The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-08-09

HI lit night and made his way
down TO the business portion Of
y the town. He was about to
pass the bhrroom run by Luke HILL
house. when, hcnrinG the clicking Of
billiard balls and the rnpping Of cues,
lie looked In ut the screened door. Two
countrymen. without their coats and
under broad slouched hats, were play
ing ut the green table, over which hung
q glass lamp under Il tin shade con-
structed from a new dishpun with
hole cut in the bottom, and three or
four half drunken negroes We're ell
gagged in betting small amounts Oh "
fortune wheel against the wall. See
ing the merchant, HillhouSo,' ~ fat, rcd
faced man with dyed and wnxed
mustnche, came round to him from
behind the counter.
''I.oolsln fer George, I'll bet" he
said in Il friendly, half confidential
tone. Hes jest gone. squire" Hill
yer had years before been Il justice Of
the peace. Il went with I'm clean to
the door Of the warehouse an seed
that he went in"
"Then he waS"--
he could walk all right an knowrd
what he WAS about, but he's reg lar
rippin' terror. lie come in here, |
reckon. about IN hour ngo an tuck
couple o drinks an then set down
over thar ut the little table. ] lowed
he was asleep, he was 80 quiet, an !
reckon everybody else did, fer Bascom
Truitt from over in the mountains
come in an begun to talk about old
man Buckley's sentence. He hadn't
said word That WIS wrong, but
George heard it an rlz suddenly an
come up to him. 'YO're A-sayln' that
to insult me- he said. right III Truitts
face. As big as Trultt is you could
"a knocked i'm down with feather
but he told George as straight rs he
could that he never knowcd he was
thar an didn't mean no harm nohow
but, sir, Gcorgc\ hauled away an hit
i'm in the jnw. 1t popped like the re-
port Of Il pistol, an Truitt mighty nigh
went down. We parted 'cm without
any trouble. In fact, Truitt thinks the
world IN 'all Of i'm. George did I'm Il
favor long time back, an instead o
gittIn' mad about 1t Truitt Is worryin'
over olfendfn' the boy. He would have
apologiZcd to i'm, but we all persuad
cd I'm to wait till George was at his
sef."
The merchant took a long, trembling
breath.
II wish, Hillhousc" he said, chat |
you wouldn't let I'm have any more |
liquor II you kin git around It,"
"Git around it?" laughed the bar
keeper. "If you'll show me a mixer O
drinks I'M this county that would re
fuse that feller when he's of I'd like |
to SEQ I'm. 1t would cost I'm his life. |
Hes one man, squire, that 0rtn't to |
>5atch- n hrap. nm between you an me
l don't think anything but this scrnpe |
of his daddy's would have started i'm.
George Buckley Is the high. strung sor,
that makes either the finest citizens ur
the scum o creation"
II reckon yorc right" agreed UY,vcr
and. turning, he went down TO the
warehouse, which was In the nov,
block below. He found the front door
= ajar and saw light burning in his
clerks room in the rear. Enterlns
and softly treading over the rough
rr-hNoAb "hACh "ho 'SlIeWu WIN 3natI and
grain and the metal tiey OF cotton
bales, Hiliyer stood in the doorway Of
tho young mans room. In cloud of
cigar smoke George Buckley sat ncn,
little table, without his coat, his col
lar Off and his powerful neck showln.
through his open shirt. He glared II,
at his employer and then rose to his
feet and looked straight at him.
George" the old man began in
voice that quivered. through excessiv,
embarrassment, II was troubled n
much about you that couldn't slice,
q SO got nm come down. see,
y ycfe light an couldn't keep from con
+ in In"
~ don't see that you need bothc
ahonf tmef' was Buckley's, surprlsin
retoft. a"I'm no blood kin of yours
Mr.. Hillyer.1
George, I'm as good a friend to 20
as know how tok be; an Ijest wal
you to know that, an OF thar's an
way under the sim that kin help 70
I'll do IT."