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

den any suspicion that all was not well
with the young man. and, hearing him
enter the front door. she called 10
him that his dinner was waiting. Eu-
gene however. made no reply and went
upstairs to his own apartment with
out coming into the dining room
A small crowd. neighbOring children.
servants and negroes. had gathered
about Ariels gate. and Mrs. LOuden
watched the workingmen dispense this
assembly. gather up their tools and de-
part. Then Mamie came out Of the
house and. bowling sadly to three old
men who were entering the gate as she
left 1t. stepped into her carriage and
drove away. The newcomers. Colonel
Flitcroft Squire Buckalew and Peter
Bradbury, glanced at the doctors bug
gy, shook their heads at one another
and slowly went up to the porch. where
Joe met them. Mrs. Louden uttered
sharp exclamation, for the colonel
shook hands with her stepson.
Perhaps Flitcroft himself was sur
prised. He had offered his hand al
most uncOnsciOusly, and the greeting
was embarrassed and perfunctory, but
bis two companions. each in turn,
gravely followed his lead, and Joe's
set face flushed a little. 1t was the
6rst time in many years that men of
their kind In Canaan had offered him
thls aalutation.
NJ IoBk lak
he told them. HE said he knew you'd
- here soon without that" And he
- ,hr way to Eskew's bedside.
Ioo AMI the doctor had undressed the
ED nan and had put him into night
gear % Roger Tabor's taken from an
ant1Qsr chest. 1t was soft and yellow
and much more like color than the face
above n. for the white hair on the pill
low was not whittier than that Yet
there was strange yOuthfulness in the
eyet Of Eskew, an eerie, inexplicable,
luminous, live look. The thin cheeks
seemed fuller than they had been for
years. and, though the heavier lines Of
age and sorrow could be seen, they ap-
peared to have been half erased. He
lay not In sunshine but in clear light
The windows were open, the curtains
restrained, for he had asked them not
to darken the room.
The doctor was whispering In doc
tors way to Ariel at the end of the
room opposite the bed when the three
old fellows came In. None of them
spoke Immediately, and, though all
three cleared their threats with what
they meant for casual cheerfulness TO
indicate that the situation was not at |
all extraordinary or depressing, 1t was
to be seen that the colonel's chin trem-
bled under his mustache, and his COM |
rades showed similar small and unwil-
Ing signs of emotion.
Eskew spoke first. We'll, boys" he
said and smiled.
That seemed to make 1t more difficult
for the others. The three white heads
bent silently over the fourth upon the
pillow, and Ariel saw waveringly, for
her eyes suddenly filed, that the colo
mel laid his unsteady hand upon
which was outside the cover
let.
"It's-it's not" said the old soldier
not on-on both sides, is 1t,
Mr.. Arp moved his hand slightly IN
answer 1T amt paralysis" he SAID.
They call it shock and exhaustion,
but it's more than that. It's just my
time I've heard the call. We've ali :
oeen slidin' on thin ice this long time
Ind it's broke under me-
"Eskew, Eskew!" demonstrated Pc ,
er Bradbury. You'd oughtn't to talk
hathaway. You only kind Of over (
lone a llttle-heat O. the day. too, ,
md ,
Peter" interrupted the sick man. 4
With feeble asperity, did you ever |
to fool me in your life?" I
mo, Eskew." n
well, you're not dom ii now!
Two tears suddenly loosed them. r
elves from Squire Buckalew's eye!idS o
espite his hard enGeavor to wink them =
way. and he turned from the bed too Z
ate to conceal what had happened. !.
There amt any call to feel bad" said
Iskew. 1T might have happened any :.
inc In the night, maybe at my =
ouse and all alone hut here's Alrie
'abor brought me TO her own home
is open hand, that young fool OF !
told me you refused him =
My yesterday! He was proud Of even :
eiectiop from you! And there's Nor {
ert and half dozen others perhaps, =
lready since you've been here" He :. :,
ung out his arms in ludicrous. savage =
aspair. And here am r. =
"Ah, yes" she cut him of. at is of =
ourself that you want TO speak after = =
i. not of mel" - -
Look here" he vociferated. Are .
,u going to marry that Joe Louden?
want TO know whether you are or - :.
d. He gave me this and this today" y
c touched his bandaged hand and -
astered forehead He ran into me-
-er me-for nothing when was not ~