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1 Miracle at Pakted Rock By CLARISSA MACKIE Copyright, 1909. by American Press, Asso- . cutton T"""lHERE was a clatter of small hoofs on the hard road, a Hur ry of summer dust at the gate. _J" and Pete Loring gracefully i rounded Little Nelly before Miss Sn .sie's door, scattering the chickens into terrified retreat. "Afternoon, Miss Susie." called Pete -cheerily. "Afternoon." responded Miss Susie, peering through the morning glory vines. Mr. Loring mopped his face rigor ? <<>usly. "Don't .seem to be any letup >In the heat." he remarked. **1 guess weil all shrivel up if. it -keeps on . much longer," replied Miss :Susle from behind her Bcreen. Mr. Loring coughed deprecatlngly "*Tou ain't changed your mind. I sup pose?" be queried anxiously. "No, I aiut!" snapped Miss Susie so xeadlly that one could almost suspect that she had been awaiting* the ques tion. She withdrew her rosy face with ?a. Jerk and went on: "I don't feel n< more favorable to marryin' than I die .yesterday or last Monday. This makes three times In one week!" Mr. Loring chuckled. "Well. I ain't asked you today as I know on." he ?drawled, turning a twinkling blue eye upon the opening in the vines. ? An ominous silence brooded behind the morning glories, where Miss Su r8ie's plump form rocked to and fro as she knitted. "Them there kids are gettin' wilder and raggeder every day. Old Mahona lit out last night, and we're keepln' house alone. Only had cornmeal ? mush three times so fur. an' I reckon we'll have it,fur supper." His voice trailed pathetically into silence. There was a contemptuous snort from Miss Susie. 'T' didn't come out to Kansas as missionary to the stray ?Widder men of Painted Rock. I ain't a Mormon." she added sententlously. ""Jake Lyon was around this mornln'. His four children have the measles." Mr. Loring frowned jealously. "That there Jake Lyon is a low, sneakin' "Coyote!" he exclaimed bitterly. "He knows you wouldn't have him nohow, and he"? "How do you know I wouldn't have him?" Pete fairly jumped with surprise. He could dimly see the outline of the awaying rocker and its plump occu pant, but he felt all the Influence of the baleful glance he knew Miss Susie had directed at him. "Far be it from me to express my ?opinion again, ma'am," returned Pete numbly. "I hope you'll excuse what 1 had to say about Jake, I not knowln' how matters was fixed between you." **l don't know what you're talkln' about, Pete Loring," she retorted. "I You ain't changed your mind, I sup pose f" have told you twenty times that If I wanted to marry I'd have done it be fore I come west, where the men don't do nothln' but swear and ride around all day long, n-neglectin' their wives and children aud"? "Now. Miss Susie." returned Pete remonstratingly. "you know plumb well that we don't all do it. Some of us is just as God fearin', hardworkin' men as you'll find back east, where they's all tied to their engines and ma chines like so many cattle." "Thafa ns it may be." returned Miss Smde tartly, "only I don't seo why, It was in this very cotta from Birmingham, Ala.. dSed of Fever. They had son's Tonic cured them < The two physicians here had 3 very obetl were Italians and lived on a creek 50 ya months standing, their temperature racgln thing la vain. I persuaded them to let me ed matter and let the medicine go out lri a i feet in all three cases was Immediate and p< was no recurrence of the Fever. Write to THE JOHNSON'S CHILL . ?? t Just because a :?'ne woman come, west to keep house for her brother every mau jack in the county should up and propose to her. I don't want to get married! I can take care of myself without help from no man!" "Well, ma'am, if you should change your mind. Miss Susie, you can send Swanson over to my place and let me know, and I'll git here so quick you'il think I've been setting by the gate all the time, but I'm likely toJ>e to borne messin' around the kltchet," returned Mr. Loring gloomily as a whiff of warm berry pie came temptingly through the front door. Again there was silence behind the] morning glories. Mr. boring's manner changed to one of grave anxiety. "You heard what 1 said, Miss Susie?" "I heard." snapped Miss Susie. "When I change my mind I'll not send Swanson. I'll come right over myself and tell yon!" "I ain't lookin' for no miracles In these days," retorted Mr. Loring good naturedly. Then his voice became se rious. "I hope you're keepin' watch on the river, Miss Susie. Last year j your brother pretty Dear got floated off. and It wasn't anything to what it is now. It's rained for nearly a week up in Harpers, and if that bridge goes ?well, your house and crop '11 go