The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-08
CASH OR CREDIT.

defusal. He dun tole me ter git he tings ready en de Lawd knows whut 1 gwy' do wid dem shuts.'
 In ample time the next day, Buck ar rived with the mule and the dilapidated buggy, and the colonel began what was to him a sacred pilgrimage, only to find at the end of it that a great shock await ed him. His sister. ignorant of his com ing. had left the city for a distant visit. The old city had changed almost beyond his knowledge Why, there were trolley ears on King street! Beyond Marian grave and the spire of Saint Michaers S, there was little that seemed real.
 The meeting with old comrades, the excitement of the reunion festivities, failed to keep down his constant worry over the enforced dslaN in the repayment of the money he felt he owned the camp at home. So when the old man began his tiresome journey home he was too nervous and unstrung to cope with its discomforts and the added trial of late cold snap When he clambered down from Pete's old buggy, Aunt Milly shook her head over him.
 The next morning he did not arise and Buck was again requisition,d to go for a doctor. But the colonel needed no doc tor Already his soul was seeking Marian's, and only the conscIousness of his debt chained it to the frail old body.
 The practiced eye of the physician saw at a glance that death was very near, and he hastened back to the village for some one who should stay with the colonel as the last hour drew near
 As he again rode out of town this time in company with two friends, one of the group of idlers about the court house steps called to him: "Oh. doctor. If you are going out to Colonel Ransome's wish you would take him something for me"
 Its fifteen dollars" he continued as the doctor halted, that I owe him for some corn ] got last fall. I'm mighty late paying for it. but I just couldn't do it any sooner.''
 When the doctor reached the coloners bedside, think to rouse him from the stu DOT which was rapidly changing into death. he said: Colonel here's fifteen dollars John Anderson sent you for that corn"
 "Ahr' exclaimed the colonel. my sleeping ear fare, Give it to the treas urer of Camp -"
 These were his last words.
 The next morning when one of the gen tlemen present opened the door, the old back yard seemed filled with negroes. whose number seemed constantly in- creasing. On foot. on horseback in de- crepit old buggies, they constantly ar rived, until. as he described it afterward. it looked like all the niggers in Taylor county were gathering about the kitch- en-"
 Seeing the door open bent and wrinkled old darkey approached, hat in hand.
 "Mornin', boss. he said. with a grandi- sonian bow. "Is you her de charge CT marster's funeral?'
 'I don't know" was the reply: "why do you ask 9?
 Well' yer see, boss, Marse Spruill wuz we all marster. All desc yer b'long ter him. en deys mo CT comin'. Marse Spruill ain got no folks but us, en we want ter tend ter de berryn' We kin dig de grave leastwise dem yuthers kin, case I want ter drive de huss-I useter drive de kerriage.'
 The gentleman thought a moment and then said: Well. uncle, I think it can be arranged that way-anyhow, you shall drive the hearse."
 And so 1t was done
 The tired old body was lowered into it's final resting place by the coloneps old slaves, and then the naked hands of the grizzled old black men softly laid the earth upon the coffin until marster's