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

l. ing sun. The few people who
moved about the streets went languid-
ly, keeping close to the wall on the
shady side: the women in thin white
fabrics; the men. often coatless, carry
ing palm leaf fans and replacing COL
lars with handkerchiefs. In the court
house yard the maple leaves, gray with
blown dust and grown to great breadth.
dropped heavily, depressing the long,
motionless branches with their weight,
so low that the four or Ave shabby
idlers upon the benches beneath now
and then ficked them sleepily with
whitfield sprigs.
The doors and windows Of the stores
stood open. displaying limp wares OF
trade, but few tokens Of life. the clerks
hanging over dim counters as far as
possible from the glare in front gos-
siping fragmentarily, usually about the
Cory murder and anon upon a subject
suggested by the sight Of an occasional
pedestrian passing perspiring by with
scrooCed eyelids and purpling skin.
From street and sidewalk transparent
hot waves swan up and danced them
selves into nothing, while from the riv
er bank half mile away came q
sound hotter than even the locust 8
midsummer rasp. the drone Of plan.
ing mill.
G-eater heat than that Of these blaz-
ins days could not have kept one or
the saCes from attending the conclave
now. for the battle was on in Canaan.
and here upon the National House cor
ner. under the shadow Of the west
wall. Il waxed even keener Perhaps
we may find full justification for call
ing what was happening a battle In so
far as we restrict the figure to apply
TO this one spot. Elsewhere In the
Canaan of the Tocsin the conflict was
too one sided. The Tocsin had indeed
tried the case Of Happy Fear In ad-
vance had convicted and condemned
and every day grew more bitter. Nor
was the urgent vigor Of Its attack with
out effect.
sIeepy as Main street seemed In the
heat. the town was incensed and rous-
ed to a tensity Of feeling It had not
known since the civil war. when' on
occasion, it had set out to hang half a
dozen "Knights Of the Golden Circle.
Toe had been hissed on the street
MANY times since the inimical clerk
had whistled at him. Probably dem
onstrations Of that sort would have
continued had he remained II Canaan
but for almost a month he had been
absent and his Office closed, its thresn-
old gray with dust. There were peo'
ple who believed that he had run
away again, this time never to return
among those who held to this opinion
being Mrs. Louden and her sister. Joes
step-aunt. Upon only one point was
everybody agreed-that twelve men
could not be found in the county who
could be so far persuaded and befud'
died by Louden that they would dare
allow Happy Fear to escape. Ihe
women Of Canaan, incensed by the ter
rible circumstances Of the case, as the
Tocsin colored it-a man shot down IN
the act OF begging his enemy's for
siveness-clamored as loudly as the
men. There was only the difference
that the latter vociferated for the
hanging Of Happy: their, good ladies
used the word punishment"
And yet. while the place rang with
condemnation Of the little man In the
jail aud his attorney. there were voices
here and there uplifted on the other
side. People existed. 1t astonishingly
appeared. who liked Happy Fear
These were for the greater part OBJ
scure and even darkling in their lives
yet quite demonstrably human beings
able to smile. suffer. leap. run and te
entertain fancies; even to have. &C
cordlng to their degree, certain rudi
mentary sense Of right and wrong. In
spite Of which they strongly favored
the prisoners acquittal, Precisely or
that account, it was argued. an &C
auittal would outrage Canaan and lay
1t open to untold danger. Such people
needed lesson.
The Tocsin interviewed the towns
great ones. printing their opinions oi
the Nervousness Of the crime and thu
character Of the defendants lawyer.
''The Hon. P. ]. Parrot, who 80 ably
represented this county in the legisla
ture some fourteen years ago. coule
scarcely restrain himself when ap
preached by a reporter as to his senti
ments. anent the repulsive deed. :
should like to know how long Canaan
Is going to put up with this sort Of
business were his words. I am Law
abiding citizen, and l have servet
faithfully and with my full endeavol
and ability to enact the laws ant
statutes Of my state, but there Is
point in my patience, l would state
which lawbreakers and their lawyers
may not safely pass. OF what use arr
our most solemn enactments, l ma!
even ask of what use is the Legislature
itself, chosen by the will Of the people
If they are to ruthlessly be set aside b!