Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-07-26

thirty, Miss HOrtenSe SnOWuen, Wuo
had been living with the Hillyers since
the death Of her parents, twelve months
before. They both rose at the sound
of the merchants step in the wide. un-
carpeted hall, and when he had enter
ed they stood waiting for him to sit
down before resuming their seats at the
open fireplace, in which some dry hick-
ory logs on old fashioned brass headed
dog irons were cheerfully ablaze, fur
nishing the chief light Of the shaded
room.
"Well, anybody would know from
his looks how the case come out" said
Mrs. Hillyer as she sat down and
spread out her calico skirt. "An' eff 1t
had "a been dark could "a read the
news in the way he put his feet down
in the hall" She was short, cheerful
looking woman past fifty. Her eyes
were almost black, very keen, and they
flashed at all times with q merriment
that seemed as much a part Of her as
electricity is a part Of an electric bat
terry. Her hair was abundant and red
dish brown and fell In intractable
waves over her brow and ears.
Eyes, It not only went clean agin the
old man, but Judge Moore pintedly re-
fused to cut 1t down to fine" Hill
yer's voice had tone Of deep de-
| lection as he said this, and he kept his
| eyes on the fire.
"An' l kin see you mighty nigh had
a spasm over It," replied Mrs. Hillyer.
"Lawsy me, eff I never found anything
| to worry about till worried over the
lust punishment leveled on the head
O. that old scamp I'd 90 to my grave
| without a gray hair or q wrinkle
That's the trouble with you an George
both. You are not carryin' out the
Scriptural injunction not to kick agin
the pricks. | don't know exactly what
the good book says about it. l disre-
member. In fact, don't know that
ever run acrost it in print myself, but
YOU bet it's thar My father, who
eat an slep' with the Bible In his
hand. used to always keep sayin'. when
folks was continually a-complainin'.
Don't kick agin the pricks.' An ne
was right. Ef you set down on a board
with a tack in 1t. the harder you set
the more tack you git, an that's 80
with life. It's full Of tacks. an don't
you forgit 1t. The Lord put old Buck
ley in Jail to keep i'm in bunch OF his
kind, so the devil wouldn't root around
among good folks so much to keep up
with i'm, but Oh. no! You amt
a-goin' to put up with 1t, an right now
wore face Is sour enough lookin' to
spile cream in the middle o Decem-
ber."
81 was thinkin' about George" said
Hillyer softly. "It's mighty nigh kill
in I'm"
"That's 80, Aunt Martha" spoke up
Hortense Snowden. ITS awful on
him. Why. just think Of it The best
people in Darley receive him and Ike
him. He was rising rapidly, but q
thing like this, as proud and sensitive
as he is, will almost kill him."
"You kin laugh an make sport as
much as you want to-" said Hillyer,
more boldly, IAN you needn't kick agin
nothin' unless you want to. but It's jest
like Hortie says. He won't be able TO
face the music. He's all right when
he sin't driv' too fur, but this has al
ready started i'm to drinkin' agin."
"Oh, uncle. you don't mean it'
Eyes, it has," groaned the merchant
"an' the Lord only knows whar It's go
in to end"
"Huh! | say, then, George Buckley
hain't the man tuck i'm fer" retorted
Mrs. Hillyer. 81 wish l could ketch
i'm takin' dram on account o this
thing. I'd give i'm talk that I'd make
| 'im"-
"Go git blind, soakin' drunk" inter-
rupted Hillyer as he rose and went OUT
through the kitchen to the stables to
see If his favorite horse had been at
tended to. When he was gone, his
wife got up and punched the fire with
the poker.
81 reckon you think I'm hard heart
/
Hortie, it's the only way to git on with
i'm. You don't know nothin'. l never
LET yore folks know what I've been
through. I'd "a been crazy or dead
long AGO eff the Lord hadn't showed me
how to make light O. serious things.
I've had a heap O. tough times, but l
believe this is a-goin' to be the hard
est"
"why. Aunt Martha. what do you
mean?"
"Don't you see into itT Mra Hillyes
nut the poker in the chimney corner
and leaned forward "This has fetched
up yore uncle's old trouble. Things
like this usually do upset i'm. Hes
been actin quar- ever since old Buck
lev was arrested. Eff I've ketched I'm
prayin' once over it have twenty
times. He hain't slept without light
in his room fer month. an I hear I'm
prayin' an beggin' fer pardon In his
sleep. 1t happened thirty years ago.
an yet | never have spoke to him
about 1t nur has he to me-"
The young woman stood up beside
her aunt.
"You don't really mean that you've
lived with him for thirty years and
never mentioned that"
"Yes, do, Hortie. I've always heard
that that was one thing that never
could be talked about betwi1t two peo-
ple. I knowed another woman that
was goin' through the same trouble,