The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-01-22
seaSseaS&oSeS $50 c. Ok sas
RED MOUNTAIN !
MpelksS By :. 4
JGSN 3
BARTON OXFORD
Copyright, 1915, l. 7. c. Mcclure
6Sep01orSE:a0aG&9rD1oqot

- - ~ - ~ V1SosG
When tho wcstbound sAlgc drew up at
'raWfords that April afternoon Il soil.
Ilry passenger alightcd-a tall, strong
featured young man who carried him
S"if with an air Of dctcrminH ton. Biily
Crawford, lG3nginS in the doorway of
the barroom. langu;dly smoking a
Stubby clay pipe, Looked ut the arrival
critically. He noted the mans face. of
the chailiy whitcnCSS of unpolishcd
marble. the dark rings under his eyes
ana The gaunt hollows in his checks,
which made the check bones glaringly
apparent.
Hilly had seen many such arrivals
before. Generally, though. they lacked
the comhativCnHSS this mans bearing
seemed to suggest. They were prone
10 wear t.2d, hopeless. often fright
cnrd. look. Generally. too. they went
back in Il few months hy The stage
aSain-n Il long box on the trunk rack
behind.
Billy was mentally figuring how long
it would be before this one went back
In such fashion. WHEN the young man
strcdc DriSkly up the steps and accost-
cd him
Are You The proprietor hcre:"
E!liy "rCcHon2i Er was"
"AccommOGatc ne hyrc?" The Young
man slot cut his questions with no
waste OF words.
"IIow long" said Billy, removing
his evil smelling pipe.
".Ns long as | like the place" said the
other. "MAybc all summer. maybe n
year mayb" longer
Billy thGl@'It to himself. Maybe
four or five months at the most" but
he said. Guess So replaced his pipe,
and. picking up the bulging suitcase,
led his guest within.
From behind tho closed blinds in tho
second story Cf the little rcd shack
n stage station which Billy Crawford
had christcncd the Red Mountain inn"
some one else had watched the ar
rival Of the stage, and that some one
was Araminta Crawford RillyS daugh-
ter. She saw the determined looking
man, with his almost defiant air and
his pale, sunkCn cheeks. AS her IA
thcr was showing the way upstairs she
heard the mans spasmodic cough, and
her heart was filled with sudden pity
at the thought of his coming TO that de-
serted corner of the world to die. for
despite the reputation Of the climate of
the Red mountain district us Il healer
OF damaged breathing apparatus Ara
mlnta had seen the long boxes on the ,
trunk rack too often to put much faith /
in it.
At supper time the young man was
the sole guest in the smoky dining
room. Araminta was waitress as well
as cook. When she came into the din /
ing room the guest fixed his eyes upon
her. She was SOOd to look upou-darlk,
We'll formed. with fullness of figure
ana an unstuGicd case which youth and
life in the open air had given her.
Crawford came into the dining room
for moment to inquire concerning his
guests comfort. lie indicated his
daughter with 4 wave of his hand
My daughter, NIinta, Mr.-er-er-
Mr.
"Deming," the guest supplemented,
turning to the girl. From that moment
Jack Deming dated the beginning Of
his recovery.
In the days that followed Deming
saw much of the girl. He found her
frank, unaffected, good hearted, yet
with keenness Of mind which accord
cd Ill with the narrowness Of her sur
roundings. Her father and the men
who came to the inn were gross and
coarse. Aside from the old negro wom- /
an who assisted about the place, there !
was not woman within thirty miles. |
Yet the girl was wOmanly, quiet and !
possessed OF Il native refinement and a .
simple frankncss which Dcmng found
irresistibly charming
The weeks flew past, and Deming i'm ,
proved. He was much in Minta's COM .
pany, and the more he saw of the girl !
the deeper grew his interest in her. |
He showed her his diploma from Yale J