The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-11-22

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r:en rose. Meredith knew what Was
happening there and lie began 70 be Il
little excited. AS he had said. there
were five people visible at Beaver. and
he wondered where they lived. as the
only building in sight was the station.
md to satisfy his curiosity be walked
,ur to the vestibule. The little station
stood in the wooGs. and brown leaves
whirled along the platform. One OF the
five people was an old lady. and she e1:-
tered a rear CAL. The other four We're
men. One of them handed the con.
ductor telegram. Meredith heard the
Official say: "All right. Decorate ahead
I'll hold it five minutes
The man sprang up the steps of the
smoker and looked in. He turned to
Meredith. do you know if that gen.
tleman in the gray coat is Mr.. Hark
less? He's got his back this way, and
don't want to go inside. The air in a
smoker always gives me SPELL"
Eyes. that's Mr.. Harkless.''
The man jumped to the platform
call right. boys" he said. Grip her
outr'
The doors Of the freight room were
thrown open. and big bundle Of col
ored stuffs was dragged out and hastily
unfolded. One of the men ran to the
farther end of the car with a strip of
red, white and blue bunting and tack
ed it securely, while another fastened
the other extremity to the railing Of
the steps by Meredith. The two COIL
panions Of this pair performed the
same operation with another strip on
the ether side of the icar. They ran
similar lines of bunting near the roof
from end to end, so that except for the
windows the sides of the car were
completely covered by the national col
ors. Then they draped the vestibules
with flags. 1t was all done in trlce.
Meredith's heart was beating fast.
"What's it all about?" he asked.
''Picnic down the line," answered the
man in charge. removing q tack from
his mouth. He motioned to the con-
ductor, "Go aheadv
The wheels began to move; the dec
orators remained on the station plat
form, letting the train pass them, but
Meredith, craning his neck from the
steps, saw that they jumped Oh the
last car.
"What's the celebration?" asked
Harkless when Meredith returned.
"Picnic down the line" said Mere
dith.
"Nipping weather for picnic. A bit
cool, don't you think? One OF those fel-
lows looked like friend Of mine.
Homer Tibbs, or as Homer might look
If he were in disgrace. BE had his hat
hung on his eyes, and he slouched like
thief in melodrama as he tackled up
the bunting on this side Of the car"
He continued to- point out various
familiar places, finally breaking out
enthusiastically as they drew nearer
the town: "Hello! Look there-beyond
the grove yonder! See that house?'
-'Yes, John"
That's the Bowldersa. You've got to
know the Bowlders."
''I'd Hike to-
.The kindest people in the world
The BFiscoe house we can't see because
it's so shut in by trees, and. besides, it's
a mile or 80 ahead Of u.s. Well go out
there for supper tonight Don't you
like Briseoe? He's the best they make
Well go uptown with Judd Bennett in
the omnibus, and you'll know how
rapid fire machine gun sounds. I want
to 90 straight to the Herald office" he
finished, with a suddenly darkening
brow.
after all, there may be some ex-
PLANTATION" Meredith suggested with a
little hesitancy. n. Fisbee might
turn out more honest than you think
Harkless threw his head back and
laughed. Honest! A man in the pay
of Rodney McCune! Well, we can let
it wait till we get there Listen.
There's the whistle that means we're
getting near home. Why, there's an
oil wellr'
$50 it is.'
"And another-three, five, seven
seven in sight at once! They tried it
three miles south and failed, but you
can't fool Eph Watts, bless him!
want you to know Watts"
They ran by the outlying houses or
the town amid a thousand descriptive
exclamations from Harkless, who wish
ed Meredith to meet every one IN Car
low. But he came to pause in the
middle of a word "Do you hear mu-
sic" he asked abruptly, ''or is it only
the rhythm of the ties%'
cit seems to me there's music in the
air." answered his companion. i've
been fancying l heard it for minute
OF so. There! No-yes. It's a band,
isa5 it:'
"No y nat would band-yes, it
50
.Ihy traia slowed up and stopped at a
waite tau:s 209 yards east of the sta
.1,$ n