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" THE TOWN SQUIRE "Doing very little business today," I thought to myself as I walked up to.th? front door of another house and pressed the bell button. 1 had danvaeeed more theua half of this j small town, and tad made but throe sales. Presently I heard footstep# on the hall floor within and determined to do my beat to make a sale here. The knob was grasped, the I door partly opened, a woman's face j appeared. The instant she, caught sight of me she threw up her hands and exclaimed, "Oh, my goodness," and fell to the floor in a swoon. Horrified by the sight, I did not have the presence of mind to act instantly, hut stood there gaziug at the helpless woman. The next in-, stant some one sprang up on the porch behind me and struck me a blow on the head, which sent me Pealing over the railing to the pavement below. "Murder! Murder!" my assailant was veiling. "He has murdered this ; woman. Hold him! Call the constable ! Run for the doctor." hp cried., Two men ran up, pounced upon me j and pinned me to the ground. Soon two nonstable* ap;>eared. handcuffed j me and raided me to my feet. AM this had taken place so quickly that I was unable to comprehend what it really meant, hut now I understood ray situation. They were; holding ine for the condiliou of that i woman, and I k?**w I must prove my innocence. "Officer," I said, "I have done, % nothing; there must be some mistake." "That's enough of that," said the | officer, stopping me off abruptly. | That game won't work with me. You have struck that woman, and ? mark iuy word, you'll suffer for it." 1 could say no more, but had to make the besi of mv predicament. The crowd which liad now gathered sent up a cry of "Lvnch him!" ami 1 cau tell you my thoughts in the midst of this angry and menu less crowd were far from placid. The officer now came out of the j house. "Did he kill her? Is she dead vet? Was her skull fractured?" were the cries I heard as the crowd rushed to him for information. "She is coming around all right." ; said the officer, "but he must hav? hit her an awful blow, for that gash on her head is a dandy." 1 could scarcely keep from answering this charge, but. knew that pleading to these men would mean nothing, so 1 remained silent. | "March him off to the squire. : Bill," he continued, adddresaing the | officer in charge of me. "1 will be ! there presently." He took s tighter Hfllrl An in if a n?n ...? ? * 1. ? * 1 VU ?uy nu.l, II1C a J tT I I\ II1HI almost threw me from my feet, and roughly said, "Come along here, you." I could make no resistance, and marched by hi* aide to the aquire's : office, with the crowd at our heels, i The sight of the old squire decidedly j lowered my courage. He was one of 1 those curious-looking old country folk, rough in appearance, tall. ; lanky, 9light.lv stooped in fonn, with a long white beard, partly discolored with tobacco juice, and a pair of spectacles poised on his nose, ower which he looked at me with a pair of sharp eyes. 'Die other countable, who had remained behind, now arrived, and the first witness was (railed. He testified thus: "While I wan' walking up Main street today 1 saw 1 a man on the porch of Mrs. Hams' house, but took no particular notiee to him. l*reaently 1 heard an awful cry, turned around and 3aw Mr*. Harris fail backward into the hall. I knew this fellow," pointing to me. | "was the cause of it, and before he could run L sprang over the porch railing, knocked him down and went .to Mrs. Harris' assistance. She was just barely breathing, had blood trickling from an ugly wound in her forehead, and beside her was a stoat stick with whioh he must hare tunned her." "Did you see him hit her?" asked the squire. "No, I did not," answered the wih- | new. 1 could stand this no longer and decided to appeal, regard let* of who had tbe floor. "Squire," I said, "I have been in i moat of 1 hese people's homes today," j pointing to the crowd assembled,: "and have carried nothing with me j but my sample case." Peeling sure that they would at leant tell the trnth in a matter of this bind, I continued: "Ask any of these people if they have seen am with a stick in my hand at any time today." The squire put the question thus: **la there anyone in this room who has seen this man carrying a stick ^ or club?" "Yea, I did," said an untidy-looking man in the corner. "He passed ' my house this morning with a stout stick in his hand, the very stick I aaw on the floor sf Mm. Harm' hall." I / I could do nothing. The"other men of thin crowd, I suppose, considered an opportunity of speaking on