Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-24


these days, and whenever you do, yol
call on me to help you, and I'll do it
l don't care who the girl is or how high
up she may stand. Many a night
have lain i'm bed and wished that Millie
might be going along the road by her
self and that about three men would
come up and say something out of the
way to her, just so l could spring out
and wipe the face of the earth with
them. I'm not as big as you are. but
for her I'll bet l can whip any three
men YOU ever saw. BY the way, don't
even speak Miles name at home
The folks don't know that I'm in love
with her. There's one thing that stands
in my favor"
What is it?" l asked. He looked up
at me- but was silent, and becoming in
terested by his manner l was about to
repeat the question, when he said:
I'm not at liberty to speak of it yet
You've noticed that Guinea has more
education than l have. Well, her ed
ucatiOn has something to do with the
point that's in my favor but I've said
too much already and we'd better drop
the subject"
l was burning to know more, for
recalled the change of manner that
had come over Mr. Jucklin at the time
he spoke of having sent his daughter
away to school, and l was turning this
over and over in my mind, when Ali
said: A young fellow named Dan
Stuart often goes to see Millie, and
don't know how much she thinks OF
him. but some of his people are high
flyers. and that may have an influence
in his favor. Doc Etheredge, out here
is his cousin, and old man Etheredge
owned nearly a hundred and fifty ne
groes at one time But when that girl
stands up at the altar to marry some
one else, they will find me there put
ting in my protest"
When we reached home found
Guinea sitting under a tree. reading,
and / had joined her when the old
man called me. Looking about I saw
him standing at the end of the house,
beckOning to me. Il want To see you
a minute" he said, as l approached
him l wondered whether he was
again going to show me his chickens,
and it was a relief when he conducted
me in an opposite direction. He look
ed back to see if we were far enough
away, and then. coming closer to me,
he said: This is the way came to do
it,"
DO what?" l asked, not over pleas
ed that he should have called upon me
to leave the girl.
"Wallow him, the old general He
claimed that my hogs had been gettin'
into his field, and l told him that l
didn't feel disposed to keep my hogs
UP when everybody else's were runnin'
at large, and then he called me a
scoundrel and we clinched. l took him
so quick that he wasn't prepared for
me- and l give a sort of a hem stitch
and down he went. right in the middle
OF the road And there l was right on
top of him. He didn't say word,
while I was wallOwin' him, but when
| let him up. he looked all round and
then said: 'Lum Jucklin, if | thought
ANYBODY was loOkin I'd kill you right
here. You are the first man that ever
wallowed a Lundsford and lived, and
the novelty of the thing sorter appeals
to me. You know that I'm not afraid
Of the devil, and keep your mouth shut
about this affair, and We'll let it drap.
And he meant just what he said, and
l did keep my mouth shut, not because
I was afraid of his hurtin' me, but be-
cause | was sorry 10 humiliate him.
Ever hear of John Mortimer Lacey?
Well. shortly after that him and
Lundsford fit a duel and Lacey went to
New Orleans and died there. So. don't
say anything about it,
About what? Lacey's going to New
Orleans and dying there?'
No, cadfound it all, about my wal
lerin' the general
Il won't" l answered, and then l
thought to touch upon question that
had taken a fast hold upon me. by
the way. YOU spoke of having sent your
daughter to school at Raleigh"
The devil | did! Well, what's that
got TO do with YOU or with anyone else,
for that matter? I'll be-you must eN-
cuse me. sill" he quickly added. bow
ing. I'm not right bright in my mind
at times. Pecked right at my eye, and
il I hadn't lodged I'd be one-eyed this
minute-yes. / would, as sure as YOU
are born. But here, let us drop that
walIowin' business and that other ar
fair with it. and not mention it again.
Don't know why l done ii in the first
place, but | reckon it was because I'm
not right bright in my mind at times
You'll excuse my snap and snarl. won't
YOU? Go on back there now. and talk
about your books
Il am the one to ask pardon, MI
Jucklin. | ought To have had better
sense than to touch upon something
that didn't concern me. l guess there
must he a good deal of the brute in me
and il seems To me that spend nearly
half my time rcgretting what | did the
other half"
"Why. Lord love your soul. man, you
haven't done nOthin' But YOU draw
me close to you when YOU talk Of re-
grettin' things. l have spent nearly al
nv life in putty much that fix. After
you've lived in this neighborh"od a
while you'll hear that old Lin has been
in many Il fight. but you'll never hear
that anybody has ever whipped him
You may hear. though, that he has rio
twenty mile of cold night I" beg the
pardon of a man that he had thraShed
Wen shake hands right here, and II
YOU say the word We'll 60 right now
and make them chickens fight. ~"
its Sunday kiver t" kivcr You un-
derStand Go on back there, now.
With Guinea l sat and saw the sun
go down behind Il yellow quilted hill
From afar up and down tn" valley
came the lonesome 'pig-0o-ee!" of the