Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-08-19

took 1t with quiyering fingers and
opened It. 1t fell fluttering to his feet
The gray head went down. George
signed for the telegram and sent the
boy away.
"What is It" he asked his employer
a cold fear over him.
Hillyer looked up. Jacobs & Co
want thirty days." he groaned. George
I felt it comm. It's Gods sign to me-
I'm q damned soul. Lynn Hambright
is at the throne directing my over
throw. This thing settles me. I met
his old mother up the street yesterday
She looked me right in the face and
did not speak. 1 knowed then that
something was going to happen"
George could say nothing at all. he
laid his hand on the old mans shoul'
der, but finally removed 1t and went
back to his desk. Surely Hillyer was
losing his mind. After all, what man
could keep his mental balance under
the pressure that had been on him all
those years?
George, I'm in an awful fix" The
merchant rose to his feet and stood
near his clerk.
whats wrong, Mr.. Hillyer2 Can I
help your"
Nothing can help me If we lose on
this DEAL" said the old man.
"But how can you lose on 1t at the
price you paid and the present mar
ket?" Buckley questioned, now de-
termined to try to get at the cause OF
the old mans trouble. The merchant
hung his head for a moment. and then
he said, "Come back to yore room,
George; l don't want them fellers to
come in while I'm talking. I see I've
got to tell you everything"
Wonderingly Buckley followed him
back to the cheerless room. Hillyer
sank on the edge Of the bed and sat
with his hands clasped tightly between
his knees.
"The old trouble Is at the bottom OF
It," he began huskily, and then he
cleared his throat and went on more
distinctly. "All along I have thought
in ofrerin' up prayers for pardon, that
I'd beg the Almighty fer sign wheth-
er 1 was forgiven or not Somehow I
believed he'd give it, but every time
was tempted to ask for 1t / would
back out. l was afeared the sign
would be agln me. But after you
overcome yore temptation to drownd
yore late trouble In drink an shoulder
ed it like man thought Id resk 1t
an ask the Almighty to give ME jest
a hint that I was OH the right road In
takin' you up as "a substitute fer
Lynn Hambright. But what sort of
sign to ask fer was what bothered me.
Then 1t come to me like a fash o
ifghtnin' one morning when wheat was
80 low an you said so positive that you
believed it I'D 80 higher. George, l
TUX all the money I'd borrowed from
you an invested it-in yore name, mind
you-at the lowest notch, an then l
put in lots O. my own later when wheat
begun to climb. The proposition was
this: was to 80 entirely by what
you said in every respect, an eft 1t
turned out we'll | was to take 1t that
I was OH the right track. God knows
I've been mighty nigh crazy through 1t
all, but never DARN to say word to
you. I've been anxious to close out
several times. but stuck to my plan
an was guided by yore judgment"
"You say you invested my-my mon
ey In it,? asked George in astonish-
ment.
"Yes, that was the idea. so you could
cit the benefit If it riz. If 1t hadn't, OF
course I'd still owe you the money an
make it good"
But simply can't understand what
ls the matter now," said Buckley.
Heaven knows you've made a pile O
money out of the transaction"
III we could sell now-yes; but, oh,
George, | know that the market is on
a collapse; feel 1t. know that Ja-
cobs offer to take 1t on thirty days Is
jest q trap the Almighty's set fer me
fer DARN to ask fer the sign. Jacobs
ls in pinch an wants our wheat on a
credit to tide lin over, an We'll never
git out whole. l feel It! Oh, l feel It
in my soul. God wants to git even
with me"
Buckley laid his hand on the old
mans shoulder and looked at him al
most tenderly. "You are simply let
ting your Imagination run away with
you," he said. "You have brooded over
this till you have lost the power OF
calm reason, Mr., Hillyer, I'm as sure
of the ability of Jacobs & Co. to pay
as ] am that / stand here"
"Oh, George, are you-are your"
eyes, and If they can't pay cash the
world Is full Of people who will. Why,
Mr., Hillyer, you have no idea how abb
surd your fears seem to any one else.
Why, we'll simply wire the bankers to
get us a cash buyer. and it will be
done"
The old man fell to trembling. 81
don't believe we'll git out whole" he
groaned. but you kin try. Wire 'em,
George, but leave me alone back here.
For Gods sake. wire 'em"
Just as George reached the front q
messenger boy came with a telegram
for Hillyer. George opened 1t, nervous
in spite of himself: The color flashed
into his cheek. q light into his eye, as
he read the message. He took 1t back
to his room. Through the partly open
door he saw the merchant on his knees
at the bed and heard him praying,
HCod have morop nm mop he was