The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-04

| dy! Mrs. Absaiom yelled to the cook, you here an fetch the campfire as you come! Amt you comin? The laws a massy on us! the child'll be cold and stiff before you start! Honey what on earth ails you? Tell your Nonny. Has any, body pestered you? You Malindy! whyn't you come on? You'll so faster'n that | to your own funeral" But when Malindy came with the cam phor and dose of salts In a .unbler. Nan waved her away. 'I don't want any physic, Nonny," she said, still panting. I'm just tired from running. And, oh, Nonny! have something to tell you" Well, my nfe" exclaimed Mrs. Ab- salon indignantly rising to her feet. "A little more an you'd "a had me ready for my coolin' board. I atn't had such a turn-not sence the day a nigger boy run in the gate an tor me the Yankees was a-hangin' Ab."
 She fused around little. and was for going about the various unnecessary du- ties imposed on herself. but Nan pro- tested. Please, Nonny. wait until tell you" Thereupon Nan told as well as she could of the conversation she and Gabriel had overheard in town. and the recital gave Mrs. Absalom a more seri- ous feeling than she had had in many day.
 well" she said with sigh, ''I knowed there was gwine to be trouble of some kind--old Billy Sanders went by here this mornin' as drunk as a lord 'Drupnk!" cried Nan with Dlanched face.
 well, sorter tollerbul how-come-you-I so. The last time old Billy was drunk was when sesaytion was fetched on. Ev'ry time he runs a straw in jimmy HoAr ha Gel
 'Oh. I hate him! I just naturally de- spise him! And if I don't give him a piece of my mind when I see him. Now Gabriel will go to that place tonight, and he's nothing but boy"
 "A boy! we'll dunner where you'll find your men eff Gabriel ain't nothin but boy. Where's anybody in these diggin's that's any bigger or stouter?" remarked Mrs. Absalom.
 q don't care" Nan persisted; T know just what Gabriel will do. He'll go to that place tonight, and-and-Id rather go there myself
 Well, my life," exclaimed Mrs. Absa- lom, with lifted eyebrows. You make me feel, Nan, like I was In some strange place, tallxin' wi some un 1 never seed before. You ain't no more like yourself you ain't no more like you used to be
 than day is like night, an I'm jest as sorry as I can be-"
 That's what Gabriel says" sighed Nan. He said he was sorry, and now you say you are sorry. Oh, Nonny, l don't want any one to be sorry for me-"
 Well, then, behave yourself, an be like you use to be, an stop trollopin' aroun' wi them highfalutin' gals down. town. They look like they know too much All they talk about is boys. boys, boys. from mornin' till night; an l mo- ticed when they was spendin' a part of their time here that you was just ss bad. It was six Of one and twice three of the rest. Now you know that aint sign of good health for gals to be eternally talkin' about boys"
 Where's Johnny" asked Nan, who evidently mad no notion of getting in a co 1troversy with Mrs. Absalom on the subject of boys. "Johnny," was her name for her stepmother, whose surname or Dion had been changed to "Johns' the day after her arrival at Shady Dale, Mrs. Darlington was Mans dearest friend and only confidante, and though she was not many years the girls senior, she had an influence over her that saved Nan from many a bad quarter of an hour.
 Mrs. Darlington was il. her own room when Nan found her, sewing and singing
 
 ness and content Nan dropped on her knees beside her chair, and threw her arm impulsively around the little woman's neck.
 'aTell me ever what it Is. Nan, before you smothercate me-, said Mrs. Dorring- ton, smoothing the girls hair. The two had A language of their own, which the elder had learned from the younger.
 ''It is the most miserable, Johnny. Do you remember what told you about those people?'
 How could forget, Nan?"
 "Well. those people are going head foremost Into trouble, and whatever hap pens, 1 want to be there."
 ''Oh, Is that so? Well, 1t Is too bad" said the little woman sympathetically Perhaps you would say something about it-not too much, butsJust enough for me to get 1t through my thick num- skull"
 Whereupon Nan told of all the fears by which she was beset, and of all the troubles that racked her mind, and the two had quite a consultation.
 "You are not afraid for yourself; why should you be afraid for those people?" inquired Mrs. Darlington, laying great stress on those people" the name that Gabriel went by when Nan and Johnny were referring to him.
 ''Oh, I don't know" replied Nan, help lessly. 'It isn't because of what you would guess if you. knew no better. have very great frienship for those people"
 Whereupon Nan told Mrs. Darlington of the conversation she and Gabriel had overheard. To this Information she added her suspicious that Gabriel in- tended to do something desperate; and then she gave a very vivid description of the strange white man, of his pale and eager countenance, his glittering, shlfty eyes, and his thin. cruel lips.
 Instead of shuddering as she should have done. Mrs. Darlington laughed. But don't see what the trouble is." she declared. That boy is ever so large; he can take care of himself. But if you think not, then ask him to tea" Nan frowned heavily. But Johhny. tea is so tame. Think of rescuing a friend from danger by means of a cup of tea! Doesn't 1t seem ridiculous?"
 "Of course 1t is," responded Mrs. Dor rinRton. But 1t isn't half so ridiculous as your make believe. Oh, Nan! Nan! when will you come down from your | clouds?"
 Nan had brought over from her child hood many queer dreams and fancies. Once upon a time she had heard her | talking of John A. Murrell, the notorious land-pirate and highwayman. The man was one of the coarsest and cruelest, of modern ruffians, but about his name the people had placed a halo of romance. It was said of him that he rescued beau tiful maidens from their abductors, re- | tIaI fria A0