Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-11
"Welt, It's pores." he said.


things seem to come at bottom figures"
Old Bishop drew folded paper from
his pocket and slapped it on his knee.
ayes, | closed the deal this evenin',
an l was jest ,a-thinkin' that as you
hain't rented fer next yeer-I mean
Bishop was ordinarily direct Of speech,
but somehow his words became tan
gled and he delivered himself awk-
wardly on this occasion. "You see,
Alan thinks that you n Sally ort to
live in a better house than jest this
heer log cabin, an
The wan face Of the tired woman
was aglow with expectation. She
sank down on the doorstep and sat
still and mute, ner hands clasping each
other in her lap. She had always dis
liked that cabin and it's sordid sur
roundings, and there was something in
Bishops talk that made her think he
was about to propose renting the new
farm, house and all, to her husband.
Her mouth fell open; she scarcely al
lowed herself to breathe. Then, as
Bishop paused, her husbands voice
struck dumb dismay to her heart. 1t
was as If she was falling from glowing
hope back to tasted despair.
'Thar's more land in that farm AN
I could do jestice to. Mr.. Bishop, but
eff thar's q good cabin on 1t an you see
fit to cut off enough fer me an one
hoss I'd Jest as soon tend that as this
heer. want to do what you an Alan
think is best all round"
"Oh, Pole, Pole" The woman was
crying 1t to herself, her face lowered to
her hands that the two men might not
see the agony written in her eyes. A
house like that to live In. with all
those rooms and fireplaces and win
dows with panes Of glass In them! She
fancied she saw her children playing
on the tight, smooth floors and on the
honeysuckled porch. For one minute
these things had been hers, to be
snatched away by the callous indiffer-
ence of her husband, who. alas, had
never cared a straw for appearances!
"Oh, I wasn't thinkin' about rentin'
it to your said Bishop. And the wo-
mans dream was over. She raised her
head, awake again. "YOu see," went
on Bishop, still struggling for proper
expression, "Alan thinks - we'll, he
thinks you are sech born fool about
not acceptin' help from them that feels
nigh to you an. may as We'll say,
grateful, exceedingly grateful, fer what
you've done, things that no other Twin
man could "a done-Alan thinks you
ort to have the farm fer yore own prop.
erty, an 80 the deeds has been made
out to-
Pole drew himself up to his full
height. His big face was flushed, half
with anger, half with strong emotion
of a tenderer kind. He stood towering
over the Old man like giant swayed
by the warning winds Of good and evil
81 won't heer a word more Of that,
Mr.. Bishop" he said, with a quivering
lip-"not a word more. By golly,
mean what say! l don't want to heer
another word of it. This heer place IL
good enough fer me an my family
It's done eight yeer. an it kin do an
other eight"
ooh. Pole, Pole, Polew The wom-
ans cry was now audible. 1t came
straight from her pent up, starving
soul and went right to Bishops heart.
"You want the place. don't you, Sal
ly?' he said, calling her by her given
name for the first time, as If he had
Just discovered their kinship. He could
not have used u tenderer tone to child
Of his own.
mind, mind what you say, Sally"
ordered Pole from the depths Of his
fighting emotion. Mind what you
sayw
The woman looked at Bishop. Her
glance was on fire.
"Yes. | want it, want It," she cried.
II amt goin' to lie. l want it more
right now than l do the kingdom Of
heaven. want it e: we have right
to it. Oh, don't know" She dropped
her head in her lap and began to sob.
Bishop stood up. He moved toward
her in a jerky fashion and laid his
hand on the pitifully tight knot Of hair
at the back Of her head.
"Well, it's yores," he said. "Alan
thought Pole would raise kick about
II, an me an him had 1t made out
In yore name, so he couldn't tetch IT.
It's yores, Sally Ann Baker. That's
the way it reads"
The woman's sobs increased, but
they were sobs of unbridled Joy. With
her apron to her eyes she rose and hur-
ried into the house.
The eyes Of the two men met. Bishop
spoke first:
You've got to give in, Pole" he said.
you'd not be man to stand betW1xt
yore wife an thing she wants as bad
as she does that place, an by all that's