Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-04-05
CHAPTER XI-CoNTINUED


When he had gone the editor laid bel
hand On Fisbee's arm. Dear" she said
do you think you'd take cold If you
went over to the hotel and made q note
Of all the arrivals for the last week and
the departures too? l noticed that Mr.
HarklesS always filled two or three
sticks. isn't it?-with them and things
about them, and somehow it read very
nicely. You must ask the landlord all
about them, and if there aren't any, we
can take up the same amount Of space
lamenting the dull times, just as be
used to. You see, I've read the Herald
faithfully. Isn't it good thing I al
ways subscribed for it?" She patted
Fisbees cheek with her soft hand and
laughed gayly into his mild, vague old
eyes. 1T won't be this scramble to fill
up much longer. have plans, gentle
men, and before long we will print
news; and we must buy plate matter
instead Of patent insides; and I had q
talk with the Associated Press people
in Rouen, but that's for afterwhile.
And l went to the hospital this morn
ing before left. They wouldn't let me
see him again, but they told me all
about him, and he's better, and I got
Tom to 60 to the Jail, and he saw some
Of those beasts, and can do column
Of description besides an editorial about
them, and l will be fierce enough to
suit Carlow, you may believe that. And
I've been talking to Senator Burns
that is, listening to Senator Burns,
which is much stupider-and think I
can do an article on national politics.
I'm not very well up on local issues
yet, and r. She broke off suddenly.
There, I think we can get out tomor-
rows number without any trouble. By
the time you get back from the hotel,
father. I'll have half my-my stuff
written-'written up l mean. Take
your big umbrella and 60, dear, and
please ask at the express Office If a
typewriter has come for me-"
She laughed again with sheer delight,
like child, and ran to a corner and
got the cotton umbrella and placed it
in the old mans hand. As he reached
the door she called after him, "Waitw
and went to him and knelt before him
and, with the humblest, proudest grace
In the world, turned up his trousers to
keep them from the mud. Ross Scho-
field had never considered Mr.. Fisbee a
particularly sacred sort Of person, but
he did from that moment. The old
man made some timid protest at the
girls action, but she answered: "The
great ladies used to buckle the Cheva-
lier Bayard's spurs for him, and you're
q great deal nicer than the Chev-
You haven't any rubbers! I don't be-
lieve any Of you have any rubbers"
And not until both Fisbee and Mr..
Schofield had promised to purchase
overshoes at once and in the meantime
not to step in any puddles would she
let the former depart upon his errand.
He crossed the square with the strang-
est, jauntiest step ever seen in Platt-
Vile. Solomon Tibbs had a warm ar
gument with Miss Selma as to his
identity, Miss Selma maintaining that
= the figure under the big umbrella-only
the legs and coat tails were visible to
them-was that Of stranger, probably
an Englishman.
In the Herald office the editor turn
ed, smiling, to the papers remaining
vassal Mr.. Schofield, heard some
talk in Rouen of an oil company that
had been formed to prospect for kero-
sene in Carlow county. Do you know
anything about it?'
Ross, surfeited with honor, terror, and
possessed by sweet distress at find
ing himself tete-a-tete with the lady.
looked at the wall and replied, "Oh.
it's that Eph Watts foolishness."
"Do you know if they have begun to
dig for it yet?'
"Ma'am?" said Ross.
"Have they begun the diggings yet?"
"No, ma'am. l think not. They've
got contrapshun fixed up about three
mile south. | don't reckon they've be-
gun yet. hardly. They're gittin' the
machinery in place. heard Eph say
they'd begin to bore-dig, l mean.
ma'am; I meant to say dig He
stopped, utterly confused and unhap-
py, and she understood his manly pur-
pose and knew him for gentleman
whom she liked.
"You mustn't be too much surprised"
she said but in spite Of my ignorance
about such things l mean to devote q
good deal of space to the oil company.
1t may come to be Of great importance
to Carlow. We won't go into it in to-
morrow's paper beyond an item OF so.
but do you think you could possibly
find Mr.. Watts and ask him for some
information as to their progress and II
It would be too much trouble for him to
call here tomorrow afternoon or the
day after? | want him to give me an
interview if he will. Tell him, please.
he will very greatly oblige u.s.
"Oh, he'll come all right" answered
her companion quickly. "I'll take Tibbs'
buggy and 60 down there right off.
Eph won't lose no time gittin' here"
And with this encouraging assurance
he was flying forth when he. like the
others, was detained by her solicitous
care. She was a born mother. He pro-
tested that in the buggy he would be
perfectly sheltered. Besides, there
wasn't another umbrella about the
place. He liked to get wet anyway;
had always loved rain. The end OF II
was that he went away in a sort OF