The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-05-22

COIN TO locate, are your" said Mr..
Pegloe.
My friends urge it, sir, and have
taken the matter under considera,
tlon," answered the Judge.
We'll, the only empty house In
town Is right over yonder; 1t belongs
to young Charley Norton out at
Thicket Point Plantation"
the house Mr.. Pegloe pointed out
was small frame building; it stood
directly on the street, with a narrow
porch across the front, and a shed
addition at the back. The Judge scut-
tied over to 1t. The judges pulse
Quickened. What a location. and
what fortunate chance that Mr.. Nor
ton was the owner of this most desir.
able 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 galloped into
the village. Catching sight of the
judge, he reined in his horse and
swung himself from the saddle.
Il was hoping, sir, / might fnd
you," he said.
"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
plantation"
Then l have saved you long
walk" said Norton He surveyed the
Judge rather dubiously, but listened
with kindness as he explained the
business that would have taken him
to Thicket Point.
The house Is quite at your serv-
Ice, sir" he said, at length
The rent" began the Judge.
But Mr.. Norton, with a delicacy
equal to his own, entreated him rot
10 mention the rent. The house had
come to him as boot In a trade. IL
had been occupied by a doctor and a.
lawyer: these gentlemen had each de-
camped between two days, heavily In.
DEBT at the stores and taverns, espe-
clally the taverns. And thus hand
somely did Charley Norton acquit
himself of the mission he had under \
~~-N~AA ~ oOSSy VhdAlOy . I6QuGSt.
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 tn
the saddle.
so your sister doesn't like me.
Tom-thats on your mind this morn
ing ia n 2' Mnrrnu
Make 1t worth my while and I'll
take her off your hands," and Muir
rell laughed.
Tom favored him with a sullen
stare.
There was brief silence, during
which Murrell studied his friends
face. When he spoke, it was to give
the conversation a new direction.
Did she bring the boy here last
night? | saw you drive off with him
In the carriage"
Yes, she makes a regular pet of
the little ragamuffin."
rs the boy going to stay at Belle
Plain?" inquired Murrell.
That notion hasn't struck her YETI
for heard her say at breakfast thatl
she'd take him to Raleigh this after-I
noon"
That's the boy / travelled all they
way to North Carolina to get for
Fentress"
"Eh-you don't say?" cried Ware.
Tom, what do you know about the
Quintard lands; what do you know
ahOnf OninforA
Murrell
He was a rich planter; lived in
North Carolina. My father met him
when he was in congress and got him
to invest in land here. They had
some colonization scheme on foot
this was upward of twenty years ago
but nothing came of it. Quintard
lost interest"
And the land?"
"Oh, he held on to that"
"Quintard has been dead two years,
Tom, and back yonder In North Caro-
lima they told me he left nothing but
the home plantation. The boy lived
there up to the time Of Quintard's
death, but what relation he was to
the old man no cne knew. Ofhand,
Tom, Id say that by getting hold OF
the boy Fentress expects to get hold
of the Quintard land"
That's likely" said Ware; then
struck by sudden idea, he added,
Are you going to take all the risks
and let him pocket the cash? II it's
the land he's after. the stakes big
enough to divide"
He can have the whole thing and
welcome. I'm playing for a bigger
stake" His friend stared at him in
astonishment. I'm licking a specula-
tion into shape that will cause me to