The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-04

|
Silas Holbrook hitched the old gray
mare into the democrat wagon and
! drove slowly out of the barnyard. Paus-
ing before the farm house, he shouted:
"Alvira! Alvira!"
"Well, Silas, what is it?" His wife
opened the kitchen door with a jerk
"Anybodyd suppose the house was a.
fire. the way you holler."
Il jest wanted to say that 1 was a
goin to the auction" said SiIas, meek
; ly.
What auction?" snapped Alvira
Grossly. Seems to me you are always
a-goin to some auction or other an
bringin' home useless trash to litter VI
the house. AS eff we hadn't got old
! truck enough of our own without pay
| in good money to store some other
folkses'."
"Taint likely I'll bring home much
this time, Alvira; but I'm anxious to
find out what Obadiah's a goin to do
after it's all over"
80 it's the old Wood place, is it?"
asked Alvira.
Yes. The taxes have Jest about eat
up the whole place. an the towns took
! it. Obadiah hain't heard a word from
Luther for more'n a year. They writ
all over creation the time his wife died,
six months ago, but all the letters came
back. Obadiah thinks he's dead, but l
| have an idee he'll turn up yet"
well, l hain't no such idea, an I
| don't believe he's dead, either" said
Alvira, scornfully Luther Wood was
always Wild good for nothin' fellow,
| an when he rushed off to the gold
mines an deserted his wife an year
old baby, 1 made up my mind it was
the last we'd ever see o. him, an l
hain't had no cause to change it either"
Maybe not, Alvira, maybe not" an
swered Silas, as he gathered up the
reins and clucked to the old mare, "but
| somehow 1 hain't lost my faith in the
boy yeti"
"Humph Some folks hang their
! faith to pretty slim branches" retorted
Alvira, as she turned and closed the
| kitchen door.
A grim smile crept around Silas'
mouth
Seems es eff a body's got to, eff they
take any comfort in this world" he
muttered driving on.
| During the ten-mile drive to the place
| of auction Silas' thoughts dwelt con-
| stantly upon the fallen fortunes of his
| old friend and schoolmate, Obediah
| Wood.
Twenty years before, there was no
more prosperous farmer for miles
around than this same Obadiah Wood
Many and fertile were his acres, while
| his homestead and farm buildings were
the pride of the neighborhood. Then
| the clouds of misfortune gathered about
him. and the storms of adversely swept
away nearly all of his earthly possess
sions. The death of his wife, the loss
| of poorly invested money, the breaking
| down of his own heath. and the conse-
| quent neglect of his farm work, fol-
lowed one upon the other in swift sue
| cession. The marriage of his only son.
Luther. to a frail, delicate girl wholly
unsuited to the duties of a farmers
wife. was an added burden.
Ambitious and restless, with no
taste for farm life, Luther Wood was
| an easy victim to the gold fever. Daz-
zled by its golden visions, he joined a
party of enthusiasts and departed for
the Eldorado of his dreams. For a
| time his hopeful letters cheered and
| comforted the lonely household, but
suddenly these ceased, and the weeks
and months passed by with no tidings
of the traveller. Then it was that the
invisible power which had upheld Sc
lima Wood through so many trials
folded her hands over her broken
heart and went to her deep sleep.
And now powerless to keep a roof
over his own and little grandchild's
head any longer, Obadiah Wood wait
ed with bitter resignation the action
of the town upon his property.
A large crowd had gathered when
Slas Holbrook arrived at the old
Wood place. and teams of every de-
Sprintfnn stood phnslE %
Through the open door of the farm
house a babble of voices was heard.
Silas pushed his way in among the
speakers.
Where's OBADIAH" he asked of a
group of curious people who were
handling with impunity the sacred
relics of this old New England family.
Amt seen a thing o. him nor the
little gal this mornin'," said Jake
Wetherell, who. with paper and pen
ell in hand. was taking an inventory
of household goods preparatory to the
sale
Say, Silas," continued he, lowering
his voice. there amt nothin' left for
them two but the poorhouse. an the
selectmen are goin' to take EN- up
there soon's the auctions over"
Not so long as l have a home to
ask EN- to-" exclaimed Silas, indig-
nantly.
"shoo! silas. We can't afford to be
too soft-hearted; faint expected on
ye," replied Jake.
THAT don't make no difference.
Jake. Obadiah Wood has allus been
a good friend to me. an l amt a go
in back on him now in this time o.
trouble" And Silas walked out of a
side door to the orchard back of the
house. where he had just seen the