The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-01-11

borrow yore ink just now, an, seetn'
you at Sore desk thought you might /
need It."
"Oh, if l do" jested Miller, ~ can.
buy another bottle ut the bookstore
They pay ME commission on the ink
furnish the row. They let me have 1t |
cheap by the case What stumps me |
is that you looked in to see If needed
1t. You arc breaking the rule, Mr..
Trabuc. They generally make me hunt |
for my Office furniture when l need 1t. |
They've borrowed everything l havo
except my iron safe Their ignorance
Of the combination, Its weight and
their confirmed lazincss are all that
saved it,"
d When the old lawyer had gone, the
two friends sat and smoked in silence
for several minutes. Alan was study
Ing AIlller's face. Something told him
that the news Of his fathers disaster
had reached him and that Miller was
going to speak Of it. He was not mis-
taken, for the lawyer soon broached
the subject.
"I'vc been intending to ride out to
see you almost every day this week."
vented my leaving town."
"rhcn you have heard"-
ayes, Allan, I'm sorry, but It's all
over the country. mans bad luck
spreads as fast rs good war news |
heard 1t the next day after your fa-
ther returned from Atlanta, and saw
the whole thing in flash. The truth
Is, Perkins had the check to try his
scheme on me. I'm the first target Of
every scoundrcl who has something to
sell, and Ivr learned many Of their
tricks. | didn't listen to all he had to
say, but got rid Of him as soon as
could. You must not blame tho old
man. AS | soc it now, it was q most
plausible scheme. and the shame Of 1t
Is that no one can be handled for 1t.
Your father will have to grin and bear
it. He really didn't pay Il fabulous
price for the land and II he were in
condition to hold OIL to 1t for, say,
twenty-five years he might not lose
money. But who cnn do that sort Of
thing? have acres and acres OF
mountain land offered me at much
lower figure. but what little money
I've made las been made by turning
my capital rapidly. Have you sccn
Dolly since 1t huppcned?"
mo; not for two weeks" replied
Alan. 81 went to church with hor
Sunday before last and have not seen
her since. | was wondering If she had
heard about it,"
"Oh, yes; she's heard it from tho colo
mel. 1T may surprise you, but the
thing has rubbed him the wrong way"
"Why, don't understand" exclaimed
Alan. "lIas he
"rhe old man has had about . ooo
acres OF land over near your r,tho,.s
purchases. and 1t seems TINT no wns
closely watching all yopS fathers deals
and, In spite OF his Judgment to the
contrary, Mr.. Bishops confidence In
that sort or real estate has made him
put '.shcr valuation on his holdings
o'"o' there. SO you see. now that your
fathers mistake Is common talk, he is
forced to realize big slump, and he
wants to blame some one for It,
don't know but that your father or
some one else made him an offer for
his land, which he refused. So you see
1t Is only natural FOR him to be dis
gruntlcd."
81 Sec" said Alan. 81 reckon you
heard that from Miss DolyW
Miller smoked slowly.
'Hcs"-a1tcr Il pauSc-"I dropped In
there night before last, and she told
me about il. She's not one Of your
surface creatures. She tnlks sensibly
on all sorts OF subjects. or course
she's not going to show her heart to
mo, but she couldn't hide the fact that
your trouble was worrying her q good
deal. think she'd like 10 see you at
the ball tonight. Prank IIilhousc will
give YOU dance CT two. He's going
to be hard to beat. He's the most at
tcntivc fellow | ever ran across. Hes
got Il new buggy~-a regular hug-me-
tight-.and Il high stopping Kentucky
mare for tn" summer cArnpagn. He'll
have some money at his fathers death,
ana all the otd women say hos the ,
best catch in town hcca;!Hc he doesn't !
drink, has Il Sunday School class and |
will have money. We arc ail going to |
wear evening suits toni"ht There are ,, ,
some girls from Rome visiting Hattie |
Alexander, and we don't want them to |
smell hay III our hair. You know now |
the hoy$ are. Unless all OF us wear
$likrtailS no one viii; SO we took Il |
vote on it. ard wc'll be on n big dixie. !
Thercll lac :! drViliSh lot of mistita. |
Those who haven't suits are borrowing !
In all directions. Frank Huford will |
rig out in Colonel Days antcbclillm |
toggcry. Did yuu bring yoursT"
"lt happens to be at parkcr's shop, |
being nrrSSrt " said Aim
'I'vc had three in the last six years." |
laughed Miller. You know how niucl, |
larger ToGN S"lman Is than am. He |
burst one of mine from collar to waist |
last summer at the Springs I can't |
refuse 'cnl. God bless 'rm! JET IIig- |
gins married In my best Prince Al |
bert last week and spilled boiled GUS
tnrd on 1t, but he's wot good wife |
and 4 fair job on Il railroad in Ten |
ncSscc now. Ia have given him the |
coat, but he'd never have accepted It |
and been mad the rest OF his life at |
my offer. Parker said somebody had |
tried to scrape the custurd of with n |
sharp knife and that he had Il lot Of !
trouble cleaning 1t. wore the coat |
yesterday and felt like was going to |!
be married. Todd must have left some |
OF his Shvcrs In it. I reckon that's rs |
near as I'll ever come to the hitching |
post"
Just then tall, thin man entered. |