this occasion, whether a truth or an untruth, a real honor, for, when questioned by the squire, they all conflrmsd the miserable lie. "That settles it," said the squire. "Bot/' protested I, "you have hot JtfftTU mj siue of Uie i^ueStivS." "J have no need to," answered the bull-headed old man. "The evidence of those citizens has proved that you are guilty. You will he confined in the town lockup until the results of that woman's injuria have been definitely determined. Officers, take him there at once." Out* of the office I waa marched, and headed directly for the lock-up. Imagine mv feelings as I caught eight of that dingy old loek-np in which I waa to be confined. .Inst then I saw an auto approaching at break-neck speed. "If that fellow don't slow up." said one of the <?tficers. "I'll {mil him in." But the car made a decided decrease in s|>eed, and the neit inatant halted at our side. ' "Where are you taking that man ?" n woman occupant asked of the officers. I immediately recognized her by the death-like face which l Imd last seen lying !>efore me in the doorway Sot her home. "Taking him to jail," replied the officer. "What for?" asked the woman, in an excited ione. as she now raised herself from a reclining position to an er?M-t [KXJture. "Now don't get excited," said the innn sitting beside her. who evidently was a physician, "better sit hack and rest." "But, officer," she ooutinued, "you have not answered my question.'' "What!" cried the officer. "Don't you know this man? We are taking hirn to the lockup for attacking you." "Me? Attacking me?" she exclaimed. "That man is innocent. Please take him bock to the squire. I will go with you and show you your mistake." Those words, to me, were like a message from heaven. The offii-ers hesitated, but the phvsiciau insisted on their going, and, upon the request of the chauffeur, we tnree seated ourselves in the auto and whirled hack to the squire's oftit*. The idea of coming before this squire again was not a favorable one.to me, for, after the outrageous decision he had just given. I did not know but that 1 might receive worse treatment at his hands this time. When we reached the squire's the crowd of a half-hour before had gone, and everything was quiet. The doctor, Mrs. Harris, two officers and myself entered the office. "I am sorry to trouble you," said the woman, addressing the squire. "I am Mrs. Harris, the woman whom this man has been accused of assaulting, and I desire to prove hit innocence." "Mrs. Harris," said the squire, "can ?4)ii account for vour ...v?w4.' t ion ?" "Yes, sir," she replied. "1 did net hour this man ring the hell, I opened the door by chance, and the unexpected sight of him caused me te fall to the floor in fright." "Didn't he strike you?" asked the quire. "No, sir," answered the woman. "Well, then," he continued, "account for that gash on your forehead and the stick that lay beside you." She explained thus: 'While falling, I was still conscious., and remember mv head striking the hall rack, causing this gash, and the stick on the floor was dropped there by my little sen. who had been playing horse." "Mister," satd the squire, "you are innocent." My handcuffs were removed. I heartily thanked the woman, but not the squire, and took the next train home.?Philadelphia North American. VENTILATION MUCH NEEDED. Ventilation of motion picture tba? aterrs urgently demands attention in moat ot our cities, in t'luoago, which has about 600 of these institutions, with a daily attendance of about 500,000, the department of health has adopted the plan of issuing certificates to all theatera having ventilation systems of proved efficiency, and urging the public to patroniae no theaters where theee certificates are not displayed. l/?t ua hope, saya the Scientific American, the next object of attack will be the hermetically sealed street car. Coins of mall Value. Doubtless the smallest coin (n the ; Aorld circulates In the Malay per.lncla. simply a thin wafer made from ' .he resinous juice of a tree, and has urrent value of about 1-I0,000th of a em. In the southern parts of Russia the peasants use a coin of such ?mall value that a quarter of a mil* Ion of them are worth no more than 1.25. The old Japanese mouseng was worth 1*112th of an American cent. In Portugal the reis la the loweel standard of value, but no 1-rels pieces are colaei. A Issla piece la efelrales* te tlMtki efsesst THE F BELLES OF DIXIE VIE AT REUNION Brilliant Fetes Planned For Jacksonville Meeting May 6, 7 and 8 To Be Memorable Dates in Florida's Metropolis*? Large Crowd Assured the Reunion City. Jacksonville, Fla?Southern