The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-08-09

1
mortal of Eskew from AriePs
III house to its final abiding place.
~ With him in that task were
buckalew, Bradbury, the colonel and
the grandsons of the two latter, and
Mrs. LOuden drew In her skirts grimly
as her stepson passed her in the mourn
| full procession through the hall. Her
eyes were red with weeping not for
Eskew), but not SO red as those of
Mamie Pike, who stood beside her.
On the way to the cemetery Joe and
Ariel were together In a carriage with
Buckalew and the minister who had
read the service, a dark, pleasant eyed
,, young man, and the squire, after being
almost overcome during the ceremony,
experienced natural reaction, talking
cheerfully throughout the long drive
He recounted many anecdotes Of Es-
kew, chuckling over most of them,
though filled with wonder by a coincl-
dence which he and Flitcroft had dis
covered-the colonel had recently been
made the custodian of his old friends
will, and ii had been opened the day
before the funeral Eskew had left
everything he possessed, with the re-
greet that 1t was so little, to Joe.
"But the queer thing about it," said
the squire, addressing himself to Ariel
twas the date of it, the 18th of June
The colonel and got to talkin' it over
out on his porch last night, tryin' to
rec'lect what was goin on about then.
and we figgered it out that it was the
Monday after you come back, the very
day he got so upset when he saw you
goin' up to Louden's law office with |
your roses"
Joe looked quickly at Ariel. She did |
not meet his glance, but, turning in |
stead to Ladew, the clergyman, began |
talk of something he had said in ser
mon two weeks ago. The two fell into
a thoughtful and amiable discussion,
during which there stole into Joe's
heart a strange aud unreasonable pain
The young minister had lived in
Canaan only a few months, and Joe
1ad never seen him until that morn
ng, but he liked the short, honest talk
ne had made liked his cadencelesS
1oce and keen, dark face and, recall
ng what he had heard Martin Pike
III his brougham one Sun.
lay, perceived that Ladew was the
elbow who had got to go" because his
ernUns did not please the judge Yet
Ariel remembered for more than a
ortnight passage from one of these
errnons. And as Joe hooked at the
manly and intelligent face opposite
i'm 1t did not seem strange that she
hould
He resolutely turned his eyes to the ,
pen window and saw that they had
ntered the cemetery, were near the
reen knoll where Eskew was to lie :
eside a brother who had died long
go. He let the minister help Ariel :
ut, going quickly forward himself !
18th Buckalew, and then. after the lit !
e while that the restoration of dust =
} dust mercifully needs, he returned
} the carriage only to get his hat.
Ariel and Ladew and the squire were
ready seated and waiting. Aren't
)u going to ride home with us?" she :
'ked surprised. .,
"No," he explained, not looking at h
Or. ~ have to talk with Norbert !,
croft I'm going back with him. !, -
)oGby"
His excuse was the mere truth his u
with Norbert in the car
age which they managed to secure to y
continuln" earnestly until :,
70 spoke to the driverland allghted at u
corner near Mr.. Farbach's Italian ~
'ssessions. "Don't forget" he said as U
} closed the carriage door, 1--WE got y
have both ends of the string in my
mus"