The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-08
CHAPTER XXXIII Gabriel as an Orator.

| During the period that intervened be | tween his escape and the announcement l of the restoration of civil government 1T | Georgia. Gabriel settled down to a cours,
 of reading in the law office of Judg, Vardeman, Colonel Toms brother. Hi: experience in Judge Vardeman's office de- cided his career. He was fascinated iron the very beginning. He found the dullest law book interesting; and he became SC absorbed In his reading that the genia Judge was obliged to warn him that toe much study was sometimes as bad as none.
 | Yet the lads appetite grew by what Il fed on.A new field had been opened uI to him. and he entered it with delight He pursued his stu lies In a state of ex. altation that caused the days to fly by unnoted; He thought of home, and of his grandmother, and vision of Nan some. | times disturbed his slumbers; but for the | time being there was nothing real but the | grim commentators and expounders of the common law.
 When MT. Sanders returned home bear ing the news of Gabriers escape Nan Darlington laid siege to his patience, and | insisted that he go over every detail of the event, not once but a dozen times How did Gabriel look when he ran from the depot at Malvern? Was he fright l enedf And how in the world did he man. age to get in the wagon, and crawl on the inside of the sham bale of cotton and hide so that nobody could see him And what did he say and how did he look when MT. Sanders found him asleep In the cottonbox-bale, whichever you might call 1t?
 Why, honey, I've told you all I know an a whole lot more." protested Mir. Sanders.
 Well. tell me this" Nan insisted: what did he talk about when he woke up? Did he ask about any of the home folks?"
 "Lemme see" said Mir. Sanders, pre- tending to reflect; he turned over in his box. an got his har ketched in a rough plank, an then he busted out cryin' jest like you use to do when you got hurt. I kinder muched him up, an then he up an tor me a whole lot of stun about a young lady; how he was gwine to win her ef he had to stop chawin' tobacco, an cussin'. I'll name no names, bekaze promised him I wouldn't"
 q think that is disgusting" Nan de- clared. Do you mean to tell me he never asked about his grandmother"
 ''Fiddlesticks. Nan! He looked at me like he was hungry. an I told him all about his grandmother, an he kep on a-lookin hungry. an told him all about his neighbors. What he said I couldn't tell you no more than the man in the moon. He done jest like any other healthy boy would "a done. an that's all I know about it."
 That's what I thought" said Nan, wearily; boys are so tiresome!'
 Well, Gabriel didn't look much like a boy when seed him last He hadn't shaved in month of Sundays, and his beard was purity nigh as long as my lit- tie finger. He couldn't got to a barber shop in Malvern for fear some of the niggers might know him an report him to the commander of the post there. I begged him not to shave the beard off. He looks mighty well wi it.
 His beard!" cried Nan. If he comes home with beard I'll never speak to him again. Gabriel with a beard! It is too ridiculousr'
 Don't worry" Mir. Sanders remarked soothingly. "Ef I git word of his comin I'll get me a pair of shears, an meet him outside the corporation line, an lop his whiskers off for him; but I tell you now, it won't make him look a bit pur- tier-not a bit"
 You needn't trouble yourself" said Nan. with considerable dignity. T have no interest in the matter at all."
 Well, I thought maybe you'd be glad to git Gabriers beard an make 1t fin a sofy pillow"
 Why, whoever heard of such a thinR?" cried Nan. In common with many oth- ers' she was not always sure when Mir. Sanders was to be taken seriously.
 One day when Gabriel was deen fin law-book. Colonel Van Vardeman cana In smiling. He had a telegram in hIs hand. which he tossed to Gabriel. It was from Major Tomlin Perdue, and contain ed an urgent request for Gabriel to take the next train for Halcyonla:e wh4ro h. would meet the prisoners who had heen released pending their trial by the State courts. an event that never cano off
 Gabriel lost no time in making hia ar- rangemeLts to leave, and he was n Hal cyondale bofore the Atlanta. train was due, When all had arriSsd thay were for