Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-27

down the road with her. AND lnlS tIlle
l do remember what she said, but
there wasn't anything so encouraging
in it. The fact is she had something
to tell me about you"
About me? What can she know
about me? Probably she was giving
you her fathers estimate Of me-"
mo, but somebody else's estimate"
he replied. You recollect a fellow
named Bentley"
Bentley? OF course. do. We lived
on adjoining farms, and have a sore
cause to remember him. But how
could she have heard anything about
him?"'
We'll, I'll tell you. Mrs. Bentley is
old man Aimes' sister, and she's over
here now on a visit, and when she
heard that you were teaching school in
the neighborhood she declared that 1t
would be a mercy If you didn't kill
somebody before you got through. And
then she told that you, had waylaid
her son one night and come mighty
nigh killing him. She said that she was
perfectly willing to forgive you until
she saw the scar left on her sons fore
head. and a woman can't very we'll
forgive a scar, you know. Old Aimes
and all his sons are slaughter-house
dogs. and they appeared to take up a
hatred against you at once. Don't you
remember as we drove to the school a
boy threw a chunk at us as we were
passing a clearing and swore that he
could whip us both? Well that was
the youngest Aimes, and the trick now
is. as l understand it, to send him to
school with instructions to do pretty
much as he pleases and to take re-
venge on you in case you whip him.
Millie said that her father swore that
il was a shame and that If you wanted
any help from him you could get II.
Nobody likes the Aimes family. Came
in here several years ago, and have
been kicking up disturbances ever
since"
l told ALI why had snatched Bentley
off his horse, nor in the least did /
shield myself l even called myself a
brute. But l told him Of the season of
sorrow and humiliation through which
| had passed. that had insisted upon
giving Bentley the only valuable thing
| possessed that against his mothers
command l had striven to work for
him during the time he was laid up,
and that had even plowed his field at
night.
II don't know that you were so far
wrong in beating him in the first place,
said Alf. but if you were. your course
afterward should have more than atom
ed for it. BY gracious, 1 feel that If
some one would plow for me I'd let him
maui me until he got tired. Millie said
that she was afraid that something
might happen to get you into trouble.
She seemed a good deal concerned
about it, for l reckon she's got the mob
lest and purest heart of any human
being now in the world, and she said
that she thought that if you were to
make some arrangements for you to
study law in Purdy, the county seat.
told her that you would be delighted to
quit teaching under ordinary circum-
stances, but that just at present you'd
teach or die. Was l right"
Surely, and I thank you fer having
defined my position. l wonder if we
can commit an innocent error an error
that will lie asleep and never rise up
10 confront us? Now, l shall have a
fine reputation in this neighborhood.
"Oh. don't let that worry you, Bill
ItT come out all right. Id be willing
To have almost any sort Of name If il
would influence that girl to talk in my
favor as she did in yours. don't
know what to think; somehow l cant
find out her opinion of me. silly spoke
about that fellow, Dan Stuart. but she
didn't say a word. Confound IT, Bill
can't a woman see that she's got fel-
low on the gridiron? They can't ever
bear 10 see hog suffer, but they car
smile and look unconcerned while
man is writhing over the Goals. dom
understand it,"
Nor do I. ALI, but I've been ovel
the coals-I mean that l can we'll i'm
agine what it is to be there
He lay down. and with his head fal
back on the pillow, looked upward as
if with his gaze he would bore through
the roof and reach the stars. He is
silent for a long time, but when hac
blown out the light and had gone tc
bed. thinking that he was asleep
heard him muttering.
Talking to me. Alf?" He turned
over with a sigh and answered: mo
not particularly l was just wondering
whether a man ought to try to outlivt
disappointment in love or Kill himself
and end the matter. We are told thai
Cod is love. and if God is denied to {
man. what's the use Of trying to Strug'
gle on? l suppose the advantage o.
knowing is that it enables a man t(
settle such questions at once, but as
am not learned. having grabbed but {
little here and there, l have to worr!
along with thing that another mar
might dismiss at once. What's YOU
idea. Bill?"
NV idea is that a man ought neve,
to give up. but. Of course. there arr
times when he is 50 completely beate1