Putnam patriot., 1912-03-15

took them. He stepped to Hannibars side.
 Here, let me carry that long rife, son!" he said. Hannibal looked up into his face, and yielded the piece without word, Darlington balanced 1t on his big palm. T reckon it can shoot-these old guns are hard to beatl" he observed.
 She's the closest shooting rife I ever sighted" said Hannibal prompt ly.
 Darlington laughed.
 There was rusty name-plate on the stock of the old sporting rife: this caught Carrington's eye.
 Whats the name here? Oh, Tur- beryille."
 The judge, a step or two in ad- vance, wheeled in his tracks with a startling suddenness.
 ''What?" he faltered, and his face was ashen.
 Nothing. I was reading the name here; 1t Is yours, sir, I suppose?" said Darlington.
 
 Slocum Price. Turberville-Turber- ville-" he muttered thickly, staring stupidly at Darlington.
 It's not common name; you seem to have heard it before?" said the lat ter.
 A spasm of pain passed over the judges face.
 live heard 1t. The name is on the rife, you say?"
 Here on the stock, yes."
 The judge took the gun and exam ined 1t in silence.
 Where did you get this rife, Han nibal?" he at length asked brokenly
 T fetched 1t away from the Barony, sir; MT. Crenshaw said I might have it."
 The judge gave a great start, and a hoarse, inarticulate murmur stole from between his twitching lips.
 What do you know of the Barony, Hannibal?"
 T lived at the Barony once, until Uncle Bob took me to Scratch Hill
 
 ''You-you lived at the Barony?" repeated the judge, and dull wonder struck through his tone. How long ago-when?" he continued.
 T don't know how long it were. but until Uncle Bob carried me away after the old general died"
 The judge slipped a hand under the ehild's chin and tilted his face back so that he might look into it. For a long moment he studied closely those small features, then with shake Of the head he handed the rife to Car rington, and without word strode forward Darlington had been regard ing Hannibal with a quickened inter- est"
 "Hello," he said, as the judge moved of. You're the boy 1 saw at Scratch Hin."
 Hannibal gave him frightened glance, and edged to MT. Mahaffy s side, but did not answer.
 The judge plodded forward, his shoulders dropped, and his head bowed. For once silence had fixed its seal upon his lips, no inspiring speech fell from them. He had been suddenly swept back into a past he had striven these twenty years and more to forget, and his memories shaped themselves fantastically. Sure ly if ever a man had quilted the world that knew him, he was that man. He had died and yet he lived-liyed hor- rbly, without soul or heart, the empty shell of man.
 A turn in the road brought them within sight of Boggs' raee-track, wide level meadow. The judge paused irresolutely, and turned his bleared face on his friend.
 Wen stop here, Solomon" he said rather wearily, for the spirit Of boast and jest was quite gone out Of him. He glanced toward Darlington. Are you a resident of these parts, sir?" he asked.
 I've been in Raleigh three days al- together" answered Darlington. ana they continued on across the meadow tn silence. ..
 Here were men from the small clearings in homespun and butternut or fringed hunting shirts, with their women folk trailing after them. Here. too, in lesser numbers, were the lords of the soil, the men who counted their acres by the thousand and tneir slaves by the score. There was the fiutter of skirts among the moving groups, the nodding of gay parasois that shaded fresh young faces, while occasionally a comfortable family car riage with some planters wife or daughter rolled silently over the turf The judges dull eye kindled, the haggard lines that streaked his race erased themselves. This was life. opu- lent and full These swift-roliing car riages with their handsome "omeh' these welLdressed men on foot' anu splendidly mounted, all did their part toward lifting him out of ms glooih.
 A cry from Hannibal drew hls ae tention. Turning, he was III tune u see the boy bound away An instant later, to his astonishment, he sa" young girl who was seated with t"o men in an open carriage, spring 10 the ground, and dropping to her Knees put her arms about the tattered httie figure.
 Why, Hannibal" cried Betty MAI roy.
 Miss Betty! Miss Betty!" ano Hannibal buried his head on nei shoulder.
 What is 1t, Hannibal; what IS u dear?"
 Nothing, only I'm so glad 10 Hut youi"