too." "I'm not afraid so long as we dcn't get any rain here," returned Miss Su sie comfortably. "You better make that lazy Swede keep an eye on the river, and if it rises any more I'll come over and help you. Well, I must be movin' along! Afternoon, Miss Susie." "Afternoon." returned the lady be hind the morning glories. Miss Susie strained her eyes for a backward wave of Pete Loring's band when he reached the corner of the last fieldv but bis head was turned toward the river, whose yellow current was gradually rising to the level of the steep banks. Once or twice he glanced back at the low browed house lying so I near the bank and felt some degree of relief In the recollection that his own comfortable dwelling was perched on a knoll above highest water mark and must necessarily be a place of | refuge for his less fortunate neighbors, j Six months previous Miss Susie had come from her eastern home to live with her widowed brother, but scarce ly three months bad passed before he had succumbed to an attack of bean disease and thus had left Miss Susie mistress of the hundred acre farm and the well meaning but sluggish Swan son and his capable wife, Sei ma Comely, dark eyed Miss Susan hnd not lacked for advice and vigorous assist ance In managing the farm, for she found kindly neighbors all about her. and Pete Loring had been her chief adviser in caring for the crops that had been planted by the energetic ?brother, but Pete bad spoiled all things by desiring Miss Susie to change her quarters and become the mistress of j the Loring home, and his quiet per sistence bad vexed the usually ami-1 able little woman to the point of an tagonism. "He might know I couldn't make up my mind all of a sudden after being single for forty-five years." she mur mured as she watched him ride out of sight She thought of the miles of | whispering grain fields that divided her farm from Pete Loring's place, and her face grew somewhat anxious. In the northern counties rain hnd fallen abundantly, but In Painted Rock the crops were slowly crisping in the I merciless heat, and now this swelling tributary of the Missouri, fed by the! copious rains at its source, threatened complete annihilation of the harvest. With a little sigh and a sense of guilt Miss Susie responded to Selma's call to dinner. As she ate of the toothsome viands and tasted the de licious berry pie she thought of the hungry little Lorlngs' dining on mush and milk. They were lovable chil dren, helpful, obedient little things, | and it was too bad that they were I motherless: there was only the busy, kindly father and the drinking, igno rant old Indian woman, Mahona, to ??nre for them. "Take one of these pies and a pail ful of the dinner over to Mr. Loring's. Swanson." she said, going around to \ the kitchen door after dinner, and it j was with some relief that she watch ed the slouching figure of the Swede riding down the road, a large basket swinging from one band. It was long after midnight when Miss Susie awoke to the drip of rain on the roof aud the soft rush of wa ter outside her window. There was a sickening motion to her bed, and she was conscious that the furniture in the room was creaking and stirrinn ominously. She called Swanson desperately. There was no response, but she thought she heard a faint cry from outside. It came from above. "The roof!" she said dazedly. "He is up there! Why, the house is afloat!" The floor slanted perilously as she slipped to the edge of the bed and tried to stand upon her feet. Some how she managed to strike a match and light a candle by her side. The ige in Brookside, 15 miles that three Italians nearly been sick 3 months. John Illicitly? read letter below: Brookside, Ala.. May 4,1903. nate casea of continued Malarial Fever. All rds from my store. These cases were of three g from 100 to 104. The doctors had tried every try Johnson's Tonic. I removed all the prlnt )laln bottle aa a regular prescrlpUon. The ef irmanent. They recovered rapidly and there B. P.. SHIFLETT. , ft FEVER TONIC CO., Savannah, Ca. room was in the utmost disorder. The lighter furniture had gravitated to the outer wall and the heavy pieces rock ed to and fro dizzily with every motion of the rocking house. Ornaments and bits'of china strewed the door, and her clothes were huddled among them. She dressed herself hurriedly, choos ing the warmest wraps she could find. She half walked, half slid to the win dow and held her candle to the pane. It was dense blackness outside, but she saw the wavering reflection of her candle flame and knew that the water was all about the house. With chattering teeth she extin guished her candle and felt her way into the entry and toward the ladder