The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-08-27
...The Yancey
Birthday.

and successful, self-made man, w;
fiuding himself exceedingly bored, an
blamen his fates accordingly. Wh'
had he done that he should have to s
still in the car, while a very youn
lawyer poured fatuous platitudes int
his unwilling ear?
"I dou't know that I'll show mysel
any too prominently about court u
day." the inane chatter went glibl
on. Z" had an animation Oh tn
street that might be appointed +
defend that fellow Yancey, and L dom
want anything to do with the case. 1
does man no good to get mixed wit
these low flung murder cases, wher
popular sentiments down on tn
criminal. You get the worst of
whether you clear him or not-and o
course it would be impossible to clea
Yancey."
"Yes?" returned Floman, drily
looking out of the window.
"Oh, of course. You see, he's go
no friends at all. The strikers are
down on him because he refused to &C
out with them-..nd yet he goes anC
makes an assault on the proprietor of the
puoihCoo--IlRllb ~ ohSOJ oWh NOOi
tOo-when Stein was probably calling
there to do something for his family
and Stem falls and strikes his head
and dies-and so everybody else is
against him. A man gets no honor fol
defending case like that. All the
fellows are fighting shy of it. Person
ally, Pm going to keep out If can, for
mans reputation ls-"
Pardon me. get out here" SAID
Richard Floman abruptly, and swung
himself down from the car, wondering
vaguely what he had done TO be visited
by such unutterable plaques.
He was three miles short of his
Office, but why should he hurry to
reach the office, where more bores
awaited him, doubtless, to talk him
into deeper frenzy? Let his partner
attend to them for little while. He
plunged into the park across the way
and took off his hat under the trees.
He had the park almost to himself.
The children were at school or gong
there; the nurse maids had not come
out yet.
In all these shady space ), just him
self and two children. They were a
girl and boy, seated on bench. The
girls feet hung down, but did not
touch the ground, and the boys feet
stood straight out before HIM because
his legs were too short to hang down.
The boy was crying dismally and Flo
man, who was IN lounglng mood,
stopped and spoke to him.
"Hello, young man." he said, "what's
all these tears for? Lost your ball?
Broken your wagon2'
He spoke grunly and awkwardly-
not with the silvery persuasiveness
that melted all hearts in the court.
room and on the rostrum. He was not
used to speaking to children. There
was no boy In his house, aud no ball
or wagon. He and certain proud and
cold woman would have been better
and happier to have had them there.
The boy ceased sobbing, little
frightened; but the girl explained with
asober little smile.
No sir, he's crying because tOmor-
rows the Yancey birthday, and papa
can't come homeland SO we won't
get anything"
Floman found his attention oought
by this aroles' speech. Most O. the
speeches he heard were anything but
artless. He eat down on an opposite
bench and looked at the two, his hands
in his pocke,s.
I" What kind of birthd y was that
YOU mentioned?" he asked politely.
Something new in blrtbdays?"
The child's face flushed. 1t was O
pretty little face that had grown too
delicate.
"The Yancey birthday" she ex-
planned carefully. You see, that is
our name--we are Yancey's, and to-
morrow is our irthday-mamma's and
Boys, and mine. We are all three
TWINS. And that's what made papa
call it the Yancey birthday"
She smiled up at him innocently, de-
lighted to take him into her childish
confidence.
"That is beautiful idea," he said
gravely. "And why isn't papa com.
ing home to buy Boy somethlng2"
He had not thought until then--he
had been merely passing an idle hall
hour-but the look ON the child's face
the sorrow 80 much older than hel
years, struck to his heart.
"Oh, see," he said gently, +" YOU
father is Frank Yanceyr"
eyes," said the girl, in patient lit
tie tones. Then she went on tellinl
about it. "We used to have splen
did birthday when papa came home
sometimes picnic lift wasn't too COLI
and nice things for all of us. o
course, now mamma and talk thing
over, and we can understand it, bu
Boys such baby, and he cries."
. Obi Boys such baby, is hep
asked Floman. 1t had beena long tim
since ne had been sorry for anyone
but now something was tugging at hi
heartstrings. He was looking down o
Boys sister, whose feet did not touc
the ground.
"Oh, yes" she said resignedly
"And that's the reason 1 bring hir
out here, so that he can cry withor
making mamma feel bad, Mamma an
1 talked things over for nights, an
nights, trying to fix up something fc
Boy so that he wouldn't feel quite G
bad, but we couldn't think of thini
You don't have very good times whe
your papa is away, do you2 If
wasn't that talk over everything wit
mamma-every single thing-I don
know what we'd do"
The tall gentleman in the other sc
looked away down the avenue.