The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-25


The sound Of Il slap and shrill yelp
followed. and around the porch dashed
an infantile 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 60 back to that
Kitchen"
Yes. suh," responded the imp. "But
20 didn tell me ter stay dar!"
IF see you out here again" roared
the doctor, I'll tie your ears back
and grease you-and SWALLOW
you!" At which grisly threat, the
apparition. with a shrill shrek, turned
and ran desperately for the corner Of
the house.
II 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
q 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
rs a town.hog. / 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 church fair compared with
some better-born young ones l know
of who are only fit 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 man." said Mrs. Clifford,
soto voce, as the door banged vicious.
ly. "To 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 II he has. I
wish he'd manage to show it some
tines
Mrs. Mason took of her glasses and
wiped them carefully. II saw it when
my husband died." she said softly.
That was before you came. They
were old friends, you know. He was
sick almost year. and the doctor
used to carry him out here Oh the
porch every day in his arms, like a
child. And then. when the typhus
came that summer among the negroes.
he quarantined himself with them-the
only white man there-and treated
and nursed them and buried the dead
with his own hands, till 1t was
stamped out That's the real Doctor
Southall"
The rockers vibrated In silence for a
moment. Then Mrs. Clifford said: 81
never knew before that he had any
thing to do with that duel. Was he
one OF Valiants q seconds?"
Yes" said Mrs. Mason; "and the
major was the other. | was little
girl when II happened. l can barely
remember II. but 1t made big sensa-
ton"
And over a love.affair!" exclaimed
Mrs. Clifford in the tone OF one to
whom romance was daily bread.
II suppose it was"
For a time the conversation Ian
guished. Then Mrs. Clifford asked sud-
denly: who do you suppose she
could have been?-the girl behind that
old Valiant AFFAIR"
Mrs Mason shook her head. "No
one knows for certain-unless, OF
course. the major or the doctor, and
wouldn't question either OF them for
worlds You see, people had stopped
gossiping about IL before | was out OF
school. There's Major Bristow at the
gate now. And the doctors just COM
ing out again"
The major wore n suit OF whito
linen, with broad brimmed straw
hat, and pink was in his button
hole. but to the observing, his step
might have seemed to lack an accus-
toned jauntiness As he came up tho
path the doctor opened his Office
How do you feel this morning, Ma