which led to the scuttle In the roof. This scuttle led to what Franklin had called his "observatory." a small plat form built on the apex of the roof and which now offered the only refuge to the frightened little woman. She could hear the water swashing about the lower rooms as she clung to the lad der, and as 3he neared the top a gust of cool air and the sweep of rain In her face told her that the scuttle was open and that her farm hand and his wife had doubtless sought refuge there. As her head appeared above the opening and she emerged into the Inky darkness the voice of the Swede came joyfully. "Tank Gottr "Why didn't you call me?' she asked crossly, balancing her plump form pre cariously on the edge of the opening and placing her feet on the top rung of the ladder below. She could make out the dim outline of the figure of the Rocked to and fro. doughty Swanson hugging the chim neys, while bulky Selma was safely wedged In an angle of the roof. Swanson took refuge In silence. And thus the three clung desperately to their several places of retreat, bending their heads before the beating rain, while the little house lurched along | in the embrace of the strong current After awhile it stopped raining, and the black desolation of the night was relieved by the pale, Intermittent rays of a water}1 moon. The gray, scud ding clouds grew lighter as daylight stole over the dripping world. The three people on the roof looked curi ously about them as objects came into | prominence with the coming light. The honse had been lifted from Its frail foundation and swung out from the shore and was drifting slowly down stream. The water had now crept Into the upper rooms, and the eaves of the roof dipped In and out of the swirling current. Strange craft sailed by them. Frag ments of houses, with bits of furniture pathetically arranged In homely com fort, floated slowly by; then the body of a horse or a cow half submerged in the flood. A cock crowing lustily swept majestically along, his half drowned hens clluglng about him on the top of a coop. Then eame a floating timber with a man hanging desperately to one end. He clutched at the eaves as the cur rent whirled him along, grasped them feebly and then, strengthen ing his hold and cheered by the shouts from the party on the roof, drew himself up on the wet in cline with diffi culty. Miss Susie call ed to him encour agingly as he la bo r e d up the Planting roof and pave him a help ing hand on to the platform, where he sank breathlessly be Drlfting slowly down. glde hcr "Why. Mr. Rockwell, this ain't never you!" she exclaimed. "Your wife and your house and"? "Safe, thank God!" he panted. "I was called out to assist the sufferers at Hogan's farm, Just above your place, and the house went all to pieces without any warning, and I am afraid some of those poor fellows have lost their lives." The young minister bowed his head and sighed as he thought. oX.Uie. tssssnt DEajexa of his little flock for deliverance from the scourging drought. Miss Susie shivered, cold and mis erable, on the peak of her roof. The world looked very dreary this gray morning. Her home was swept away, her crops perhaps ruined and? Juat then the house swept around a- sharp bend iu the shore and, car ried swiftly forward by the rushing river, stuck for a moment In the soft mud of the bank. A group of men ran forward and thrust hooks into the window openings. A great hawser had been thrown around a large but ternut tree on the knoll, and to either end there was a hook. The house Btralned away from the bank, but the rope was strong, and presently Pete Lorfng's voice called cheerily: "Air you all right, Miss Susie?" "Yes, I be!" 3he called back meekly. Five minutes later they were all walking up the muddy bill to the Lor. Jng house, where Pete assured them there was plenty of hot coffee. "Old Mahona, she's come back," he said, with a significant look at Miss Susie, who clung dejectedly to his strong arm. "I reckon that there Is the preacher from Painted Rock." he ventured pres ently, with a backward movement of his thumb. "You know R is," said Miss Susie, with a faint return of spirit in her manner. There was a queer feel ing in her throat, and she knew she wanted to (either laugh or "You said you'd come If you changed your mind," resumed Mr. Lorlng as he assisted Miss Su sie up the steps and it,to the honse, "but you didn't suynothln' about bringln' the bouse ? or the preacher ?along too." The little Lor-"We better call it a ings fell upon miracle." Miss Susie joyfully. They clung to her hands and twined themselves about her neck. She looked over their heads and encountered the wistfnl gaze of the father, and her eyes filled with happy tears. "I guess we better call It a miracle, Pete."