The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-28

How are you, Mrs Absalom ?--how are
you?" said Silas, with tremendous eff
fort at politeness. Il hope you are
we'll You say your husband is not in ?
Well. I'm sorry; 1 wanted to see him on
business.
"Ab don't owe you anything, I hope
remarked Mrs. Absalom.
mot a thing-not a thing in the world.
But why do you ask? Many people have
the idea that am rolling in money and
they think that l go about loaning it to
Tom. Dick and Harry. But 1t is not so.
1 have no money"
He wiped his thin lips with his lean
forefnger, and stood hesitating, whereup-
on Mrs. Absalom remarked 1T sna' n t
cost you a cent eff you'll come in. Abll
be here purity soon. Show Mr.. Tomlin in
the parlour, Gabriel, an I'll see about
Abs dinner
Silas Tomln went into the parlor and
sat down, while Gabriel stood hesitating,
not knowing what to do or say. He was
embarrassed, and Silas Tomlin saw It,.
"Oh, take a seat" he said, with a show
of impatience. What are you doing for
yourself Tolliver? You're big boy now,
and you ought to be making good money.
The way l look at it, the man who is
doing nothing Is throwing money away;
yes. sir, throwing it away. What does
Adam Smith say?
Gabriel never found out what Adam
Smith said, for at that moment, Mr..
Goodlett called out from the dining room:
Isl Tomlin in there, Gabriel? Well, fetch
him out here whar l live at
If Silas Tomlin' objected to this ar
rangement, he gave no sign; he followed
Gabriel without word. Mr.. Goodlett
placed his plate on the table where the
dishes were washed, and began to at
tack his dinner most vigorously Silas
entered at once on the business that
brought him to Dorringtons'.
"Goodlett, who were the ladies you
brought from Malvern today?" His face
was very serious.
You know EN- lots better'n I do The
oldest seed you out in the field an she
axed me who you mought be. After L
told 'em who you was the oldest made
you mighty purity bow, but you went
polite enough for to take off your hat
Then the youngest she's the daughter,
she says, says she, Is that RELY him,
ma? an t'other one, says she, Eff it's
him, honey, he's swunk turrible.'
II wonder who in the world they can
be?' said Silas Tomlin, as if talking to
himself
you'll think of Their names arter
awhile" Mr. Goodlett remarked by way
of consolation, but his tone was so sus-
picious that Silas turned on his heel-he
had started out-and asked Mr.. Goodlett
what he meant.
"Adzackly what I said, nuther more
nor less
This episode made small impression on
Gabriers mind, but it tickled Mrs. Good
lett's mind into activity, and the lad
heard more of Silas Tomlin during the
next hour than he had ever known be-
fore.
When he was a young man, Silas
joined the tide of emigration that was
flowing westward. He went to Mississippi
where he married his first wife. In a
years time he returned to his old home
When asked about his wife-for he re-
turned alone-he curtly answered that
she was well enough off.
But there was a persistent rumor,
coming from no one knew where. that
when a child was born to Silas, the wife
was seized with such horror of the ia
Their that the bare sight of him would
cause her to scream, and she constantly