The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-26

II fancy you are right" he said IT
already see five people there"
Meredith had observed the change in
his companions mood. He had watch
ed him closely all day, looking for a
return of his malady; but he came to
| the conclusion that in truth a miracle
had been wrought, for the lethargy
| was gone, and vigor seemed to in
crease in HAIRLESS with every turn of
the wheels that brought them nearer
Plattville; and the nearer they drew
| to Plattville the higher the spirits of
both the young men rose. Meredith
knew what was happening there and
| he began to be a little excited. As
he had said. there were five people Wis
| ible at Beaver; and he wondered where
they lived, as the only building in sight
was the station, and to satisfy his GU
riosity he walked out to the vestibule
| The little station stood in deep woods
| and brown leaves whirled along the
| platform. Oneaof the five people was
an old lady, and she entered a rear
car. The other four were men. One
of them handed the conductor a tele-
/ gram.
Meredith heard the official say, "All
right. Decorate ahead. I'll hold it FIVE
minutes"
|
smoker and looked in. He turned to
| Meredith do you know if that gen.
| tleman in the gray coat is Mr.. Hank
! less? He's got his back this way,
and 1 don't want to go inside. The
the air in a smoker always gives me a
| spelf''
Yes, that's Mr.. Harkless."
The man jumped to the platform
| "All right, boys" he said. rip her
| out"
The doors of the freight room were
thrown open, and big bundle of col
ored stuffs was dragged out and hasti-
| ly unfolded. One of the men ran to
the further end of the car with a strip
| of red white and blue bunting, and
tackled it securely. while another fast
| ened the other extremity to the railing
| of the steps by Meredith. The two
| companions of this pair performed the
same operation with another strip on
the other side of the car. They ran
| similar strips of bunting along the roof
| from end to end, so that, except for
the windows, the car was completely
| covered by the national colors. They
| they draped the vestibules with fla s
| 1t was all done in a trice.
MeredithS heart was beating fast
Whats it all about?" he asked.
Picnic down the line" answered the
man in charge, removing a tack from
| his mouth. He motioned to the con-
| ductor, GO ahead"
The wheels began to move; the
| decorators remained on the platform,
letting the train pass them; but Mere
dith, craning his neck from the steps.
saw that they jumped on the last car.
| Whats the celebration" asked
Harkless, when Meredith returned.
Picnic down the line" said Mere
dith.
| "Nyinnipo xveather for , ,,;orio. % IA
tie COOL don't you think? One of those
fellows looked like friend of mine,
| Homer Tibbs, or as Homer might look
| If he were in disgrace. He had his hat
hung on his eyes, and he slouched like
thief in melodrama, as he tackled up
the bunting on this side of the car"
| He continued to point out various IA
niliar places, finally breaking out, en-
Enthusiastically, as they drew nearer the
| town, Hello! Look there-beyond the
grove yonder! See that house,"
Eyes, john
That's the Bowfders'. You've got to
know the Bowlders."
I'D like to-"
1.-THE kindest people in the world.
The Briscoe house we can't see, be-
cause it's so shut in by trees; and, be
| sides, it's a mile or so ahead of us.
| Well go out there for supper tonight
| Don't you like Briscoe? He's the best
they make. Well go up town with
Judd Bennett in the omnibus and
gun sounds. | want to go straight to
the Herald office" he finished, with
a suddenly darkening brow.
after all, there may be some ex-
PLANTATION" Meredith suggested, with a
little hesitancy III. Fisbee might turn
out more honest than you think"
HAIRLESS threw his head back and
| laughed; it was the first time Mere
dith had heard him laugh since the
night of the dance in the country.
Honest! A man in the pay of Rod
ney McCune! Well, we can let it wait
till we get there. Listen! There's the
whistle that means we're getting near
home. By heaven, there's an oil we'll"
$50 it is"
And another-three - five seven
seven in sight at once! They tried it
three miles south and failed; but
you can't fool Eph Watts, bless him!
want you to know Watts"
They were running by the outlying
houses of the town, amidst thousand
descriptive explanations from Hark-
less, who wished Meredith to meet
| every one in Carlow. But he came to a
pause in the middle of the word
do you hear music?" he asked alb
ruptly. "Or is it only the rhythm of
| the ties.
1T seems to me there's music in the
air." answered his companion. I've
been fancying I heard it for a minute
or so. There! Moves. It's a band,
isn't it?"
mo; what would a band"
The train slowed up, and stopped at
a water tank. 200 yards east of the
station, and their uncertainty was at
an end.
From somewhere down the track
came the decorating boom of a cannon.
There was a clash of brass. and the
travellers became aware of a band
| playing Marching Through Georgia"
Meredith laid his hand on his COM
panions shoulder. John" he said,
John" The cannon fired again, and
! there came a cheer from 5000 throats,
the shouters all unseen.
The engine coughed and painted. the
| train rolled on, and in another minute
IL had stopped alongside the station
in the midst of a riotous jam of happy
| people, who were waving flags and
banners and handkerchiefs, and tossing
their hats high in the air, and shout
ing themselves hoaTse. The band play