Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

the Tompkins heirs say they'd jest as
lieve have 1t, an as I'm itchin' to re-
lieve them of Their land it didn't take
US long to come together"
II he had struck the woman sQuarely
in the face, she could not have shown
more surprise. She became white to
the lips and with low cry turned to
her son. "Oh, Alan, don't-don't let
i'm do 1t. It's all we have left that
we can depend on! 1t will ruin us!
"Why, father, surely" protested
Alan as he put his arm around his
mother, surely you can't mean to let
20 your mill investment which Is pay
ing Is per cent to put the money into
lands that may never advance in value
and always be a dead weight on your
hands! Think Of the loss Of interest
and the taxes to be kept up. Father,
you must listen to-
"Listen to nothin'," thundered Bish-
op, half rising from his chair. "No-
body axed you two to put In. It's my
business, an I'm a-goin' to attend to
it. l believe I'm doin' the right thing.
an that settles It."
"The right thing" moaned the old
woman as she sank into a chair and
covered her face with her hands. "Mr.
Trabue," she went on f1ercely, when
that factory stock leaves our hands we
won't have a single thing to our names
that will bring In cent Of income.
You kin see how bad 1t Is on a woman
who has worked as hard to do fer her
children as l have. Mr.. Bishop always
said Adele, who Is vlsitin' her uncle's
family In Atlanta. should have that
stock for q weddin' gift ef she ever
married, an Alan was to have the low
er half of this farm. Now, what would
we have to give the girl-nothin' but
thousands o. acres O. hills, mountains
an gulches full O. bear, wildcats an
catamounts-land that 1t I'D break any
young couple to hold on to, much less
put to any use. Oh, I feel perfectly
sick over It"
There was heavy, dragging step In
the hall. and a long, lank man Of six
ty or sixty-6ve years Of age paused In
the doorway. He had no beard except
tuft Of gray hair on his chin, and his
teeth, being few and far between, gave
to his cheeks q hollow appearance. He
was Abner Daniel, Mrs. Bishops bach
elor brother who lived in the family.
"Hello" he exclaimed. shifting a big
quid of tobacco from one cheek to the
other "Plottin' agin the whites? Eff
you are. I'll decamp, as the feller said
when the bull yeerlin' butted i'm In the
small O. the back. How are you, MIR.
Trabue? Have they run you out O.
town fer some O. yore legal rascality"
81 reckon your sister thinks it's ras-
cality that's brought me out today"
laughed the lawyer. 1--WE are on a lit
tie land deal"
"Oh, we'll. I'll move on" said Abner
Daniel. 81 Jest wanted to tell Alan
that Riggs hogs got into his young
corn in the bottom jest now an rooted
up about as many acres as Pole Bak-
er's plowed all day. Eff they'd a-rooted
in straight rows an not gone too nigh
the stalks. they mought "a done the
crap more good than harm, but Their
aim or intention, one or t'other, was
bad. Folks is that away. Mighty few
of 'em root-when they root at all-fer
anybody but the'rse'ves. Well. I'll git
along to my ROOM"
Don't 60, Brother Ab," pleaded his
sister. Il want you to hep me stand
up fer my rights. Alfred Is about to
swap our cotton mill stock fer some
more wild mountain land"
In spite Of his natural tendency to
turn everything into jest-even the
serious things Of life-the sallow face
Of the tall man heightened. He stared
into the faces around him for q mo-
ment: then slow twinkle dawned in
his eye.
"I've never been knowed to take sides
in any connubial tussle yet" he said to
Trabue in a dry tone. "Alf may not
know what he's about right now, but
he's Solomon hisse'f compared to
feller that will undertake to settle
dispute betwiXt man an his wife
more especially the wife Geewhilikins!
never shall forget the time old Jane
Hardeway come heer to spend week
an ALI thar an Betsy split over buyin'
hatrack fer the hall. Betsy had seed
one over at Mason's at the campground
an determined she'd have one. Maybe
you noticed that fancy contraption in
the hall as you come In. Well. Alf seed
nigger unloadin' it from q wagon at
the door one mornin'. an when Betsy,
in feer an tremblin', told i'm what it
was fer he mighty nigh had fit. He
said his folks never had been above
hangin' Their coats an hats on good,
stout nails an pegs, an as fer them
umbrella pans to ketch the drip, he
said they was fancy spitboxes, an
wanted to know eff she expected body
to do Their chawin' an smokin' In that
windy hall. He said it jest should not
stand thar with all them prongs an
arms to attack unwary folks in the
dark. an he toted 1t out to the buggy
shed. That got Betsy's dander up, an
she put it back agin the wall an said
it 'ud stay thar ef she had to stand
behind it an hold it In place. Aif
wasn't done yet He lowed eff they
was to have sech purity trick as that
on the hill it had to stay in the best
room in the house, 80 he put it heer in
the parlor by the piano. But Betsy
took it back two or three times, an he
larnt that he was a-doin' a sight o.
work fer nothin' an finally quit totip'
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