Alma record., 1914-02-05

'T see by the papers" said Mrs. Gift
| ford with an air Of resignedly chang
| ing the subject, they've been investi-
eating the failure of the Valiant Cor
| poration. The son seems to be get
ting the sharp end Of the stick. Per-
haps he's coming down here because
they've made 1t so hot for him In
New York Well, I'm afraid he'll find
this county disappointing.
HE will that" agreed the doctor
savagely. mo doubt he imagines he's
coming to kindly countryside of gen.
tle-born people with souls and imagi-
nations; he'll find he's lit in section
that's entirely too ready to hack at his
fathers name and prepared in ad-
vance to call him Northern scum and
turn up its nose at his accent-a COM
munity so full of dyed-in-the-wool
snobbery that it would make Boston
look like a poor-white barbecue. I'm
sorry for him!"
Just then from the rear of the house
came a strident voice:
"Yo', Raph'el! Take yo' hans
outer dem cherries! Don yo' know eff
yo' swallahs dem ar pits, yo' gwineter
hab 'pendegeetus en- lump up en- die?"
The sound Of slap and shrill yelp
followed, and around the porch dashed
an infantlle darkey, as nude as black
Puck, with his hands full of cherries,
who came to a sudden demoralized
stop in the embarrassing foreground.
Ralph" Numbered the doctor.
Didn't | tell you to go back to that
kitchen?"
Yes, suh," responded the imp. But
yo didn' tell me ter stay dar!"
If see you out here again" roared
the doctor, III tie your ears back
and grease you-and SWALLOW
you" At which grisly threat, the
apparition, with a shrin shrek, turned
and ran desperately for the corner of
the house.
Il hear" said the doctor. resuming,
that the young man who came to fix
the place up has hired Uncle Jeffer-
son and his wife to help him. Who's
responsible for that interesting infor-
mation?'
"Rickey Snyder" said Mrs. Mason.
shes got a spy-glass rigged up in
a sugar-tree at Miss Matte Sues
and she saw them pottering around
there this morning"
Little limb" exclaimed Mrs. Gif-
ford, with emphasis. She's as cheeky
as a town-hog. l can't imagine what
Shirley cambridge was thinking Of
when she brought that low-born child
out Of her sphere"
Something like a growl came from
the doctor as he struck open the
screen-door. Limb I'll bet ten
dollars she's an angel in a cedar
tree at a church fair compared with
some better-born young ones / know
Of who are only f1t to live when
they've got the scarlet-fever and who
ought to be in the reformatory long
ago. And as for Shirley cambridge,
it's my opinion she and her mother
and few others like her have got
about the only drops of the milk OF
human kindness in this whole aban-
doned community"
Dreadful mani" said Mrs. Clifford,
soto voce, as the door banged vicious
ly. ITO think Of his being born a
Southall! Sometimes l can't believe
it,"
Mrs. Mason shook her head and |
smiled. "Ah, but that isn't the real |
Doctor Southall," she said That's |
only his she'll
I've heard that he has another !
side," responded the other with |
guarded grimness, but if he has, ! |
wish he'd manage to show it some
times"
Mrs. Mason took off her glasses and
wiped them carefully. Il saw it when
my husband died" she said softly.
THAT was before you came. They
were old friends, you know. He was
sick almost a year, and the doctor
used to carry him out here on the
porch every day in his arms, like
child And then, when the typhus
came that summer among the negroes.
he quarantined'hims with them-the
only white man there-and treated |
and uursed them and buried the dead
with his own hands. till il was
stamped out. That's the real Doctor
Southall.'
The rockers vibrated in silence Tor
moment. Then Mrs. Clifford said: Il
never knew before that he had any.
thing to do with that duel. Was he
one of Valiant's seconds?"
Yes" said Mrs Mason; "and the
major was the other. l was a little
girl when it happened. can barely
remember it, but it made big. sensa-
tion."
And over a love-affair!" exclaimed
Mrs. Clifford in the tone of one to
whom romance was daily bread
Il suppose it was"
For a time the conversation Ian
guished Then Mrs Clifford asked sud-
denly: tWho do you suppose she
could ave'been?-the girl behind that
cid Valiant affair"
Mrs. Mason shook her head "No
one knows for certain-unless, of