Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-29

finish you, Skillet, first; know you!
I know nearly all Of you. Now let's
sing Annie Lisle'"- He lifted his
hand as If to beat the time for
chorus.
"Oh, John, Johnr' cried Tom Mere
dith, and sobbed outright. my boy,
my boy-old friendr' The cry Of the
classmate was like that Of a mother,
for It was his old idol and hero who
Law helpless and broken before him.
Two pairs Of carriage lamps sparkled
In front Of the hospital in the earliest
OF the small hours, these subjoined to
two deep hooded phaetons. from each
of which quickly descended gentle
man with beard, an air Of eminence
and q small. ominous black box, and
the air of eminence was justified BY
the haste with which Meredith had
sent for them and by their wide re-
pute. They arrived almost simulta-
neously and hastily shook hands as
they made their way to the ward down
the long hall and up the narrow corri-
dor. They had short conversation
with the surgeon and word with the
nurse, then turned the others out Of the
room by a practiced innuendo of man.
ner. They stayed a long time in the
room without opening the door.
Meredith went out on the steps and
breathed the cool night air. A slender
taint of drugs hung everywhere about
the building, and the almost impercep-
tible permeation sickened him. It was
deadly, he thought. To him 1t was i'm
bued with hideous portent Of suffer
ing. The lights In the little ward were
turned up. and they seemed to shine
from a chamber of horrors, while he
waited as brother might have waited
outside the inquisition, If indeed a
brother would have been allowed to
wait outside the inquisition.
Alas, he had found John Harkless.
He had lost track Of him as men some
times do lose track Of their best be-
loved. but 1t had always been COM
fort to know that Harkless WIS some
where. comfort without which he
could hardly have got along. Like 9th
ers. he had been waiting for John to
turn upon top. Of course-he had such
ability. ability for anything, and people
would always care for him and believe
in him so that he would be showed
ahead no matter how much he hung
back himself: but Meredith had not
expected him to turn up in Indiana.
He remembered now hearing a man
who had spent the day in Plattville on
business speak of him: They've got
young fellow down there who'll be gov
ernor in few years. He's a sort Of
dictator. Runs the party all over that
part of the state to suit his own sweet
will just by sheer personality. And
there isn't q man In the district who
wouldn't cheerfully lie down in the
mud to let him pass over dry. It's
that young Harkless, you know. Owne
the Herald. the paper that downed Nc.
Cune and smashed those imitation
White Caps in Carlow county" He
had been struck by the coincidence Of
the name, but he had not dreamed that
the Carlow Harkless was his friend
until Helen's telegram had reached
him that evening.
He shivered. His name was spoken
from within. and Horner came out on
the steps with the two eminent sur
geons, and the latter favored him with
a few words which he did not under
stand. He did understand. however,
what Horner told him. Somehow the
look of the sheriff's Sunday coat, wrin-
king forlornly from his broad, bent
shoulders, was both touching and SOL
emn. He said simply: He's conscious
and not out Of his head. They're gone
in to git his antemortem statement"
And they re-entered the ward.
Harkless' eyes were bandaged. The
lawyer was speaking to him, and as
Horner went awkwardly toward the
cot Warren said something indicative