The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1911-09-28

| ave Of yourself, sir"
WELL" began Amber; but paused,
his face hardening as he looked the
man up and down, nodding slowly.
"Per'aps,' continued Mr.. Doggott,
unabashed, you mistyke me for my
brother, Emery Doggott e was 'ome,
in England, larst card Of i'm. We
look deal alike, I've been told.'
You would be-" admitted Amber
drily: and, shutting his teeth upon his
inherent contempt for a liar, he
swung away, acknowledging with
curt nod the civil Good AFTERNOON,
sir" that followed him.
The man had disappeared by the
time Amber regained his kit-bag and
gun-case; standing over which he
surveyed his surroundings with some
annoyance, discovering that he now
| shared the station with none but the
ticket agent. A shambling and dis
consolate youth, clad in a three-days
| growth Of beard, a checked jumper
and khaki trousers, this person
| lounged negligently in the doorway Of
the waiting room and, caressing his
rusty chin with nicotine.dyed fingers,
|
with an air Of subtle yet vaguely mel
ancholy superiority.
"If ye're lookin for tn hotel" he
volunteered Unexpectedly, there amt
none" and effected mastery retreat
into the ticket booth.
Amused, the despised outlander
picked up his luggage and followed
amiably. I'm not looking for the
hotel that amt" he said planting
himself in front Of the grating; "but
| expected to be met by some one
from Tanglewood-"
"Thets the Quain place, daown by
tn ba-ay," interpolated the youth from
unplumbed depths OF mournful alb
| straction.
1T is. l wired yesterday"
"Ycour names Amber, amt it?"
Eyes. II"
"Well, Quain didn't get yeour mes
sage till this mornin sent kid
daown with 1t 'baOut ten o'clock"
But why the-but wired yester-
day afternoon"
youth wearily. 1T come through
raound closin' time and they want
nobody baound that way, so held it
over
This craze for being characteris-
TIC" observed Mr.. Amber obscurey,
SIS the only thing th.s really stands
in the way of Nokomis G~romiEg a
thriving metropolis. Do ycn agree
with me? No matter" lie smiled en-
| gagingly; a seasoned traveller this,
who could recognize the futility of
pickering over the irreparable. More
over, he had to remind himself in all
! fairness. the blame was, in part at
least, his own; for he had thought.
lessly worded his telegram. "Will be
with you tomorrow afternoon" and 1t
was wholly like Quain that he should
have accepted the statement at its
face value regardless of the date line.
II can leave my things here for
little while, I prcsumc?" Amber sug-
gested after pause.
The ticket agent stared stubbornly
into the infinite, making no sign tn
coin rang on the window-ledge; when
he started. eyed the Offering with fugi-
tive mistrust, and goomly possessed
himself of it, I'll look after them"
he said. 'Be We thinkin' of walkin'?"
Yes said Amber over his shoul.
der. FIc was already moving toward
tho door.
'Knaow yeour wa-ay?"
'Ive been here before, thank you"
Crossing the tracks, he addressed
himself to the southwark stretching
highway. Walking briskly at first. he
soon left behind the railway station
with Its few parasitic cottages, dip
in tho land hid them, and he had
hereafter for all company his
thoughts, the desultory road, vast
and looming sky, and bare fields
hedged with impoverished forest.
Amber had professed acquaintance
with his way; II seemed rather to be
intimacy. Tor when he chose to for
sake the main travelled road he did so
boldly, striking off upon a wagon
track which. leading across the fields,
deved presently into the heart of the
forest
The hush Of the forest world bore
heavily upon his senses; the slight
and stealthy rustlings in the brush
the clear dense ringing of some re.
mote AK, an attenuated clamor of
cawing from some far crows con-
gress, but served to accentuate it's in.
| nuence.
Then into the silence crept sound
10 rouse him from his formess rev.
erie. At first mere pulsing in the
stillness barely to be distinguished
from tho song Of the surf; but pres.
emily q pounding, ever louder and
more insistent. He paused, attentive;
and while he waited the drumming.
minute by minute gaining in volume,
swept swiftly toward him--the rhysh.