The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-19

ANAOSNN SN~Nf
you to death-or both
Kenner smilingly walked with her
to the outer door. Il was jest avon
derin', Mrs. HillJer, what you think
about Georges case with that hlghfa-
lutin Virginia girl. I'm interested IN
that boy, an it looks like pity to me
to have i'm lookin' in that direction
mean jest that particular direction"
81 know what you mean, Mr.. Ken
ner'' the woman shuddered in the
keen, cool breeze-'but do you reckon
it's any more'n friendship on his side"
"That's what I'm botherin' about, }"
answered the cotton buyer. II don't
let ca to George Of course, but I've
been watcbin' him powerful close. BE
wants everybody to think him an her
jest passin' friends; but law me, some
times when he thinks nobody hain't
a-lookin' he gifts off his guard. One
day. while he was at work on his
books, she happened to ride past on
that frisky mare O hers. The animal
got scared at the putin O. the COM
press over. thar an begun to cut up.
The saddle girth broke, an she fell In
ditch. She wasn't hurt one speck,
an seven or eight O my men at the
compress ran out an helped 'cr up,
but George must "a thought she was,
fer he turned as white rs 4 sheet an
trembled all over as he made break
fer the spot an when he seed 10 harm
had come to her his face actually
pufeed up, ar he couldn't speak. An
she was watchin' i'm too. She was
perfectly cool an lookin. ct him jest
like she was enjoyin' his excitement.
She axed i'm one or two questions, an
it looked to me like she was jest doin'
it beca'se he wasn't in the condition to
reply"
Mrs. Hillyer laughed. You ort to
"a been woman, Mr. Kenner. didn't
know any man alive could notice like
that. But DO you reckon the pore
young man ever hopes to-you know
what mean?"
That's the pretty part of it, said
Kenner, with no littlefeeling. 1T looks
to me like he hain't never Geamt Of
marryin', like he was jest satisfied to
let things go on as they are. If I'm
any judge, that is the most dangerous
sort o. love, ef body kin call it that"
''I'll say this fer 'er.'' said Mrs. Hill
yer seriously. Il don't think she is a
woman that I'D handle q mans affec-
tons lightly jest fer the fun O the
thing. An sometimes think she is
doin' jest like you say George is-jest
a-lettin' the thing pull 'er along,
KNOWN, as she does, that be hain't
the man FER folks I'D accept. So you
think George rally is interested in
'er"
AThat hain't the word fer it, said
Kenner LAS fer her bein' above I'm
in station, what does that matter to,
him? I've never seed his equal fer
pride. an self respect believe ef
rally refined youLg man is put in low
surroundin's he'll make finer creature
sometimes than ef he was put among
the best. No, George cayn't hide his
feelin's. think maybe he had some
hope before his fathers disgrace, but
he hain't now. Thar was a tobacco
drummer from Virginia in the Office
t'other day, an he got to runnin' on,
like them sort O Ilen will, to me an
Hanks. George was writtin' letters at
the desk. The drummer begun tellin'
us about bein' astonished to see folks
like the Cranstons in this out Of the
way place. He said Miss Lydia was
the belle O. Richmond society an had
big public men runnin' after 'er. He
said our governor-you know Governor
Telfare is widower about my age
we'll, he met 'er at some military en-
campment down south an is dead bent
on mrryin' her. wanted to stop the
feller, fer 7 knowed George was listen
in, but I couldn't take the liberty.
seed George had quit writin' an was
lookin' out o. the window with his jaw
set, like he was sufferin'.
"Then the drummer begun to tell
about how she had squelched feller
up in Richmond. he was rich Yam
kee that was bein' entertained up thar,
an net her at some big dinner. 1t
seems she set right acrost the table
from him, an some'n' he said agin the
southern soldiers made 'er fire up. You
know two Of her uncles was killed at
Gettysburg. Well, instead O apologiz-
ing like he ort, he seemed to think it
was mighty funny, an he spent the
rest O. the dinner hittin' at the dead
Confederate soldiers-jest think O that,
the dead ones!-said they had no right
to have flowers strewed on Their graves
an the like The drummer said she
tuck it like born lady, as mild as'she
could, out O. politeness, an beca'se she
saw that the lady that give the party
was worried by his conduct, but she
give the feller q cold stare after din
ner, an ordered her carriage to take
FER home. The whole thing, it seems,
along with her goods looks an high
position. literally turned the Yankees
head. He made dozen attempts after
that to meet 'er, but she refused to
have anything to do with i'm He
found out whar she attended church,
an went thar one Sunday, an after
meetin' was over he waited at,the foot
O. the steps outside. Seems like he
counted on his smile doin' the work,
fer when she appeared at the top O.
the steps he jest tuck off his hat an
made a low bow, an stood GRIMM,
to show how sorry be was. The drum
mer said she happened to have some
pennies in her hand, an that she jest
drapped 'em in the feller's hat as ef
he was beggar, an, without lookin' at
i'm, passed on down the steps. They
say it got out, an so much fun was
made Of it that the feller left Rich
mond. She's jest like queen, any
way, Mrs Hillyer, but I'll tell you
believe she likes George Buckley-l
believe she likes an respects i'm. An