social circles are again taking an interest ia the great social, military and aeutiaiental annual meeting that brings. together a crowd of from 7f>,0<?0 to lr.o.nnn people to do honor to the exConfederate soldier?the reunion of the survivors of the Confederate arm- ] Us. The reunion is to be held this year at Jacksonville, Fla., May 6, 7, S inclusive. It is the flrat time that the ' ex-Confederates have selected Florida as the reunion state, and uncommon ! interest attaches to the meeting here < and throughout the South. Owing it) the comparatively early date of the reunion, the divisions, brigades aud camps made their appointments of sponsors and maids early, and these ladies compose the social side of the reunion. They are known as the official ladies of the meeting, entertained as such, and courted by the entire ?ociai fabric of the South. The Sons of Confederate Veterans, following in the footsteps of their fathere, maintain organizations in every Southern state, aud hold their reunions on the same dates. They appoint sponsors and maids of honor. The two organizations, closely allied, therefore, send to each Confederate reunion several hundred official ladies, selected from the best families of the South, that staud high In the social scale in their com muni ties. .Mapping out a social program, therefore, for a Confederate reunion Is a task that demands the beat of talent la the entertainment lineThere must be dinners, reception*, balls, trips to points of interest around the reunion cities and anything else in the line of social eutertalnment the committee may devise. The crowning event of the week in society, however, is the anuual ball for maids and sponsors, if the reunion is held lu a city where a hall large enough to accommodate several hundred dunciug couples at once can not be secured. a dancing pavilion is constructed for the occasion. This pavilion consists of a large canvas tent, well The Safe Put your^1"*^ in sale Hands Savings Bank W. B. WEACHAM, President aisasasHsasasggsasHsassasaj did y |[{ That we are better & to fyrnish the best o ju CROCERY line? Ti jjj order and you will 1< great advantage in nl filled promptly with < jjj on the market. The K is par-excellent, oui |jn perfect and we gladh jfjl that proves unsatisfa I PARKS CRi I i r;:*, ( tH5a5gS5B5BSag5H5Hra5B5H5i J. J. B> LUMBER - R YOU W IftLw / THIS IS HOW L V Buy 4 gals. L. & M- St 1 I i And 3 gals. Linseed Oi lA / You then make 7 gals If / Anybody can mix the ( LHi Whereas, if you buv CANS, you pay $2.10 The L. V M. SEMI-MIXED RE At. ZINC oiul LINSEED OIL. tin- best-i | (toe ? gal. oat ol any L&M. PA1 fatal madr. rrtara th? faint a ORT MILL floored and (Tght*<f; IT (a also supplied with comfortable aeata oa the grand* stand order, where sereral thousand j spectators may witness th% ball. If ! a reader has not seen one of these an* nual balls at a Confederate reunion he has but limited idea of its alse and brilliancy. Nothing to equal it In splendor can be seen in the United States, unless it be the inauguration ball at tbe national capital, now fallen into social desuetude. If the Inaugu* ration ball 1s put out of tbe contest, ; the annual ball of the Confederate re| union, at which the maids and sponi aors hold sway, is the greatest social function of the United States. The social side of the Jacksonville reunion will be participated in by repr?H*ntatl VPS nf all Snnlli?.n the border states and a few western commonwealths. There are sixteen state divisions of the United Confederate Veterans' Association, as follows: South Carolina, North Carolina. Virginia, West Virginia, Maiyland. Louisiana, Tennessee. Florida, AlaI bams, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, j Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arj kansas. Kach state sends large delegations of young women to the reunion, selected wuh regard to their social standing at home. In addition * to the state delegations, the comI mander-tn-cliief has his own official i ladies, chosen from the South at large. There are thrpe departments, known ? the Army of Northern Virginia de| partment. Army of Tennessee department and Trans-Mississippi department Kach department appoints maids and sponsors and sends them to all reunions. The scope of country covered by these many organizations has about half the population of the United SlP.tes; hence, the interest in a Confederate reunion is always widespread. Society circles in all of this | territory are interested in the Jacksonville reunion, and the event will bring here one of the largest '-rowds of young people ever