The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-04-23
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II[I l!Sl
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I(@1 III

haps. were coming up th'
hill from the village in the valley Will
its twinkling lights They were piod
ding along in little group and husil!
talking as they advanced Presently
they paused at gateway and crowded
little closer. The house within tho
yard was old and weather beaten. L
was q story and half building. There
was porch along the front with two
windows beneath it, one for each sidt
| Of the door. Through the window a
| the left shonc faint and tlickcriIG
light. 49,;
The group Of men ut the gate fingered
irresolutely for few moments. talking
in eager whispers. Then tall young
man with 4 smooth and kindly face
broke from the party and led the way
up the gravclcd walk to the front door
| When he reached the little porch he
paused and held up his hand. Then he
went to the window through which the
| faint light flickered and went in.
That Abner MoXham was hard NAL
nobody III Winterfcld doubted. lie
was unsociablc. lie was close in his
dealings; he lived quite alone in the
| old cottage on the south hill. 11c was
| tall and lean ard yellow, and his sixty
| years had touched his hair with white
and filed hislcan cheeks with wrinkles
/ He cared nothing for the matters that
interested the villagers. He took no
| interest in politics nor in public i'm
proyements. and very little in religion
Occasionally he would stray into the
| white church whose steeple was the
tallcst in the village, and sit quite by
himself through the service. Then he
would hurry away withc 1T 4 word to
his fellow worshipers. The young pas
| tor had called on him orce, but it was
not believed that he had repeated the
visit. In fact, he never stated clearly
what occurred while he was there. 1t
| was said that Abner was the possessor
of small library Of books that were
calculated to destroy'all faith in ortho-
| doX views, and that he pored over them
a great deal of his time. Where the
old mans income came from no vii.
lager knew. That it was limited every
body felt sure. His way Of living was
so simple, his clothes were thread
bare, and the purchases he made in the
village were not of q character 10 sug-
gest the possession of even a moderate
income. He came and went and both
cred no man, yet was thorn in the
flesh of the gossipy hamlet.
And then his standing as an object Of
neighborly interest was suddenly and
greatly increased by the rumor that he
had brought boy home to live with
him. Abner had habit Of disappear
ing for 4 week or more at time.
He might have been supposed to be
in his cottage during these absences
if it hadn't been for the fact that he
was seen to take the train. But where
he went Winterfield didn't know.
It was reported once by Ezra Kim
ball. whose business took him to the
great city every month, that he ran
across Abner there one morning, but
that the old man didn't look at him
and hurried along.
"And what's queerer," said Ezra, "is
that he was talking to two swells at 4
carriage door as came up, and the
lady gave him her hand and the man
took off his hat TO him. Then thcv
drove away"
But Winterield pooh-poohed this pic
ture and assured Ezra that he must be
dreaming.
When the boy arrived it was early
evening and he was so muffled up that
his face could not be seen. He was a
little fellow of perhaps eight, and Alb
ner had hurried him away before the
curious stationmaster could get a good
look at him. 1t was full mile from
the station to the old cottage on the
hill, and in the dusk of the evening
Jim Perkins had met the tall old man
trudging up the hill with the lad Oh his
back.
When Winterfield heard of this aGdl-
tion to the A1oxham household ii
frowned ominously and shook its,~sa-
gacious head. 1t was no place for Il
boy. 1t couldn't be homo for any
body. The boy was to b pitied. In
fact, the village must keep sharp
lookout for his welfare.
1t was day or two later that the
child and old Abner appeared at the
postofice, and the postmistress got a
good look at the little fellow.
She stared at him out Of her little
window.
'That' a delicate appearln' child you
have there she said.
"Yes." Abner replied, as he reached
for his letters. If it hadn't been for his
mail the old mans visits to the village
would have been greatly decreased in
number. He received more letters
than any man in Winterfeld, a fact
that thoroughly convinced the villagers
that he must be engaged in some ne
farious pursuit where letter writing
was part of the swindle.
The little postmistress yielded up the
letters reluctantly.
"Needs lot O. good care" she said
with her beady black eyes on the boy.
"Yes," Abner agreed, as he turned
away.
"Most unwholesome child / ever
saw" the little postmistress explained
to Mrs. Baxter, the wife of the village
banker. "He looks scared and abused,
and I'm just sure that old miser's
homes no place for him."
''Somebody ought to look after the
poor little vagabond," said the bankers
wife. "What have we got humane So
cieties for?'
The boy was rarely seen in the vii
lage. He was delicate in appearance
and seemed timid. He kept close to
the old man and resisted all attempts
to draw him away.
Hes thoroughly cowed," said the lit
tie postmistress to the young minister
as she held that worthy with her gilt