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

mountains. brit I wish you wouldn't
take Il 80 hard. You eayn't help yore
pas dOln's. No. you eayn't an no
right minded folks amt a-gOin' 70 blame
you. As fer me''-she paused an in
slant as she began to roll her sunbon-
net in her fat. red hands-''why. my
boy. I feel Jest like a awful load was
tuck offn me eayn't help IT, IL may
not be humAn-t don't know-but l
feel lest that away. You think yore
cross is hard TO bear. but fer fifteen
year I've hardly slept sound nights
sleep, expectin' an expectin' the ON
GERS o. the law to ride up an hello at
the fence, An keepin' his secrets
law. that's the wust OF ii. fer he would
tell me every blessed bit o. deyilment
he ever was in. II all began away
back fifteen year ago. when he fell on
his wagon an struck his head agin
rock. He never got over that; II made
i'm as i'll as a snake an mad at ever
body. even his best friends. George,
want to tell you how he did once
when
Don't. don't, don't!' the young man
cried. / know enough. l don't want
you ever to speak to me Of his crimes.
well. / won't. then" promised the
woman. II reckon I've heard so much
! of his doin's that 1t don't horribly me
as much as 1t would You. Well, III
90 on back. I'm goin' to Weber q
Lands an buy him a change O. under
clothes an some socks"
/ When she had reached the big en-
trance of the warehouse she saw Hill
yer in the center of the building, walk
ing back and forth, his gray head hang
ing low, as if in troubled meditation.
Turning as If from sudden Impulse
she went and joined him. The two
faced each other.
81 smelt liquor on i'm she said
! tersely. II stood nigh to i'm: he's had
| i'm n dram, Mr. Hillyer."
Eyes he's had drink or two, Mrs.
Buckley"
"Whard he git his whisky
Jake followed i'm an seed i'm at
Hillhouse's bar. / hain't said WORD
about it. 1t don't do one bit O good
to preach to man all upset in MIND,
an half full at that"
mo, yo're plumb right. an nobody
kin drive George. I'm powerfully
afraid this is goin' to be his downward
start, Mr.. Hillyer.'
Don't say that" The words were
spoken almost in grOan, and the
merchants sympathetic face seemed
wrung with inward pain. Don't say
that" he repeated under his breath
"We mustn't lose hope-we mustn't DO
that"
The old woman stared at the working
face for a moment in silence; then she
asked abruptly, mr.. Hillyer. who IS
that family O. Cranstons that's come
here from Virginia!'
"Oh. you've heard o. them" said
Hillyer, taking a breath. MAJOR
Cranston's q member Of a fine old
family. regular f. F. "; he owns
six or seven farms in this county an
has lot o. investments all over the
country. He moved here about SIX
months ago beca'se the climate agrees
l with i'm, an he hain't very strong.
George got acquainted with his daugh-
ter. a pretty, likely gal, but as proud
as a queen, an they've been good
friends ever since. She's well educated,
an SOS he, an they get along power
ful well together. Have you ever seed
Ter, Mrs. Buckley"
Eyes. once" answered the woman
"an' | never shall forget it, fer 1t show
ed me palmer what a fine character
George has than anything he ever
done. Thar's lot O meddlin' folks
out at the Cove, Mr.. Hillyer, an the
report got out that since George got
his schooiin' an you tuck i'm In with
YOU that he was ashamed o me. Ihey
kept this tilk up, an when he got TO
goin. here an yam with Lydia Gran
ston it got wuss, an some OF 'em low
ed that the girl didn't know what SORT
o. scrub kin George had. Ihls got 10
George somehow an one day Wnen
was at Grove Level camp ground with
some o. my neighbors, George fetched
'er out along with some other couples
of town folks. An when he seed me
a-settin' in front O. Mrs. Fellows tent
with some more women he fetched the
gal right up to me- He was sorter
pale an excited, but he retched down
an tuck my hand an lifted me up
an saws he, Miss Cranston. wan'
YOU to make the acquaintance o my
mother'-no. that wasn't 1t exactly
, This was it, Miss Cranston. want you
to meet my mother an me n hei
shook hands. 1t was awful, Mr.. Hill
yer. I've cot little more sense Z
iay bird, an seed through 1t. SEED
moreover, that while she was perfec'
lady. she was sorter set back. She go
red in the face an was all mustered II
what she said but he stopped that tall
on, our way an showed what he was.
y ..Yes. he's all right Mrs Buckley.
: The old man swallowed.
Maybe" ventured the old woman
tentatively. maybe he's in love VIII
that gal, Mr. Hillyer, an knows sh'
, hain't the sort-that her folks nam
u +bo sort IN overlook Al