- she said New Laces and Collars We have just received a now lot of dainty val laces and insertions to match at.6 and 10c Also new lot of baby Irish laces with insertions to match at 5 and 10c We have also a new lot of lace trimmed Dutch collarB at 10 and 25c. Keep cool and comfortable by get ting some of these collars. 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Only a small cash payment necessary. W. K. SEASE U. S. DISPENSATORY Describes the Principal Ingredients of Pe-ru-na. Are we claiming too much for Pe runa when we claim it to be an effec tive remedy for chronic catarrh.? Have we abundant proof that Peruna is in reality such, a catarrh remedy? Let us see what the United States .'Dispen satory says of the principal ingred ients of Femna, Take, for instance, the ingredient hydrastis canadensis, or golden seaL The United States Dispensatory says cf this herbal remedy, that it is large ly employed in the treatment of de praved mucous membranes, chronic rhinitis (nasal catarrh), atonic dyspep sia (catarrh of the stomach), chronic intestinal catarrh, catarrhal jaundice (catarrh of the liver), and in diseased mucous membranes of the pelvic organs. It is also recommended for the treatment of various forms of dis eases peculiar to women. Another ingredient of Peruna, cory dalis formosa, is classed in the United States Dispensatory as a tonic. Is used as a treatment for chronic constitu tional diseases and scrofula. Cedron seeds is another ingredient of Peruna, an excellent drug that has been very largely overlooked by the medical profession for the past fifty years. The seeds are to he found in very few drug stores. The United States Dispensatory says of the action of cedron that it is used as a bitter tonic and in the treatment of dysen tery, and in intermittent diseases as a G?bstitute for quinine. These are not all of the medicinal Ingredients Peruna contains. Suffice it to say that it is a compound of herbal remedies, each one of which has, from time to time, been recom mended by physicians of all schools, for different catarrhal conditions. If yon want to know what the peo ple say send to us for a free book of testimonials of what the people think of Peruna as a catarrh remedy. After all has been said, the best evidence for or against any remedy is the testi mony of those who have tried it COMPARE THESE PRICES! 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L1PPMAN, SAVANNAH, GA. 6 Per Cent. Money on Cotton. The Farmers Loan and Trust Company, of Columbia will advance money at 6 percent, on Standard Warehouse re ceipts for cotton THE STANDARD WAREHOUSE CO. offers the protection ofthe strongest storage company in the South and the lowest rates of storage.- The receipts of this cohpany are good collateral at any bank in this section, and special arrangements have been made with the above mentioned loan and trust company to advance money at the low rate of 6 per cent. Write / STANDARD WAREHOUSE CO, COLUMBIA, S. C. Oraogeb?rg Collegiate [Institute, ; Orangebarg, S. C The school Is in every way worthy of your pat ronage. Course of study thorough, and teaching force equal to the very best that can be found anywhere. The school offers the very best training at a moderate cost. Prospects for coming session brighter than ever before. Business conrse unsurpassed by any business college in the South. Music department equal, to that of any college in the land. Early application necessary Writo today for catalogue and application blank. Ad dress? rREsiPENT w g PETERSON. >j Season opens September 22, 1909. _;_: Why Suffer? ?re you on? of tEe thousands of women iwEo suffer from female ailments ? If so, don't be discour aged, go to your druggist and get a bottle of Wine of Cardui. On the wrapper are full directions for use. During the last half century, Cardui has been established in thousands of homes, as a safe remedy for pain which only women endure. It is reliable, contains no harmful ingredients and can be depend ed on in almost any case. It Will Help You t (Mrs. Charles Bragg, of Sweetser, Ind., tried Cartfai. SEei writes: 'Tongue cannot tell how much Cardui has done for me. Before I began taking Cardui I could not do a day's work. II would work awhile and lie down. I eh all always give praise to tout medicine." [Try Cardui. AT ALL DRUG STORES WOFFORD COLLEGE SPART ANBURG, S. C. HENRY NELSON SN YD ER, M. A., Litt. D., LI. D. ? PRESI DENT. TEN DEPARTMENTS?Gymnasi?m under competent director. Athletic Grounds. Library and Librarian. . Science Hall. Fifty fourth year begins September 15, 1909. For catalogues address J. A. GAME WELL, Secretary.