The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-11-13


see you. And aren't you glad to see
me?''
"Why, why, of course l am, Nollie,
but what arc you doing here 2"
"Oh, l've come TO stay"
"But-y0u can't-don't you see 2
We arcn't--cr--that ls, it wouldn't
look right until, Gr--"
ooh, I've provided for that. | cot
a license whom l came through the
county seat"
"But what good docs the license do
who can marry us 2"
"I have that arranged also. MIR.
IIawklns-I should say the Hon.
Judge Judson Hawkins, here-ls a JUS
ticc of the peace; l had him come for
that purpose"
Joe was dazcd. The Hon. Judge
Judson Hawkins clamorcd pondcrously
from the vehicle. Then he surveyed
the couple and remarked in severe ac
| cents:
| "Oh, yes, oh, yes, th' Honorable
Jcstice of the Peace cote in and fer
thee. Fifth dccstrict, is now in scs-
slonl Hats off III cote! Joe Bower,
yc arc charged with conspirin' to COM
nit matrimony; Nellie Lee, ye air
charged with the same olfense; air yc
guilty or not guilty ?"
"Guilty, judge" answered two
voices.
| "Advancc closer ter th' bar and re-
ccivc yer sentence. Joe, air ye willin'
= take this gal fer yer welded wife, fer
| IN Fn n Siply Il hn, II
ter do by lor as yc should, and ter
love, cherish, honor an obey her the
rest of yer natural life, so help yer
Gawd ?"
81 do," SAID Joe.
| "That's all right; amt goin' ter
ask her nothin', except cf she'll take
yer"
81 do,' said Nellie.
"Thcn, by virchcr of my oils of jcs-
ticc Of the peace, do now pcrnouncc
yer man am wife, aCcOrdin' to the
statoots made cn pcrvidcd, and may
Gawd have mercy on yer sOuls."
| lie administered a rcsounding kiss
10 Nellie, shook hands with Bower,
and declined TO take a fec for his SER
vices. AS the buggy went lurchlng
into the opalcsccnt distance the newly
welded couple stood looking at one an
other foolishly. Then Bower spoke:
"Dcar, you don't know how dcsper-
atcly poor | am-I've got my money
tied up in this land, which won't grow
anything, and put the rest of il in
that well. And l have mighty poor
accommodations"
ooh, that is all right. Well, Pm
certainly glad you've got in somo new
canned goods-what nice long CANS
| "For goodness sake, got ava y---don'l
look out, lay that stuff down; II vii
blow US TO kingdom cOmcp' In a few
words he told her tho situation.
"That stuff must not stay arount
herc-it is too dangerous. Where i!
that dusty oil well of ours %
"Right over there"
"All right--wc will throw those cans
in there. 1t is the best place for il
How deep 10 the we'll 2"
} "Fourtccn hundred feet "
!, "l hat is good-if it cxplodes dowl
there it will not hurt anything. Get
! me shcct.' Joe went into the hous,
, and brought one out. Nellie spread i
+ on the ground. Then she put The can
4 end TO end on the sheet and began /.
roll the sheet diagonally across am
: around the cans. IL made a long
I round bundle, about ten feet long
o They rolled it gingcrly until The We
was reached. Then they stood 1t II
n on end.
n "Ncllic, can you run ?' Joe asked.
Il "Wcll, you just watch me when W
q. turn loose"
"All right, steady, so, ready, one
L two, thrcc!" The long white cylindc
c with it's dangerous burden shipped from
e their grasp, and disappeared into tn
c mysterious rccesscs of the abandonc,
y well. They ran. They had gottcl
4 perhaps 100 yards, when they heard
II roar as though the end of the worl,
!, had come; the ground hcavcd am
c rocked and from tho well there cam
II with roar and rush a great quantit
q OF mud, stones, gravel, and then co
umn Of some sort of saltwater
It No, water was too thin---it was blac
II and thick looking. IL was oil!
y Nellie and Joe were dazcd. sud
y denly IT dawncd UPON them. The
danced about like crazy people.
y "lcs gushcr-a sure enough gush
c cr--Wc'vc struck itP' they kept re
y peating.
l.