The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-12-23

III Il meal passed awkwardly- Even
III the efforts Mrs Hillyer made
TO enliyen the little group fell fiat and
she soon found herself as moody as the
others. The merchant gulped down
cup of hot. black coffee, ate very light
ly of what was on his plate and nhsn
went out on the front verand& to
smoke.
The evening passed slowly. and about
10 O'Clock the family retired. Hillyer
could not sleep His wife, tired as she
was. was. kept awake by her nus
bands constant movements. ABOUT
midnight he got up half dressed MIN
self and took his hat
"Whar are you goin'2T asked his wife:
I'm a-goin' down to satisfy myse'f
about GEORGE he said sheepishly-
THAR amt no use tryin' to hide 1t; I'm
worried
well. I'll be switched exclaimed
his wife but | reckon you mought
as. well. I don't believe me nor you
nuther IS goin' to close our eyes TO-
night unless you do I'll bet youn
find i'm in bed. No doubt he jest went
to- the. hotel an got his supper rather
than let us know he was drinkin. He
still sleeps at the warehouse, don't
her,
Yes, he still rooms thar" answered
Hillyer, IAN eff tharps mo light III
come right back Sometimes when
he's bothered he sets up am works on
his books"
When her husband had gone Mrs.
HiIlyer crept up the stairs to Hortense
Snowden's room. The girl was sitting
up in bed
"Why, are you awaken Mrs. Hill
yer cried. II declare, we are all q set
O. night owls
IL haven't slept wink, was the re-
ply. "Do you know, every sound In
your room comes right UP that stove
fue. could hear the ereaking of your
bed, an just now heard you talking
Oh, Aunt Martha, where do you think
it's going to endT'
.T'li end in madhouse eff 1t Keeps
up said Mrs. Hillyer, with a lttle:.
forced laugh. Pm goiR to- crawl IN
yore bed I'm not to say afeard O.
rperits,. but am Of niggers an tramps
Phewr I'm all of shiver. Let's COW
err UP. Hortie, you've always said
was good woman. Well, try 'to''be'
but haint perfect by long shot L
say Z hain't perfect, an mean IT,.
You'd say so eff you could see through
10
fault, an that is suspicion. Somehow
| cayn't root It out Now, like George
Buckley as well as you or Mr.. Hnlyer
does but what on earth has made Mr.
HilIyer so raped up in that boy an
the whole .yout O. Buckleysf Why,
he's as crazy as bedbug right now
about this -iaI an Georges condition
Oh, I know you kin say he likes the
boy an all that, but thar are heaps
O. boys in t..e county an heaps o folks
that's jest as worthy Of assistance as
the Buckleys.'
"Oh. Aunt Martha, you surely don't
mean
Il don't mean nothfn'," interrupted
Mrs. HiIIyer, "but I'm as sure o. one
thing as am that l got my cold feet
agin yore'n, an that is that Mr.. Hill
yer hain't told me everything about
them Buckleys. He may think
wouldn't keep it, but he hafn't let me
on to his game
Hortense had no observation to make,
| and they lay silent for several min
utes. Then the girl spoke:
George could really bear Il much
/ better If he had not met Lola Gram
/ ston. | don't blame him for caring for
her. Aunt Martha. She's splendid
girl; we all like her; she's just as frank
and open as can be. She's always
makin.r fun Of her fathers family
pride He's got Crnnston tree in the
library, but Lydia gets all mixed up
when she tries to tell any one who he
connections are. l was just thinking.
SHE'LL be apt to be Disguised with
George If she hears that this has driv-
Ell him to drink. and
Don't you bother about that retort-
ed Mrs. Hillyer. Thar never was
woman that turned agin man SHE
cared fer on that account: they'll make
excuses fer 'em. an the Lord knows
she could fish UP n good many to justi-
fy George. know l could. Pore fel-
low, Jest think O. him tryin' an tryfn'
to Git his head above water an that old
scamp of daddy jerkin i'm down.
an right now when he was gittin
sech d fine start He could "a married
that Cranston gal eff this thing hadn't
come up-I mean he. could In time,
beca'se It was In i'm"