Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-04-12

but no unkindness. Were man utterly
wise he were utterly kind. The Cross
readers had not known better. that was
all.
The unfolding aisles of corn swan
pleasantly before his eyes. The earth
hearkened to mans wants and answer.
ed. The clement sun and summer rains
fastened the fruition. Yonder stood
the brown haystack, garnered to feed
the industrious horse that had earned
his need. There was the straw thatch.
ed shelter for the cattle. How the or
chard boughs bent with their burdens!
The big red barns stood stored with
the harvest, for this was Carlow coun-
ty, and he was coming home.
They crossed byroad. An old man
with streaky gray chin beard was
sitting on a sack of oats in a ssatless
wagon waiting for the train to pass.
Harkless seized his companion excited
" by the elbow. Tommy" he cried,
sIfs Kim Fentriss! Look! Did you
see that old fellow" -.
aI saw a particularly uninterested
and uninteresting gentleman sitting on
bag" replied his friend.
tsWhy, that's old Kimball Fentriss.
He's going to town. BE lives on the
edge of the county"
"Can this be trueY said Meredith
gravely.
81 wonder" said Harkless thought
fully q few moments later-"I. wonder
why. he had them changed around"
"Who changed aroundT
saThe team. He always used to drive
the bay on the near side and the sor-
rel on the off,"
aAnd at present" rejoined Meredith,
"f am to understand that he is driving
the sorrel on the near side and the bay
on the OFF,
'That's it." returned the other. "He
must have worked them like that for
some time, because they didn't look
uneasy. They're all right about the
train, those two. I've seen them stand
with their heads almost against fast
freight. See there" He pointed to a
white frame farmhouse with green
blinds. THAT'S Win Hibbard's. We're
Just outside of Beaver"
"Beaver? Elucidate Beaver, boy"
Beaver? Meredith, your informa-
tion ends at home. What do you know
OF your own state If you are ignorant
Of Beaver? Beaver is that city Of Car
low county next in Importance and
population to Plattville."
Tom put his head out Of the window.
81 fancy you are right" he said. i
already see FIVE people there"
Meredith had observed the change In
his compapiap's-mood. He had watched
nfis0sely all day..nsor, a re.
Yldfn Of his malady, but he can1e
conclusion that in truth miracle had
been wrought, for the lethargy was
gone and vigor seemed to increase IN
Harkless with every turn of the wheel
that brought them nearer Plattville'
and the nearer they drew to Plattville
the higher the spirits Of both the young
men rose. Meredith knew what was
happening there, and he began to be q
little excited. As he had said, there
were FIVE people visible at Beaver, and
he wondered where they lived, as tue
only building in sight was the static.
and to satisfy his curiosity he walked
out to the vestibule. The little station
stood in the woods, and brown leaves
whirled along the platform. One OF the
five people was an old lady, and she eE-
tered a rear car. The other four were
men. One of them handed the coll
ductor q telegram. Meredith heard the
official say: "All right. Decorate ahead.
I'll hold it five minutes"
The man sprang up the steps of the
smoker and looked in. He turned to
Meredith. "Do you know If that gen.
tleman in the gray coat Is Mr.. Hark-
less? He's got his back this way. and
I don't want to go inside. The air In a
smoker always gives me spell"
"Yes, that's Mr.. Harkless."
The man jumped to the platform.
"All right. boys" he said. "Trip her
outw
The doors Of the freight room were
thrown open. and big bundle Of col
ored stuffs was dragged out and hastily
unfolded. One Of the men ran to the
farther end of the car with strip Of
red. white and blue bunting and tack
ed it securely, while another fastened
the other extremity to the railing Of
the steps by Meredith. The two COM
panions of this pair performed the
same operation with another strip OH
the other side Of the car. They ran
similar lines Of bunting near the roof
from end to end. so that except for the
windows the sides Of the car were
completely covered by the national COL
ors. Then they draped the vestibules
with flags. 1t was all done In trice.
Aleredith's heart was beating fast.
"Whats 1t all about?" he asked.
"Picnic down the line" answered the
man in charge. removing tack from
his mouth. He motioned to the COLI
ductor. go ahead"
The wheels began to move; the dec
orators remained on the station plat
form, letting the train pass them, but
Meredith. craning his neck from the
steps, saw that they jumped on the
last car.
"IYhat's the celebration?" asked
Harkless when Meredith returned.
"Picnic down the line" said Mere
dith.
"Nipping weather for picnic. A bit
cool, don't you think? One of those fel-
lows looked like a friend OF mine.
Homer Tibbs, o. rs Homer might look
If he were in disgrace. He had his hat
hung on his eyes. and he slouched like
thief in melodrama as he tackled up
the bunting on this side Of the car
He continued to point out various