The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1907-06-20
CHAPTER XIII.


mortal of Eskew from Ariers
81 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 Qot 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 carriage with
! Buckalew and the minister who had
! read the service, dark, pleasant eyed
young man, and the squire, after being
almost overcome during the ceremony,
experienced a natural reaction, talking
cheerfully throughout the long drive.
He recounted many anecdotes Of Es-
kew, chuckling over most Of them,
though filed with wonder by coinci-
dence which he and Flitcroft had dis
covered-the colonel had recently been
made the custodian of his old friends
will, and 1t had been opened the day
before the funeral. Eskew had left
everything he possessed, with the re-
gret that 1t was so little, to Joe.
"But the queer thing about II" said
the squire, addressing himself to Ariel.
was the date of 1t, the 18th Of June.
The colonel and got to talkin' 1t over
out on his porch last night, tryin' to
rec'lect what was goin' on about then,
and we fggered 1t out that it was the
Monday after you come back, the very
day he g6t 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,
with a barely perceptible blush, to
talk of something he had said in a SER
mon two weeks ago. The two fell into
a thoughtful and amiable discussion,
during which there stole into Joe's
! heart a strange and unreasonable pain.
The young minister had lived in
Canaan only a few months, and Joe
had never seen him until that morn
ing, but he liked the short, honest talk
he had made, liked his cadenceless
voice and keen, dark face and, recall
ing what he had heard Martin Pike
vociferating In his brougham one Sun
day, perceived that Ladew was the
fellow who had got to 60" because his
sermons did not please the Judge. Yet
! Ariel remembered for more than
fortnight passage from one Of these
sermons. And as Joe looked at the
manly and intelligent face opposite
him 1t did not seem strange that she
should.
He resolutely turned his eyes to the
open window and saw that they had
! entered the cemetery, were near the
green knoll where Eskew was to lie
beside a brother who had died long
ago. He let the minister help Ariel
out, going quickly forward himself
with Buckalew, and then, after the lit
tie while that the restoration Of dust
to dust merclfully needs, he returned
to the carriage only to get his hat.
Ariel and Ladew and the squire were
already seated and waiting. Aren't
YOU going to ride home with us?" she
asked surprised.
mo" he explained, not looking at
her. 81 have to talk with Norbert
Flituoft. I'm going back with him.
Goodby."
Hs excuse was the mere truth, his
conversation with Norbert In the car
rage which they managed to secure to
themselves continuing earnestly until
Joe spoke to the driver and alighted at
a corner near Mr.. Farbach's Italian
possessions. Don't forget" he said as
he closed the carriage door, 1--WE got
to have both ends Of the string in my
hands"
Forget Norbert looked at the Gu
pola of the Pike mansion rising above
the naples down the street, 1T isn't
likely III forget"'
When Joe entered the Louis Quinze
room" which some decorator, drunk
with power, had mingled into the
brewers villa, he found the owner and
Mr.. Sheehan, with five other men, en-
gagged in a meritorious attempt to tone
down the apartment with smoke.
Two of the five others were prosper
Gus owners Of saloons, two were
known to the public (whose notion OF
what it meant when it used The term
was something of the vaguest, as poll
ticians; the fifth was Mr.. Farbach
closest friend. one who Joe had heard'
was to be the next chairman Of the
city committee Of the party. Ihey
were seated about table, enveloped
in blue clouds and hushed to a grave
and pertinent silence which clarified
Immediately the circumstance that