The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-03-20

rest, sat little apart. His face was
fine and there were lines of suffering,
but the unusual thing about the face
was the expression IN the eyes; they
were kind and sad eyes, but un-
less he spoke directly to another, an
expression, not of being hunted but of
hunting, dominated them. AS if they
were always seeking and never finding.
That was John NewcOmb. His COM
panions called him odd and talked of
him among themselves, always ending
by saying that there was something
| wrOng-no doubt about that. That |
man had past. And yet the great
goodness of tho man forbade thclr |
thinking any evil Of him. No man in
camp was so kind hearted or half as
enduring of hardship or trouble as was
John. None of them was 80 patient |
when III hard luck, so willing about The
hard drudgery, and none so helpful in
an emergency of sickness or accident
as tins same John.
They pondercd, these rough miners,
as to what had made the man, as they
put it, " kind o. queer" For during
the years that he had lived and worked
with them no word or sign of the life
that he had lived before had John ever
given them. Nothing Of the wife and
child for whom he had worked 50 hard
had they eJcr heard.
1t was the month of October and the
mountains wore their purple and gold
en haze, preparatory to snowy winter
galb. Soon the little cabin would be
showed in and communication with the
town shut off. In anticipation of this
timestwo Of the men took journey to
about this season of each year and
purchased the necessary supplies for
the coming cold weather. John was
almost always one Of these, for his
knowledge of household economy in
making the purchases was valuable.
Several days were occupied usually in
making this journey, and this little pc
riOd of change and activity was well
coined by these men of the mountains
and the woods.
One evening while his "pard" was
absorbed in game of cards, where the
bags of gold dust lay thick upon the
table, John wandered away through
the streets of civilization. The sun
was just resting Oh the horizon before
! it bade good night to the pretty little
mountain town. And up and down
the street, lined with graceful trees
and cosy homes, were to be seen the
children in their happy play. And the
hour was full of peaceful forcboding
that the twilight brings to the tired son
of man. But Of these things about
him John seemed to have little know.
ledge or cure, until one Of the homes
he passed by seemed for moment to
attract him. 1t was low cottage,
standing in the midst Of a flower deck
cd lawn, and over its windows climbed
and blOomcd tho honeysucklc. The
sight of it stirred something in the
breast or brain of tins man, as If a
dream forgotten had almost come back
to hlm. He looked again at the house
and from the rear of IL, chasing ioy.
fully in pursuit of playful spaniel
came a godcn-haircd child, very fa,
, to look upon.
Az she ran on toward the walk ir
: front, keeping close after her playfcl
} low, Il woman stepped out into tho
3 broad porch under the honcysucklt
, and called to her:
Madeline, comc-it's supper time. >
: Madeline Madrlinrl In n flash the
curtain Of darkness lifted from tn,
man'S : brain. ani the life that he had
forgotten al! came back to him, and
iMe magic word. The name ot hls own
Ai'." 2!!,. spoken IVY another mother tc
"nHiA%: Ma~t".uc was iht Nev that
' started In: unDatr.u! wheels y,
! memory. IL: ln' .! feeling. ~cn3an2.
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