what you've got tc
 do with it." the owner of the/ snappint | black eyes, broke in. T don't want vol
 meddling in my affairs. Mr' Busybody I'm tired of having you hanging around
 and sticking in your advice when iti
 not wanted. I want you to understand
 that me and Tom Rutherford are en
 gagged and l hope thatn satisfy you
 It did.
 The incoherent speech dazed Jenkins
 He stood helpless with his mouth oper as the enraged beauty walked away witt
 her head high in the air.
 To the bookkeeper the rest of the da!
 was a bad dream. The dinner was
 nightmare. What are fried chicken an'
 custard to a man whose hopes are blast
 ed? Is ice cream balm for broken hearts
 In the depth of his despair, desperat
 resolve was formed. He would drown hi
 grief in sorrow as others had done befor'
 him, The wine cup had been solace To
 others. In it there might be comfort ant
 consolation for him.
 As nightfall drew on he returned to hi
 accustomed haunts in Cassandra and witt
 his return came the realization that h
 was not equal to his desperate resolve
 His Puritancai training asserted itsel
 and his fell resolution faded from hi
 determination, to be succeeded by mild
 CT and more promising plan.
 MicLael Rafferty. the shoemaker. wa
 that night honored with visit from Al