The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-16

many good things TO eat, and never
failed us the year round, just feel like
lit'll tear my heart out"
She buried her face on Toms shoulder
and shook with sobs.
flush, hush, honey, we must face
trouble. We are used to it,"
But not this, Tom. TIN tear my
heart out when l have to leave"
1T can't be helped Annie. We've got
TO pay for this niger government"
/ Eleven o'clock was the hour fixed for
the sale. At half past ten crowd of
negroes had gathered. There were only
| two or three white men present the
agent of the freedman BureauS and
| some of his henchmen.
| They began to inspect the place. Tim
Shelby was present, dressed in suit OF
broadcioth and silk hat placed jauntilya
| on his close crapped scalp.
That's a fine orchard. gentlemen
| Tim exclaimed
| Eyes, en- OATS er fine gyarden," said a
negro standing near
| Lets look at the house" said Tim,
1 starting to the door.
! Tom stood up in the doorway with a
/
that doorstep and I'll blow your brains
out, you flat-nosed baboon!"
| Tim paused and bowed with smile
| "Ain't the premises for sale, Mr..
Campo"
/ Yes, but my family amt for inspec-
tion by niggers."
Just wanted to see the condition of
the house. sir said Tim still smiling.
| Wen, I'm Twin here yet, and don't
/ you forget it, answered Tom with quiet
| emphasis. Tim walked away laughing.
| Tom stepped out of the house, and
] With his wooden leg marked dead line
! around the house about ten feet from
each corner. To the! crowd that stood
near he said in a clear ringing voice as
! he stood up in the doorway:
I'm Kill the first niger that crosses
| that line A
There wasgno attempt to cross 1t. They
| did not like the look OF Toms face as
he sat there pale and silent. And they
could hear the sobs of his wife inside.
The sale was a brief formality. There
was but one bidder, the Honorable Tim
Shelby. 1t was Knocked down TO Tim
| for the sum of eghty-five dollars, the
exact. amount of the tax levy, which Le-
gree and his brigands had fixed.
| Tim was not buying on his own ac-
count. He was the purchasing agent of
the subsidiary ring, which Legree had
Organized to hold the real estate for.
| feited for taxes until a rise in value
| would bring ten millions of profit. They
| had stolen from the State Treasury the
money to capitalize this company. Where
| 1t was possible to exact a cash ransom
| they always took it and cancelled the
tax order, preferring the certainty of
| good gold in their pockets to the uncer-
| tainties of politics.
They tried their best to get cash
ransom of ten thousand dollars for the
! town Of Hambright. But the ruined peo-
| pie could not raise a thousand. SO the
| Hon. Tim Shelby, as the agent of the
Union Land and Improvement Com
pany,' became the owner of farm after
| farm and home after home
| 1t was a vain hope that relief could
come from any quarter. The red flag of
| the sheriff's auctioneer fiuttered from
| two thousand three hundred and twenty
doors in the county! This was over two
thirds of the total Those who We're
saved, just escaped by the skin of their
teeth. They sold old jewelry or plate
! that had been hidden in the war, or they
| sold their corn and provisions, trusting
| To their ability TO live on dried fruit
berries, walnuts, hickory nuts and such
winter vegetables as they could raise in
| their gardens.
| The preacher secured for Tom a
1 tumbled- down hog cabin on the outskirts
! of town, With half acre of poor red hill
land around it, which his wife at once
transformed into u garden. She took up
the bulbs and flowers that she had tend
| ed so lovingly about the door of their
4 old home and planted them with tears
| around this desolate cabin.
Now and then she would look down at
/ the work and cry. Then she would go
/ bravely back to it. AS nobody occupied
! her old home, she went back and forth
until she moved all the jonquiI and
! sweet plnks from the borders of the
garden walk, and reset them in the new
garden. She moved then her strawber-
| ries and raspberries, and gooseberries,
and Set her fall cabbage plants. In three
weeks she had Transformed desoate
red clay lot into smiling garden. She
had watered every plant daily, and Tom
had watched her with growing wonder
and love
'Ole woman. you're an angel" he
cried. IF God had sent one down from
the skies she couldn't have done any
more"
The problem which pressed heaviest of
all on the preachers heart in this crisis
was how TO save Mrs. Gaston's home.
IF that place is sold next week, my
dear" he said to his wife. 'she will
| never survive,'H
Il know it, She is sinking every day.
1t breaks my heart to look at her.
What can we do?"
Pm sure / can't tell We've given
everything we have on earth except the