Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-29
THE SHERIFF OF BRADLEY

By HELEN TOMPKINS.
fCon,inued from last issue. }


They talk of the sheriff Of Bradley as
though there had never been a sheriff
before. The sheriff, If you please!"
Lorimer looked at him quietly.
You got right sharply ratified last
nignt, Gr.er. olun't you!" he asked.
Grler tiusned.
Il guess I did," he said, coolly.
why old you spring that push on
me?"
why, you fool, had nothing to do
with it! Cartwright is suspicious old
granny, anyway, and you played the
devil. You kept me so busy lodging
pistol balls that 1t made me sick. YOU'D
have winged me, too, if l hadn't got
that crack on the skull"
Gr,er frowned. How is she?" he
asked, and jerked his head in the di-
rection Of the town.
"She had hemorrhage last night"
lied Lorimer, "and they are keeping
her as quiet as possible. OF course
some fool had to tell her about the
trouble at the court house last night,
and that naturally made her a little
nervous about me. So they made an
exception in my case and allowed me
to see her. I left her in good spirits,
however"
He hesitated a little. but Grier did
not speak.
See here, Grier," he said, at last,
your gun play last night has mixed
things up a little"
The younger man had averted his
face, but he turned again and stared
at Lorimer indifferently.
at don't see it." he said, curtly. 1T
don't make any odds, anyway. Have
you brought that money with you? 1t
will be growing dark in an hour. In
two 1 ought to be on my way to Mex
ico."
There was little stir outside.
81 beg your pardon, Mr.. Lorimer, but
here is a note that Mr.. Cartwright
asked me to give you right away. He
said that 1t was important"
Lorimer took the note and sent the
messenger back to the court house. A
lantern swung Just outside the cell
door. He turned the wick a little
higher and the stencil Of coarse oil
filled the cell.
"Get back to the court house as
soon as you can," wrote Cartwright.
"A mob is being organized to lynch
Grier. You will have to swear in a
lot of deputies. 1t is all a farce any
way, Of course, for am told that there
are 500 men waiting on the outskirts
of town for the signal to move on the
Jail. You will have to make a play
at defending him, though"
Lorimer's face blanched. A queer
sort Of helplessness took possession OF
him. If Grier had any suspicion
He went back into the cell.
IT don't know who will guard the
Jail tonight" he said hurriedly. II will
have to find out, and Cartwright has
sent for me-"
What for?" asked Grier. suspi-
ciously.
His note didn't say-it just said
business" lied Lorimer, glibly. I'D
better not give you the money now,
Grier. They might find out that you
had it. I will come back before mid
night, or just as soon as it is safe"
You had better" warned Grier.
You have drawn me into this scrape.
1 ought to have had more sense; but
1 suppose you know why I did 1t. 1
would make any sacrifice for her"
Lorimer nodded, awkwardly.
But I look to you to see me safely
out of it, do you hear?" Grier's voice
rose, dangerously. IF you don't
we'll, there will be an early vacancy in
the sheriff's office. am a desperate
man, Lorimer. Remember that, and
don't try any monkey tricks"
Lorimer's head was bowed as he
walked away from the Jail. He was in
a hard place and he realized it. There
had, as yet, been no lynching during
his term of office, but there had been
more than one during the incumbency
of his predecessor. He had a keen
realization Of his own delinquencies,
and knew that with his past record the
mob would feel little awe Of him. He
might as we'll try to stem the current
Of the Terre Rouge at the flood as try
to conciiiate the mob after 1t was thor
oughly organized.
He was not blind to the fact that
cutting the knot Of his difficulties by
letting the mob have its will might be
a very good thing for himself. Since
he had thought the matter over coolly,
he had little hope that Grier's discre-
ton would last any considerable time,
even If he did not go to Mexico. A man
who drinks to excess is seldom safe
confidant, and Mexico, after all, was
not so far away.
He had chosen the road back to the
court house unfortunately. He realiz-
ed this when, looking up. he saw that
he was passing the Watson residence,
and that Agnes herself was beckoning
from the window.
IT thought that was never to come
back again." he said, half sullenly. as
he followed her into the sitting room.
She was too agitated to notice his
i'll humor. His words passed unchal-
lenged.
II have just heard miserable story
about an attempt to rob the safe at
the court house last night" she said
hurriedly. "Of course I knew that 1t
was not true"
1T is true" The brutality Of the
man came to the surface. ut makes
very little difference, so far as I can
see, whether you believe it, or not"
Il never will believe it until hear 1t
from Jack Grier's own lips" she said
defiaRtly. LAS for that, why don't
they accuse you? You had quite as
little reason for being at the court
house at that hour"
II am the sheriff Of Bradley coun-
ty," he expostulated. agnes, you talk
as If you were taking leave Of your
senses!"
There is some rascality below the