The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-15

their roads lay in the same direction, Hotehlkiss would have been glad of the sneero,s company, and he was somewhat disappointed when he was told that Ike had started for home as soon as the meeting adjourned. MT. Hotehkiss thereupon went on his way. walking a little more rapidly than usual in the hope of overriding Ike. At last. however. he came to the conclusion that the negro had remained In town. He was sorry for there was nothing he liked better than to drop gall and venom Into the mind of a fairly intelligent negro
 As for Ike, he had his own plans He had told Edle that in all probability he wouldn't come home that night and ad- vised her to get a nearby negro woman to stay all night with har. This Edie promised to do. When the league ad- journed Ike lost no time In taking to the road. and for fear that one might over take him he went in a dog trot for the first mile. and walked rapidly the rest of the way. Before he came to the house, he stopped and pulled off his shoes. hiding them in a fence-corner. He then left the road and slipped through the woods until he was close to the rear of the house. He =wormed himself along like snake. and crept and crawled until he was close enough to see Edie sitting on the front step ol .lDelF nttle cabin. He was close enough to see that she had on her Sunday clothes, and he thought he could smell the faint odor of cologne; ; he had brought her a bottle home the night before.
 He lay concealed for some time, but finally he heard footsteps on the road. and he rose warily to a standing position. Edie heard the footsteps. too, for she rose and shook out her pink frock. and went to the gate. The lonely pedestrian came laisurely along the road The hour was rapidly approaching when solitude would be at it's meridian on this side of the world, and a moclxng-bird not far away was singing In it.
 Mir. Hotchkiss would have passed Ike's gate without turning his head, but he heard a voice softly call his name. He paused and looked around. and at the gate he saw the figure of Edie "Is that you MT. Hotchkiss? What you do with Ike?
 Isn't he at home? He started before l did"
 He aln't comin home tonight, an l was so lonesome that had to set on the step here to keep myself company" said Edic. Wont you come in an rest? I know you must be tired; I got some cold water here, fresh from the well'
 No, I'll not stop" replied Mir. Hotch- kiss. "Jt is late.'
 Well tell me about Ike" said Edie. You got i'm in the league all right. hope?" She came out of the gate. as she said this, and moved nearer to Hotch- kiss. In her hand she held a flower of some kind, and with this she toyed in sh nefaced sort of way.
 M Warner is now a member in good stand ng" replied Hotchkiss. "and think he will do good work for his race and for the party
 Edie moved a step or two nearer tc him, toying with her flower. Now MT Hotchkiss was a genuine reformer of the most approved type. and. such ne was entitled to as many personal anc private fads as he chose to have His pet aversion, leaving alcohol out of the question. was all forms of commercial perfumes. As Edie came close to him he caught whiff of her cologne-scente6 clothes, and his anger rose.
 Why will you ladies', he said, per. sist in putting that sort of stuff on you?
 T dunner what you mean" replied Edie, edging still closer to Hotchkiss.
 Why that infernal'' He never finished the sentence. A pis i tol shot rang out and Hotchkss fell lilS' ] a log. Edie fearing a similar fate for her self, ran screaming down the road ant l never paused until she had reached tn, 1 dwelling of Mahlon Butts. She fell n ] the door, moaning and grcanng. Wher she could be persuaded to talk her voice i could have been heard mile ta.s .
 They've kilt him." she screamed l they've kilt hmn an he was sech z i good man! Oh, he was sech q good man!