Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1935-11-01
THIRD INSTALMENT

dlSIIldy.
sI amt sayin' l did or l didn't.
But remember, if this well amt .
producer, you're bowed up, and it
amt a-goin' to produce till theirs
a Mrs. Tiller Maddox to see to it
and to get her share! We bargain
ed hat out, long ago. Yes, an |
amt afraid of you goin' back on
our deal, either. You don't dast."
"I-I1l try again.
"You better do more'n try. I'll
give you just one more chance. If
she don't come across, I want you
to go visit your folks Saturday ev-
enin', and leave her here. Under
stand?"
For a moment Mrs. Durham
stared at the speaker, then she
said:
"Tiller Maddox, you're a dirty
dog!"
"Say! I've took all the back talk
I can stand for one day. You heard
me. You do like I tell you, an you
needn't to get back from your
visit till Monday"
Not until Ben and Betty had
finished their shopping and were
on their way home did he tell her
about the trouble he had had with
Maddox that morning.
"He let on he was fooling, but
of course he'll fire me the first
chance he GETS" Furlong predicted.
"Oh, Ben! Why did you do it,"
1--WE wete bound to tie into.
each other sooner or later. You.
can't choose a time to get fighting
mad; it's as much as you can do
to pick a good footing"
"Aunt Mary won't let him fire
you. She doesn't trust him any
more than l do"
Say! What has he got on herr"
The girl did not look up from
her driving. She fetched a deep
breath as she said: SID dearly like
to know. There's something queer
about it.-Uncle Joe was a sweet,
.easy-going man and she rode him
with a Spanish bit. She never
would have let him take me in,
when my folks died, only I did
all the work. But he sure loved
me. When the oil excitement came
they rowed and fought for months.
When ever he got IN offer she
claimed he was trying to give the
farm away and threatened to go
to law. | told you about that. He
stood it as long as he could; then
he up and announced hat I'd been
more of a daughter to him than
she'd been a wife and he aimed to
give most of his money to me any
how, and then he made that lease
with the Planet people. Thit's how
Maddox came. l think she'd have
poisoned me, if she dared, after
what uncle said. When he was kill
ed I supposed, Of course, she'd
throw me out, but she didn't. No
use to do it, I suppose, inasmuch
as he hadn't left any writing. AS
a matter of fact, she was better to
rae than she'd ever been. That's
what makes me wonder some
times"
",Wonder WHAT"
IF he didn't tell Tiller some
thing. Something that makes her
scared of him. Sometimes she acts
like it's only because of him that
she's nice to mel don't know
what I'd do if she sent me away.
I haven't got a red cent. There
isn't a living soul I could
Ben passed his arm around the
slim, girlish figure and drew it to
him. "That'll be about all for
you'll" He kissed the cheek next to
his and Betty hungrily pressed her
face closer. Good thing you
aren't an heiress-and me with
less than a hundred dollars"
"You behave yourself, or you'll
wreck this car" the girl warned
him.
Maddox carried out his inten-
ton. He discharged Fur1ong or
Friday night, explaining that the
we'll was down, and the next
morning Ben broke the news te
his sweetheart. Betty was indig-
nant. She was for appealing tt
her aunt, but he refused to per
nit her. He promised % let he,
hear from him in a day or so.
Betty's face was flushed, he
eyes were shining, when she en-
tered the house after he was gone
She was surprised to find her aun'
awaiting her.