The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-05-05

Before l go, Nance, won't You tel:
me, fair and square, is it me or Pole:''
There was no answer.
Never mind, then; I know that you
just hate to tell me that you don't love
me any more, and won't make you.
Once more, Nance, good-by.'
He stealthily lifted a wisp of her long
hair and fervently pressed it to his
lips, then walked rapidly away. Nance
heard the sound of his footsteps grow
ing fainter and fainter as he ascended
the hard roadbed which turned over
the hill just above the cabin. Finally
she looked around. Zeb was just dis
appearing beyond the turn in the
road, and to Nance it suddenly Oc-
Cured that he might never return. A
scared look came into her eyes, and
for a moment she stood undecided
what to do. Then she sprang away
from the fence and ran up the road, a
hundred fears taking possession Of her
bosom. But Zeb was gone. "Oh. why
did he go: Why did he not wait just
a moment longer?" She quickened her
pace and when she reached the top of
the hill was almost out of breath.
Zeb had gone out of sight down the
mountain. She tried to call his name,
but her utterance was only whisper.
But 1T last she managed to call:
"Oh, Zeb!"
The breeze blew the echo of ler own
tones back into her face Tears gushed
from her eyes, and she sunk down upon
the roadside to sob away her sudden
heartsickncss.
The clouds began to gather and at
midnight the rain began to fall in tor
rents. BY dawn the waters of the
Tuckasiege were high between its
banks, and the boom-loggers were busy
with their RATS, but Zeb Norton, their
former foreman, was not among them.
Six years had slipped away. Nance
Hooper still lived with her father in
the cabin on the side of the mountain.
She still went out each evening to call
the hogs at the head Of the ravine, and
in her heart she still lived the old love
and deep regret. Zeb Norton has never
been heard Of since his sudden diSap-
pearance. Gold had been discovered on
the Tuckasiege, and the community
was wild with excitement. But what
seemed unfortunate 70 the prospectors
was that the rich vein had been dis
covered on a body Of land belonging
to one Zeb Norton. whose whereabouts
were unknown. They feared to pro-
ceeG with mining operations without
having first having secured a lease of
some kind, and since this could not be
obtained from the owner the enterprise
was at 4 StandStlll.
Half a year passed by. One day a
passenger stepped from the morning
train which stepped at Dollsboro, and
stood with his hands rammed down
into pockets. He was dressed in the
style of Westerner. A wide-brimmed
sombrero rested on his head, and a
heavy brown mustache ornamented his
upper lip. For q moment he gazed
all around him.
"It's not exactly like it used to be.
though it amt much changed. either"
he lnuttered. as he picked up his valise
and walked toward a little boarding
house a few yards away. 1t was noon,
and the traveller was hungry. Meet
ing the landlady at the entrance. he
gave her a fifty-cent piece and asked
the way to the dining room.
After dining the stranger spent sew
eral hours in wandering about the vii
lage. Late in the afternoon he sus-
pended his valise on stout staff which
he rested Oil his shoulder and set off
up the river road afoot. Ever and
anon, as lie tramped along the high
way he would stop at some high point
and gaze across the hills and valleys.
Just like they used to be, all just
the same" he would usually lnutter as
he turned away and continued his
! journey. 49,, ~.:. "*>.
Al ldSl hS lSOSASu luG pOhh'
| in the road where it turned down the
| mountain Oh the other side OF the river.
"Just the same" he said, there's moi
| even a change in the road. Wonder
! if Mark Hooper lives there yet" he
| continued as he looked toward the cabin
! off to the right.
A little farther along he turned away
from the road and walked slowly down
to where the fence crossed the ravine
Here he seated himself on an old. fast
decaying stump. allowing the staff and
valise to carelessly slip from his
shoulders. Then, pushing his sombrerc
back upon his head he locked his
fingers across his knee and gazed away
through the opening owe" the ravine
| It was almost sundown and there were
few clouds in the sky.
"Just the same ho muttered again
after few moments silence: ':every
thing just like it was. I wonder il
Nance did"
He closed his lips tightly against
further utterance. There seemed to bt