The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-11

you have agreed on. That Is my trump
card. It'll knock out anything they
hold; now you see ef it don't I'm
goin' to give them a-talkin' to that they
won't forget soon, an I'll do it right,
too, fer don't expect to tell anything
but the truth. Eff Lydia Cranston has
engaged 'erself to that stuck up bump
on rotten log, she'll have the satisfac-
ton O. knowin' that thars one woman
in the land CHAT knows whar she's driv
'er ducks
Hillyer rose, with a smile. "Well,
maybe you kin sorter bring 'em to Their
senses, an I say go 1t. I lost control
o. myself t'other day an give the old
major piece O my mind, an be
mought as we'll git t'other half from
you. I wish you luck. Ef you fail, it
will be about the fust time you've
missed fire since I've knowed you. 1
reckon it won't Kill i'm. Mrs. Dugan
says the New York doctor found i'm
as sound as dollar"
About 10 o'clock Mrs. Hillyer went
down to Cranstons'. She was atured
in her best black silk gown and dow-
cred bonnet, and she walked with q
firm, decided tread. She was invited
by the maidservant at the door into
the sitting room, where Cranston sat
before an open window, looking out
into the balmy spring sunshine. HIS
wife was near him, and Lydia had just
come in with a glass Of claret punch
and stood stirring it at his side. They
all greeted her pleasantly, and Lydia
seemed somewhat surprised at the IN
expected visit, for it occurred to her
quick powers Of observation that,
while George Buckley lay Ill at the
Eillyers' and right upon the news OF
his fathers death and public .exonera-
ton, a call from Mrs. Hillyer was, to
say the least, extraordinary. So Lyd-
las face became rigidly expectant as
she seated herself and endeavored to
participate calmly In the plahtudes
that her mother, with her usual tact,
managed TO set SO1HS-
'I was powerful glad to hear," said
Mrs. Eillyer to the major, ''that the
New York specialist made favorable
report on yore case.''
eyes; he took quite a load Of worry
off my mind, thank you, madam
The major always addressed ladies as
madam" whom he did not specially
like. 1t was a way he had Of leaving
the impression that he might or might
not remember their names In the
same way he frequently greeted GER
tain men whom he considered beneath
him socially with a vague .fHow do
you do, sir?" However, his Formally
Of speech today had little effect on the
visitor. If he had called her by her
given name, without prefix, she would
not have spoken what was on her mind
any sooner.
"Thar's no use beatin' the devil
around a bush, folkses," she began
lightly. give come here this mornin'
to do my duty as I see it, an I hatn't
a-goin' to waste time. The good book
says do uLtto others as you'd have them
do unto you, an eff I was actin as
wrong as you uns are I'd want folks to
tell me Of it. I'd want 'em to telegraph
ef they couldn't git to me right away. -
The Cranstors were all staring fixed
". The warm color was rising in
Lydia's face
''Why, what's wrong, madam? asked
the major in astonishment.
Its all about yore C1ghter here
M George Buckley" Mrs. Eillyer
blurted out with frmness. Then two
hain't bein' treated right 1t may seem
like I'm takin' a lots fer granted In
includin' her, but she don't look to me
like a fool, an any woman would be
a fool to be adored by man Ike
she is BY George Buckley an not want
to treat i'm with common decency."
Lydia started to speak as she drew
herself up more erectly, but her father
prevented it.
"I trust you will pardon me, madam, y
he said, s'for frankly saying that the
subject isn't agreeable to u.s."
"Oh, yo're excusable," said the call
er. II wouldn't hold that agin you,
but it won't hurt you to git down to
rock bottom facts believe yofe
ryin' to keep yore pure hearted dsugh-
ter from dom what's right, an to per
suade 'er to do what she'll regret. Thar
hain't but one man on the topsIde o
Gods green globe today that she OFT
to marry, an that man is-George Buck
ley. An what have you got ag'n him
now, I'd like to know? After seem all
that piiful account in the papers Of the
wrong done his old father, you cayRt
shake that In the pore, wounded boys S
face. You cayn't say he's coward,
as they say about the lordly governor
O. this state. You cayn't say he's a
bankrupt an a spendthrift, like they
say about Felfare. Nur you cayn't ac-
cuse George Buckley O resortin' to low
political tricks to advance bis inter
ests, an ~
Madam the major broke in, raising
his thin hand protesdngly, II must beg
YOU
'Don't beg me, Major Cranston," bur
ried on the woman, her eyes flashing,
her bosom heaving excitedly, as she
leaned forward, her elbows on her
knees. .sIve come here to talk, an ]
will he heard. uant Lydia to hear