The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-11-03

Bailey, surprised and. disappointed,
watched him until he disappeared from
view. Then, with a long, regretful
sigh. she gave him up.
ITS pity-a pity she said. "But
when a mere babe like that is stcepcd
in vice it don't take him long to land
in the peritentiary--and him the pleas.
anteSt boy ever laid eyes on! l done
know when I've been so mistaken III
anybody. Well. it's too baG-too bad"
Mrs. Bailey decided that she wculG
have nothing further to do with the
erring Philip, but some hours later.
when she had locked up her building:
for the night. some motherly impulse
impelled her to look in upon her young
er neishhor for farewell, word. II:
was the last day Of the fair. and she
knew that the tea-tent would be gone
in the morning.
after all, sayin' sood-by amt goin'
TO make a gambler Of me- said she.
philosophically, and klnG word ain't
bad. When ais said and dCne. he's
been the poltest young chap-
Mrs. Bailey opened the flap of the
lent and stepped in. Philip was seated
on wooden box. with his head against
the gasoline tank, his face buried in
his hands. He had dismissed his as
sistants. and he sat alone. Is Mrs.
Bailey said afterward, lust swallowed
ND in grief and unwasEea tcacups."
''Sea here" said Mrs. Bailey. spread
in: q newspaper over III upturned
boiler and seating herself beside Philip,
II want to know how long this her"
gamblin' business has been goin' on?
Xou didn't strike lie. somehow, rs
comm Of ganblin' stock"
There was no response. but some
thing warm and wet splasAed on the
boys knee. Mrs. Bailey noticed it
with a sudden ray of hope.
"Cry away if you want to-" said she,
laying kindly hand on Philips shoul-
der. II don't know as I think any less
of you for it. Was this, by any chance,
the first time you've done any bet
ting?"
Philip nodded his head.
"Sure pop, honor bright"
Honor brightr' mumbled Philip,
with a gulp. The last, too.'
"Sure pop, the last::''
yes"
'Then you just sit up here and tell
me about it like a man. If you can
lust convince me that I haven't made
g. mistake in you, after all, you'll make
me a happier old lady than I've been
for some hours. declare, it just made
me sick to see you with those men,"
Touched by her sympathy, Philip
poured forth the whole story, adding
that the money he had so foolishly
risked and lost belonged to his en-
ployer, from whom he had received it
only the previous day, that he had
mailed most of his salary to his moth
er, who needed it to exc out slender
income, and that he was due in three
cay at fair in another State, with no
visible means of reaching his destina'
ton.
But, o dear. Mrs. Bailey he con-
Guided, 1.-The worst of it all is that I'm
so horribly disappointed in myself! 1
cid think I had more sense. didn't
cream that I could be such an idiot.
I'm so ashamed u
'"I don't know but that's the one re-
deeming feature" said Mrs. Bailey.
"Seventy-fve dollars! That's a heap
Of money-and nothin' to show for it!
don't pretend to know anything about
horse racing, but they do say, it's all
fixed up beforehand whose horse is to
win and whose ain't-that's one Of the
tricks of the trade. I guess you know
by this time that betting ain't a safe
pastime; but there-there, / amt goin'
10 scold a mite. Now you just come
right home with me, and get good
not supper, for / don't believe you've
had a bite; you can carry two baskets
Of plates back to the car fo: me, If you
like. You can sleep in Sans bed-l'd
kind O. like to think there was boy
sleepin' in that bed once more,-and
;oon's the banks open in the mornin'
I'll see to it that you have enough to
oay your way to wherever You want
10 go-and nobody bit the wiser
Except me-" said Philip, genuinely
surprised and deeply touched. But,
Mrs. Bailey, you don't know one thing
about me except what I've told you.
How do you know I'm to be trusted?
I'm willin' to risk it," returned Mrs.
Bailey, beaming over her spectacles.
Il guess a woman that's bought seven
COWS in her lifetime, without bein'
cheated once. amt goin' very far
astray in her judgment when it comes
20 folks-cows and folks havin' good
many traits in common. amt mite
afraid Of you"
you're just an angel! l don't know
aow to thank
"Just a cake-and-pie angel" said
ATrs RaiIey rising cautiously from tie