Mower County transcript., 1904-08-03

monntains, but I wish you wouldn't
take It 30 hard. You cayn't help yore
pas doin's. No, you cayn't, an no
right minded folks amt .a-go4n' to blame
paused an.in=s
stant as ahe began fto roll Her s,lnbon-
net III her fat, red hands-"why, my
boy, feel Jest like q awful load was.
tnck orr, me. cayn't help 1t. 1t may
not be:5human-1 don't 3know-but
feel jest that away. You think yore
cross is hard to bear, but fer fifteen
year I've hardly slept a sound nights
Sleep, expectin' an expecttn' the off,
GERS o the law to ride up. an hello at
the fence. An fkeepin' his secrets
law, that's the wust5 Of II, fer he would
tell me every blessed bit O. devilment
he ever was In. 1t all began away
back fifteen year ago, when he fell off
bis wagon an struck his head agin q
rock. He never got over that; it made
i'm as i'll as, snake ian' mad attever-
body, even his best friends. George,
I*want to tell you how he did once
when"-
Don't, don't, don't!' the young man
cried. I know enough. I&don't: want
you ever to. speak to me of his crimes
"Well, won't, then," promised the
woman. II reckon I've heard so much
of his doin's that it don't horrify me
as much as it would you. Well. I'll
go on back. I'm goin' to Webber &
Lands an buy him a change O. under
clothes an some socks" ,..~*.~
When she. had reached the big en-
trance Of the warehouse she saw Hill-
yer in the center Of the building, walk
ing back and forth, his gray head hang
ing low, as if in troubled meditation.
Turning as If from a sudden impulse,
she went and Joined him. The two
faced each other.
II smelt liquor on 'im," she said
tersely. II stood nigh to i'm; he's had
i'm dram, Mr.. Hillyer'
Eyes, he's had a drink or two, Mrs.
Buckley"
"Whar'd he git his whisky?'
"Jake followed i'm an seed I'm at
Hillhouse's bar. hain't said word
about it. 1t don't do one bit @ good
to preach to a man all upset in mind,
an half full at that"
mo, yo're plumb right, an nobody
kin drive George. I'm powerfully
afraid this is goin' to be his downward
start, Mr.. Hillyer." .~
Don't say that!' The words were
spoken almost in groan, and the
merchants sympathetic face seemed
wrung with inward pain. Don't say
that" he repeated. under his breath.
"We mustn't lose hope-we mustn't do
that!''
The old woman stared ut the working
face for a moment in silence; then size
asked abruptly, ''Mr. Hillyer, who is
that family O. Cranstons that's come
here from Virginia?'
:"Oh, you've heard O.. thcm?'': said
Hillyer, taking ;, a breath. *''Major
Cranston's a member of a, fine old
family, regular r. +. "; he owns
six or seven farms in this county an
has a lot o. Investments all over the
country He moved here. about six
months ago beca'seit the climate agrees
with i'm, an he .hain't, very. strong.
George got acquainted with bis daugh-
ter, Il pretty, likely gal, but as proud
as queen, an they've been good
friends ever since. She's we'll educated,
an SOS he, an they get along power
full well together. Have you ever seed
'er, Mrs. Buckley?''
"Yes, once" answered the woman,
IAN never shall forget it, fer it show
ed me palmer what fine character
George has than anything he ever
done. Thar's lot O. meddlin' folks
out at the Cove, Mr.. Hillyer, an the
report got out that since George got
his schooltn' an you tuck i'm in with
you that he was ashamed o. me. They
kept this talk up, an when he got to
goin' here an yam with Lydia Gran
ston it got wlss, an some Of 'em low.
ed that the girl didn't know what sort
O. scrub kin George had. This got to
George somehow, an one day when !
was at Grove Level camp ground with
some O. my neighbors, George fetched
'er out along with some other couples
| of town folks. An when he seed me
a-settin' in front o Mrs. Fellows tent
with some more women he fetched the
gal right up to me. He was sorte1
pale an excited, but he retched down
an tuck my hand an lifted me up
an says he, Miss Cranston, want
you to make the acquaintance o. my
mother'-no, that wasn't it exactly
This was it, Miss Cranston, I want you
to meet my mother an me n he1
shook hands. 1t was awful, Mr.. Hill.
yer. I've got little more sense N a
| jay bird, an I seed through it. seed
moreover, that while she was perfect
lady, she was sorter set back She got
red in the face an was all flustered in
what she said, but he stopped that talk
out our way an showed what he was. u
Eyes, he's all right, Mrs. Buckley
The old man swallowed. "t*=
'A1aybe," ventured the old woman
tentatively, maybe he's in love with
that gal, Mr.. Hillyer, an knows she
hain't the sort-that her folks hain't
the sort-to overlook a-a''-.. ~ -..l.
Il. ''That's just It, Mrs. Buckley" said
! the merchant with frinness, IAN that
| accounts for, Ills misery an the whis-