Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-13
CHAPTER l.


lazy to amount to anything in this life
so l reckon We'll have to make school
teacher of you" l don't know why ne
should have called me lazy; / suppose
IL must have been on account of my
awkwardness. Lazy, why, I could SIT
all day and fish in one place and not
get a bite. while my more industrious
companions would, out of sheer eX-
haustion of patience, be compelled to
move about; and l hold that patience
is the very perfection of industry.
In the belief that could never
amount to anything l gradually ap-
preached my awkward manhood.
grew fast. and l admit that l was al
WAYS tired: and who is more weary
than a sprout of a boy? My brothers
were active of body and quick of judg-
Irent, and | know that Ed, my Oldest
brother. won the admiration of the
neighborhood when he swapped horses
with stranger and cheated him un-
mercifully. How my father did laugh
and mother laughed, too, but she told
Ed that he must never do such thing
again. With what envy did l look up
on this applause. 1 knew that Eds
brain was no better than mine: and
as I lay in bed one night l formed a
strong resolve and fondly hugged 1t
unto myself owned a horse. good
one; and / would swap him off for two
horses-I would cheat some one ana
thereby win the respect of my fellows.
NV secret was sweet and l said moth
ing. BY good chance band OF gypsies
came our way; l would swindle the
rascals. l went to their camp, leading
my horse and after much haggling. l
came home with two horses. 1t was
night when reached home, and put
nv team into the stable, and barred
up my secret until the sun of a new
day could fall upon 1t. Well, the next
morning one of the horses was dead,
and the other one was so stiff that we
had to shove him out Of the stall.
My father snOrted. my poor mother
wept. and for nights afterward | slip
ped out and slept in the barn. burroW-
ed under the hay that l might not hear
the derisive litter of my brother Ed.
We lived in northern Alabama. in a
rart of the country that bOasted of the
refinement and intelligence Of its So
ciety. When l was alone with boys
much younger than myself l could say
smart things, and l had hope that
when | should go into formal COM
pany" I would. with one evenings s
achievement. place myself high above
the numbskulls who had giggled at
me. The time came. There was to be
q party" at the house of a neighbor,
and was invited. had suit of new
clothes, and after dressing myself with
exceeding care. set out, strong OF
heart. for the field of victory. But l
weakened when l saw the array OF
bloOded horses hitched without, and
heard the gay laughter within, mer-
rment ripping and merciless; and l
stood on the porch. sick with the sense
of nv awkwardness. l was too big,
and l knew that l was straining my
clothes. Through the window l could
see a trim fellow laughing with girl,
and I said to myself. If l can catch
YOU out somewhere 1 will maui you" l
was not acquainted with him, but l
hated him. for knew that he was my
enemy. To an overgrown young fell
low, ashamed of his uncouth steer-liEe
strength. all graceful youths are hate
ful; and he feels, too that handsome
girl is his foe. for girls with pretty
mouths are nearly always laughing,
and why should they laugh If they are
not laughing at him? Long / stood
there. stretching the seams Of my
clothes, angry, wishing that the house
might catch fire. l heard footsteps
and looking about, recognized men,
ber of the household, an old and neg
lfcted girl I was not afraid of her,
and l bowed. And l felt a sudden
looseness. a giving away of part or
nv gear. She called me Mr.. Hawes,
the very first time that any one had
called me anything but Bill; she open
ed the door and bade me go in. | had
To duck my head as l stepped forward,
and there l was inside the room with
the light pouring over me. I took one
step forward, and stumbled over some
thing. and then tittering fool named
Bentley exclaimed: Hello, here comes
little Willie" don't know how l got
out. | heard roar Of laughter, l saw
glinning faces jumbled together, and
then I was outside. standing with my
hot hand resting in the frost on the
tor rail Of fence Some one was urg-
ing me to come back-the neglected
girl-but | stood there silent, with my
hot hand melting the frost. | went
out into the moon lighted woods, seiZ-
I'd a sapling and almost wrenched 1t
from the ground Down the road
went toward home, but l turned aside
and sat on a log. l felt sense OF
rain and | opened my hands, had
been cutting my palms with my nails
Put in this senseless fury l had made
up my mind. would waylay Bentley
and beat him. Hour after hour l sat
there. Horses began to canter by; up
and down the road there was laughter
and merry chatting. The moon was
full. and | could plainly see the pass
crs-by. Suddenly l sprang from the
log and seized bride rein. A girI
shrieked and a man cut my hand with
= whip. and l jerked the horse to his
knees. Bentley shouted that he would
kill me if | did not let go, but l heed
cd not; l jerked him off his horse, KICK
cd his pistol across the road. maSheo
his mouth. slammed him against the
ground The shrieking girl cried out
that I was a brute. and told her that
! could whip her whole family a
charming bit Of repartee, | thought Du'
afterward I remembered that her fam
ilv consisted of herself and an aged
grandmother. and l sent her an apJec'
apology. Bentley'S horse Cantereo
away, and | left the fellow lying In the
road. with the girl standing over him
shrieking for help. 1t was all done in