The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-09-23
CHAPTER Xxx


I'M HE next morning half the vii
lage dropped in to see where
George Buckley had fallen. Nc
- one was able to say exactly
now the thing had happened. The doc
'or' whle reporting that George was
practically out of danger, had forbid.
| ueh any one to question the youna
man, and all sorts Of specuIations and
rumors were In the air. II was NOT
untll late In the afternoon that even
hiiiyer mad full explanation, for II
was not till then that he ran across
the letter George had written. Several
ola men were in the Office at the time.
Hanks was there, and Bascom Truitt
wiping his eyes and vowinp revenes
on the miscreants who had so coward
~ attacked brave man.
Major Cranston, well wrapped in
rugs and braced by pillows, had come
doWn In carriage with his negro man.
servant and sat with the rest, pale of
luce ana weak looking, yet relieved to
ulscover that some valuable papers be
had left In Hillyer's keeping were in.
.acG he had heard that the safe hal
oeen opened, and then he had heard !
that report contradicted and could only
rest satisfied by coming himself. weak
as he was. Hillyer had been strange.
~ shent all the afternoon, but when
ne came upon Georges letter he rose
ana began to talk in a voice that sank
deep and shook with uncontrollable
emotion.
I've Jest found the key to IT." be
SAID, the letter in his hand. "an, I,u |
pet you all Will think well o. that moro
wounded boy when you know what T /
10. Last night three armed men slin,1
Peu up on I'M right here in this oficosH
l reckon, from what 1 gather, thafar
they told i'm his daddy was q convict,
an folks in general didn't expect lin
to be honest nohow, an that eff hei
didn't open the safe they'd kill i'm an,
bore in 1t themselves. He wasn't I
tempted one minute, but he wanted to
leave line to me before he died."t
Hiilyer choked up and was silent for
The group bent toward him,
with working features and eyes dis.
tended. $50 he told 'em all right the.
jig was up, but they'd have to give i'm
Time to work out the combination ii
Ihey lowed lie was doin' 1t, but in-iI
stead he was writin' last word toSl
me. He said he was tired o. liyin' anvil
now, the world was so down on i'm, II
IN n THAT hfR,6rerfbfssa in SO he said .hS II
vas goin' to refuse. He said he hoped n
t would give the lie to the belief that<I
ne was dishonest beca' Sc his old daddyH
had gone wrong. Thar was anotbef1f
matter he writ about, but that WASH
private. 1 wans to say, though, that 4
George Buckley wasn't happy; he{l
hain't been happy fer long time. \
Thar are men in this world that think
they are too good to mix an mingle
with men o. his stamp, but I've got
sech a durn contempt fer that sort o.
thing that feel like slappin' the jaws
o. folks that do in this day Of enlight-
"Same herev' said Bascom Truitt.
They were all somehow looking at II
Major Cranston. Even Hanks had fixed \
him with a curious stare. The invalid
stirred uneasily in his chair. One of y
his pillows fell to the floor. but the
negro man behind him forgot to restore
1t. Negroes comprehend the most DELI
cate workings Of the Anglo-Saxon
brain, and this black creature knew
that his master had incurred the dis
pleasure Of his neighbors. Cranston
seemed to feel that he ought to speak, |
but he did not like the expressions on
the faces of Truitt and Hillyer, and
their voices had rung with accusing de-
fance.
"What do you think ought to be done,
Mr.. Hanks?" he asked.
'I don't know" said Hanks. Il don't
know"
.sWeil," ventured Cranston, interlac-
ing his white. thin fingers, II see no
harm in wiring the governor to offer a
reward for the arrest of the men. The
editor of the Citizen told me as came
down that he'd publish anything free
Of charge. II the governor would OF
fer $500, or even three"-
"Governorw snorted Truitt. "Do you
reckon I'd go to that cowardly skunk
to help in a matter like thisP Ef we
hain't able here ut home to stand be-
hind q boy that offered his life to save
| the money o. the widows an orphans
| in this county we ort to be whipped"
"Huh! calculated Hanks suddenly.
"Five hundred dollars fer the man that
| shot George Buckley. I'll give $o,oOO
in cash out o. my own pocket! You tell
the editor that fer me, an tell Inn the
quicker he prints 1t the better it'll suit
me. Tell i'm to git out a extra an
handbills an send 'em on hosses an