Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-11

they'll hang him"
But General LundsfOrd-wOnt he
he stand as Alfs friend"
The old man shook his head. He
can't, and don't know that he woulc
if he could. l mean that he can't ant
still be true to himself. Ever since oul
| agreement, the one told you about, h'
has been putty open in talkin' to me
and l know that he wanted Millie tC
marry Stuart. No, he's too proud tC
neip u.s."
But can he for family reasons af'
ford not to help us? His son.
Don't speak of that now, if yot
please, sir. Are you goin' to the
house?"
II don't know. l am almost afraid
to meet his mother"
Don't be afraid of that. She won't
reproach you; she knows that you hao
nothing to do with it-knows that he
never would have killed him if he had
asked your advice and followed it."
Il don't mean that mean that
cannot bear to look upon her grief"
She is a Christian, sir She is pray
ing to her God, and whatever comes
she will trust in Him. The stock that
she is from has stood at the stake
sir"
We were slowly walking toward the
house. Suddenly he clutched my arm
with a grip that reminded me of Alf
and in a voice betraying more emotion
than 1 had known him to show, asked
whether l intended to leave him.
put my arm about him and pressed him
to me, just as if he were Alf telling
me of the love- trouble that lay upon
his heart.
Il understand you, God bless you,
he said Don't say a word; under
stand you. Git on the mare and go to
town and find out all you can. l won't
90 jest nOw-can't stand to see my son
in jail But don't say a word, for
understand you. l reckon the neigh
borhood is pretty we'll alive over 1t
by this time. See if they'll let him &c
about on bail, but l don't reckon they
will, even if he did give himself up.
They'll think that he done it because
he must have knowed that they were
bound to catch him. Go on and do
whatever your jedgment tells you, and
know it will be all right"
Over the road 1 went, toward Purdy,
and the people who had come out of
their houses to speak words of en-
couragement TO Alf and me when we
were on our way to see the Aimes boys
tried, now stood about their doors, gaz-
ing stupidity. At the wagon makers
shop a crowd was gathered, and l was
recognized as l drew near by young
men who had met me at the generals
house the night before-now so long
ago, it seemed-and they came out into
the road and urged me to tell them all
I knew. l felt that Etheredge had al
ready stirred in his own coloring, but
| told the story of the tragedy just as
[ had told it to the old man; and had
gathered rein to resume my journey
when a man rode up. I'm going back
to town. he shouted waving his hand
to a man who stood in the door Of the
wagon makers shop. l rode on and
he came up beside me.
Are you Mr.. Hawes?" he asked, and
when l had answered him he said: Il
am DR.. Etheredge."
l bowed and he nodded with distinct
coolness. He was not of happy appear
ance; he was lean and angular, gray
beyond the demand of his years, and
II struck me that he must be given to
drink, not because he was gray, but
because there were puffs under his
eyes and broken veins where his skin
was stretched over his high cheek
bones.
"A devil of an affair, this" he said.
Man met in the public highway and
murdered"
Don't put it that way" l spoke up,
for perhaps you are not yet acquaint-
ed with the causes that led to It,"
"No cause. sir, should lead to muir
der"
Il agree with you there, but many a
man has been compelled to kill in or
der to save his own life"
He sneered at me- But has many
A man been compelled to stand for hours
in a public road, and in order to save
his own life shoot down an innocent
person? I always held that Alf Juck-
lin was Il dangerous and a desperate
man, and everybody knows that he
comes Of that breed. l never did like
him; and he took a dislike to me with
out cause. Stood near a church in a
crowd of men one day when l seemed
t. be under discussion and declared
that a man to be a doctor ought to
be smart and to be smart man must
say something to prove the thought
within him; and then he asked if any
one had ever heard me say anything
worth remembering"
felt that he wanted to quarrel with
me, and l was in the humOr to crafty
him. And did anyone ever hear you
say a thing worth remembering?
asked
Sir" he snarled.
You heard what / said. And take
degree Of cool pleasure in telling you
before we go further that you can't ride
a high horse over me"
"A pedagogue's pedantry," he NUT
tered
"A mans truth" l replied. And by
the way" l added, you appear TO be
we'll horsed. Suppose you ride on
ahead"
Does this road belong To you, sir?'
he demanded. turning severe brow
upon me.
"A part of it does, and | am going
to ride over that part without annoy
ance. DO YOU understand"
Sir, | can understand impudence
even If can't say thing worth re-
membering But rather than have
words with you l will ride on, not to
accommodate YOU, but to preserve my
jwn dignity and self-respect."