assembled in : the South. Florida appeals to the young, because of its flowers aud its wonders- its poetry, its songs and its attractive history. Klvers and ocean, gulf and havs have ?n th.i own. The palm and the piue, llveoak and holly, and a hundred other forest trees that abound throughout the state as nowhere else on the contlI nent. Invest Florida with an interest as wide as the nation. Greater inter; est attaches to the Jacksonville re, union than to any recent meeting of the Gonfederaies, and preparations are ; being made to entertain a large crowd of people in May. 3110*1 CII'C IS THE ONLY GENUINE mm salve ;st Hands To handle your surplus earn. ings are these of the veceivI inf teller in our savings bank. T When the money has passed 9^ into his keeping it begins to fiB earn interest for you. it is always secure and ready at your call, and if you add a tjk little to the hoard every week jjk it will soon grow into a small fortune, and from that into a large one. Our reputation is without a blemish. of Fort Mill, I W. B. MEACHAIi, Jr.. Cashier || lasassasasESHggsHSBsasasH -KNOW 1 prepared than ever W >f everything in the n] y us with your next |fl 'am that there is a njj having your orders ID the very best eatables ^ quality of our goods jjj r delivery service is nl y take back anything J{] ctory to you* H Mai DGERYCO. 1 <S. Manager. (j! [g^ggsgsgs^^tesasaggs \ILES, AINTS - OILS rour Own Paint! ILL SAVE 60 cts. PER GAL. MI-MIXED HEAL PAINT. at $'2.10 per gal. - $8.40 1 to mix with it - - - 2.10 . cf pure paint for - $10.50 y $1.50 per gal. 3IL with the PAINT. 7 gals, of rcv.dy-for-use paint in a gal. or $14.70. PAJST is PURE WHITE LEAD tnoii'ri f?.uHf materials for I .X) yi-?r.i. [NT you buy. and it not the best nd get ALL your mooty l?ac*.. * TliviES GREENLAND PARENT j "My sweetheart i? coming to call tonight." "Well, I want you to go to bed by the brat of March; that is late enough to sit up with any fellow." FAVORS AMBIDEXTERITY. Gen. Sir K. Baden-Powell showed a marked artistic skill when yet a child. His family treasures a spiribed drawing which he made of some I Arabs, leading camels through the desert. The leader was represented leaving pieces of paper to mark his track for those who were following. Thus early the head of the Boy Scout movement showed his scouting intuition. As a boy of twelve he had made a collection of excellent i sketches which his mother showed to Buskin, expressing concern, however, that her son drew with his left hand. The master, after examining the sketches with evident pleasure, j said: "Madam, let your boy draw wiih which hand he likes.'* The genj era I has remained ambidextrous and entourages scouts to cultivate tliia useful faculty. Many Like Salomon. "I ain't never heard tell that 'ho i Lord pays taxes or cuts the firewood. ^ or mends the roof when It leaks, or g- Is shoes for the children, and all > them things has got to he done. Solon.on Hatch leaves things he dou't like to do to the Lord. He gets me I ami the Lord mixed up."?Kate j Lanrly Kosher In "The llouse of I lap- . PiUtMK." f Pair you can do it It's easy to gi\ varnish-gloss fii colors. AC CAP is made especia and vehicles of j finish that will ideal finish for s< Masse Edisto High C For Sa McElhane Fort Mil i ? . 1 Quality, Purity tI and Service" is Qur Motto. I I here's only one w ay to know when the other fellow's prices are in line. That is to phone 8 or 14. JONES, the grocer. Phones 14 and 8. > I DISCRIMINATION f > * ^ > ? Should be used in the ^ > choice of the store at + which you purchase t ? ^ou show the t ? best ?f Judsment if \3U*~-?'8. &-%> u"u'uu ,a"s on t JffV-7 this establishment. Z t A visit will impress you with the truth of that ^ ? claim. A single purchase of our Shoes will prove it. ____ i M'ELHANEY & CO. ! ' N . > ^ 7- ^ Li i our uwn Carriage ^ yourself and at little expense, re it a beautiful, hard, brilliant, lish in black or rich appropriate > ME QUALITY LRIAGE PAINT (Neal's) illy to give to buggies, carriages ill kinds, a tough, durable, glossy look well and wear well. An ettees, flower stands, porch furni M re, garden tools and all surfaces i ? - at must witnstand exposure and ird usage. Ready to brush on id the label tells how. y's Drug Store, Fort Mill, S. C. L_ , > f . j Electric | " irade Guano Bitters le by Made A New Man O# Him, "I was suffering from pan in mr stomach, head and hack,"writes II. _ . T. Alston, Raleigh. nTg*4^** my \\ I j()IB liver and kidneyadidnoHrork right, 'J ' hut four bottles of ?le<rte Bitlars made me feel tike anew man." I S Q ^ ? Stacks cf okl j aper for seta at T^a ! -Tknes olBc*.