Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-01-09

leaten. Mahafy shook MS heau, HE
air was still plainly hostile. Then LEI
Your prayers follow me, for I'm off,
said the judge.
Ten minutes walk brought him to
the door of the city tavern, where ne
found Mr.. Pegloe directing the actiV-
tiles of a small colored boy who was
Imopping out his bar. To him the judge
made known his needs.
Coin to locate, are you?" said Mr.
lPegloe.
my friends urge it, sir, and l have
taken the matter under consideration,
answered the judge.
"Sho, do you know any folks here
abouts?" asked Mr.. Pegloe.
mot many" said the judge, with re-
serve.
well, the only empty house in 'towr
is right over yonder; it belongs to
young Charley Norton out at Thicket
Point plantation"
"Ah-h!" said the judge.
The house Mr.. Pegloe had pointed out
was a small frame building; 1t stood
directly on the street, with narrow
porch across the front, and a shed ad-
dition at the back. The Judge scuttled
over to it. With his hands clasped
under the tails of his coat he walked
twice about the building, stopping to
peer in at all the windows, then he
paused and took stock of his surround
ings. Over the way was Pegloe's
City Tavern; farther up the street
was the courthouse, a square wooden
box with a crib that housed a cracked
bell, rising from a gable end. The
Judges pulse quickened. What a To-
cation, and what a fortunate chance
that Mr.. Norton was the owner of this
most desirable tenement! He must
see him at once. AS he turned away
to recross the street and learn from
Mr., Pegloe by what road Thicket Point
might be reached, Norton himself gal
loped into the village. Catching sight
of the judge, he refined in his horse
and swung himself from the saddle.
II was hoping might find you," he
said, as they met before the tavern
"A wish should have echoed had
l been aware of it," responded the
Judge. Il was about to do myself the
honor to wait upon you at your plan
tation."
Then have saved you long walk"
said Norton. He surveyed the judge
rather dubiously, but listened with
great civility and kindness as he ex-
planned the business that void have
taken him to Thicket Point.
THE house is quite at your service,
sir" he said, ct length.
"The rent" began the judge. He
had great natural delicacy always In
mentioning matters of a financial ma
ture.
But Mr.. Norton, with delicacy equal
to his own, entreated him not to men,
ton the rent. The house had come to
him as boot in a trade. 1t had been oc-
cupied by a doctor and lawyer; these
gentlemen had each decamped between
two days, heavily in debt at the stores
and taverns, especially the taverns.
II can't honestly say they owed me,
since l never expected to get anything
out of them; however, they both left
some furniture, all that was neces-
sary for the kind Of housekeeping they
did, for they were single gentlemen
and drew the bulk of their nourish-
ment from Pegloe's bar. III turn the
establishment over to you with the
greatest pleasure in the world, and
wish you better luck than your prede-
cessors had-youll offend me If you
refer to the rent again." And thus
handsomely did Charley Norton ac-
quit himself of the mission he had un-
dertaken at Betty Malroy's request.
That same morning Tom Ware and
Captain Murrell were seated in the
small detached building at Belle Plain,
known as the office, where the former
spent most of his time when not in
the saddle Whatever the planters
vices, and he was reputed to possess
a fair working knowledge of good and
evil, no one had ever charged him with
hypocrisy. His emotions lay close to
the surface and wrote themselves on
his unprepossessing exterior with an
impartial touch. He had felt no pleas
ure when Murrell rode into the yard,
and he had welcomed him according
to the dictates of his mood, which was
one of surly reticence.
so your sister doesn't like me, Tom
that's on your mind this morning,
lis it?" Murrell was saying, as ne
watched his friend out of the corner
of his eyes.
She was mad enough the way you
pushed in on us at Boggs yesterday
What happened back in North Caro-
lima, Murrell, anyhow"
Never you mind what happened"
We'll, it's none of my business,
reckon; she'll have to look out for her
self-she's nothing to me but pest
land a nuisance-Tve been more both
Iered since she came back than I've
been in years. I'd give a good deal to
be rid of her." said Ware" greatly de-
pressed as he recalled the extraordi-
nary demands Betty had made.
Make 1t worth my while and III
take her off your hands" and Muir
rell laughed.
Tom favored him with sullen stare
You'd better get rid Of that notion
l-of all fool nonsense, this love busi-
ness is the worst! l can't see the
slightest damn difference between one
good looking girl and another. I wish
leveryone was as sensible as I am" he
lamented. Il wouldn't miss meal, ol
ten minutes sleep, on account of any
woman in creation" and Ware shool
his head.
so your sister doesn't like me?"
mo, she doesn't" said Ware, will
simple candor.
Told you to put stop to my com
, ing here?"