The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-09-28
Copyright. 1908. by HARPER BROTHERS
CHAPTER III.

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@EcpCE BUCKLEY did not core
Ia to supper as usual. and the
sG Il meal PASSED ;iwliwardly. Even
vi tie efforts I.s. Hillyer made
to enlivcn ;lic littlc :,rci.p fell fat, and
she soon fo;lnd herself is moody as the
others. Tie merchant :1Giped down q
cup Of hot. h'aci; ccIcc. ate Very light
" of what VS. on his Plate and then
went out on the front veranda to
smoke.
The evening passed slowly, and about
10 o'clock Tic family retired. Hillyer
could not slccD. His wife, tired as she
was, was kcrt awake Ey her hus-
bands conS:a-: movements. About
midnight he got UP. half dressed him
self and took his hat
"Whar are you goin':" asked his wife.
I'm a-goin' down to satisfy myself
about George" he said sheepishly.
Thar amt no use tryin' to hide it; IN
worried
"Well, I'll be switched" exclaimed
his wife But reckon you mought
as we'll I don't believe me nor you
nuther is goin' to close our eyes to-
night unless you do. III bet you'll
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
he?"
Eyes, he still rooms thar answered
Hillyer, IAN ef thar's no light I'll
come right back. Sometimes when
he's bothered he sets up an works on
his books
When her husband had gone Mrs.
Hilyer crept up the stairs to Hortense
Snowden's room The girl was sitting
up In bed.
"Why, are you awake?" Mrs. Hill
yer cried. II declare, we are all set
O. night owls
"I haven't slept wink" was the re-
ply. do you know, every sound in
your room comes right up that stove
fue. corsd hear the creaking Of your
bed, an just now heard you talking.
Oh, Aunt Martha, where do you think
it's going to end?"
"I'll end in a madhouse ef it keeps
up said Mrs. Hillyer, with a little,
forced laugh. I'm goin' to crawl in
yore bed. I'm not to say afeard O.
sperits, but am Of niggers an tramps.
Phew! I'm all Of shiver. Let's Gov
er up. Hortie, you've always said I
was good woman Well, I try to be,
but I haln't perfect by long shot. 1
say I hair't perfect, an I mean it.
You'd say so eff you could see through
my outside. I've got one whalin' big
fault, an that is suspicion. Somehow
cayn't root 1t out. Now, I like George
Buckley as we'll as you or Mr.. Hillyer
does, but what on earth has made Mr..
Hillyer so wrapped up in that boy an
the whole layout O. Buckleys? Why,
he's as crazy as a bedbug right now
about this trial an Georges condition.
Oh, know you kin say he likes the
boy an all that, but thar are heaps
O boys in the county an heaps o folks
that's jest as worthy Of assistance as
the Buckleys."
"Oh, Aunt Martha, you surely don't
mean
ct don't mean nothin'," interrupted
Mrs. Hillyer, but I'm as sure O. one
thing as I am that 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 l
wouldn't keep it, but he hain'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 it much
better If be had not met Lydia Gran.
ston. I don't blame him for caring for
her, Aunt Martha. She's splendid
girl; we all like her; she's just as frank
ana open as can be- She's always
making fun Of her fathers family
pride. Hes got Cranston tree in the
library, but Lydia gets all mixed up
when She tries to tell any one who her
connections are. was just thinking.
She'll be apt to be disgusted with
George if she hears that this has driv.
en- him to drink, and
Don't you bother about that" retort-
ed Mrs. Hillyer. Thar never was a
woman that turned agin q man she
cared fer on that account; they'll make
excuses fer 'em, an the Lord knows
she could fish up good many to justi-
fy George. I know could. Pore fel-
low. Jest think O. him tryin' an tryln'
to git his head above water an that old
scamp Of q daddy jerkin' i'm down
an right now when he was gittin'
sech a fine start. He could "a married
that Cranstoa gal ef this thing hadn't
come up-I mean he could In time,
baoo'so II vac in 'in1 -