Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-05-13

| Sls9N lt9lls Der or men, uOIeu, pef-
haps, We're coming UP the
hill from the village in th@ valley with
IFS twlnkling lights. They were pioc-
ding along i'll little group and busily
talking as they advanced. Presently
they paused ut 4 gateway and crowded
little closer The house within the
| yard was old and weather beaten. 1t
was story and half building. There
was a porch along the front with two
windows beneath it, one for each side
of the door. Through the window at
the left shone i faint and Pickering
Light. -
The group Of men at the gate fingered
irresolutey 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 graveled 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 flickercd and went in.
That Abncr MoXham was hard man
nobody in Wirtcrfeld doubted. He
was unsociable. He was close in his
| dealings; he lived quite alone in the
old cottage on the south hill. He was
tall and lean and yellow, and his sixty
years had touched his hair with white.
and filed his lean cheeks with wrinkles.
He cared nothing for thc matters that
interested the Villagers. He took no
interest in politics nor in public inn
provcmcnts. and very little in religion.
Occasionally he would stray into the
white church whose stecpie was the
,st in the village, and sit quite by
| himself through the service. Then he
would hurry away without word to
his fellow worshipers. The young pas
tor had called on him once, 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 poSscssor
| Of q small library Of books that were
calculated to destroy all faith in ortho-
dox views, and that he pored over them
| q great deal of his time. Where the
old mans income came from 10 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 a character 10 suS-
| gest the possession Of even 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 lie
had brought a boy home to live with
him. Abner had a habit OF disappear
ing for week or more ct time.
He might have been supposed to he
| 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 Winterfcld didn't know.
| It was reported once by Ezra Kim
ball, whose business took him to the
great city every month, that lie ran
across Abncr 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 ut 4
carriage door as came up. and the
lady gave him her hand and the man
took off his hat to him. Then they
drove away"
But Winterfeld 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 q
little fellow of perhaps eight, and .tb-
ner had hurried him away before the
curious stationmastcr could get 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 Winterfcld heard of this adli-
ton to the Ioyham household ii
frowned ominously and shook its sa-
gacious head. 1t was 10 place for q
bog. 1t couldn't be home for any
body. The boy was to b piticd. In
fact, the village must keep q sharp
lookout for his welfare.
1t was day or two later that the
child and old Abncr appeared at the
postofiice, and the postmistress got q
good look at tile little fellow.
She stared at him out of her little
window.
"That' q delicate appearin' child you
have there she said.
EYES," 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, fact
that thoroughly convinced the villagers
that he must be engaged in some ne
farious pursuit where letter writing
was part of the swindlc
The little postmistrcss yielded up the
letters reluctantly.
"Needs lot O good care" she said
with her beady black eyes on the boy.
EYES," ADner 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 miscr'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.
"He's thoroughly cowed," said the lit
tie postmistress to the young minister