The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, April 05, 1905, Image 6
n\Voll, sir," said Frye fn n suave
voice, "wo, too, uro looking to soo tho
ends of justico served, but you must
understand that In a mutter of this lm
Sortnnee we must make no mistakes.
,n estate awaits a Claimant, but that
claimant must establish Ills or her
Identity beyond the shadow of a doubt
in order, as you must see, that Justice
may be done."
"Waal," replied Undo Terry, stroking
bis chin with bis thumb and finger
while ho deliberated, "I s'pose I may
ns well tell ye fust ns last. I cum
here for that purpose, an' all I want to
fix Is, If tbar's nothin1 In It yo'd keep
It a secret an' not raise nnj* false hopes
in the minds o' them ns Is near and
dear to me."
"It's a lawyer's professional duty
never to disclose any business confi
dence that a client may confide to
him," answered Fryc, with dignity,
"and In this matter I Infer you wish
to become my client. Am I right. Mr.
Terry?"
"I didn't cum here exactly purposln*
to hire ye," answered Uncle Terry. "1
cum to find What's In the wind, an' If
'twas likely to 'mount to anything to
tell all I knew an' see that them ns
had rights got justice. As I told ye in
tho fust on't, I'm keeper o' the light at
the end o' Southport island, an' have
been for thirty year.
"One night In March, just nineteen
year ago eomln' this spring) thar was
a small bark got a foul o' White lloss
ledge right off'n the p'lnt and stayed
thnr hard an' fast. I seen her Boon
as 'twas light, but thar was nothin'
that could be done hut build a flee an"
stand on' watch tho poor critters go
down. Long toward noon I spied a
bundle workln' In, an' when it struck
I made fast to It with n boat hook
nn' found a bahy Inside an' alive. My
wife an' I took enro on't and have
beeu doing so ever since. It was n
gal baby, and she growed up into a
young lady. 'Bout ten years ago we
took out papers legally ndoptln* her,
nn' so she's ourn. From n paper wo
found pinned to her clothes we learned
her name was Etelkn Peterson, an'
that her mother, an' wo supposed her
father, went down that day right In
sight o' us. Thar was a locket round
the child's neck nn* n couple o' rings In
the box, nn' we have kept 'em nn' the
papers an' all her baby clothes ever
since. That's the bull story."
"How did this chlkl live to get
ashore?" asked Fryc, keenly Interest
ed.
"That's the curls part," replied Uncle
Terry. "She was put in a box nn'
tied 'tween two feather beds an' cum
ashore dry ns a duck."
Fry? stroked Iiis nose roflectlvoly,
stooping over im ho did und watching
Ids visitor with hawk-like cyos.
"A very well told tnlo, Mr. Terry,"
he said at last. "A very well lold tale
Indeed! of course you have retained
all the articles you say were found on
the child t"
"Yes, we've kept 'em all, you may j
he sure," replied Uncle Terry.
"And why did you never make any
official report of this wreck and of the
facts you state?" naked Frye.
"I did nt the time," answered Undo
Terry, "but nothln' cum on't. 1 gUCSS
my report 1? thar In Washington now, i
If It ftlu't lost."
"And do I understand you wish to
retain mo iih your counsel in this mat
ter and lay claim to this estate, Mr. !
Terry?" continued Frye.
* Waal, I've told ye the facts," re
plied Uncle Terry, "an' If the gal's got
??oney eoinin* I'd like to see her git
It. What's goln' to be the cost o' doin' ;
the business''"
"The matter of expense Is hard to '
state In sueh a ease as this," answered
Frye cautiously. "The estate is a large
one. There may he, and no doubt will
be, other claimants. Litigation may
follow, and so the cost is an uncertain
one. I shall he glad to act for you in
this matter and will do so If you re
tain mo." I
It is said that those who hesltoto are
lost, and at this critical moment Uncle
Terry hesitated.
lie did not like the looks of Frye. j
He suspected him to he what he was? j
a shrewd, smooth, plausible villain.
Had he obeyed his first Impulse he
WOUld have picked up his hat and left
Fryo to wash his hands with Invisible
soap, and laid his case before some
Other lawyer, but he hesitated. Frye,
he knew, had the matter in his hands
and might make the claim that his
story was false and light it with all
the legal weapons Uncle Terry so much
dreaded. In the end he decided to put
tho matter in Fryo's hands and hope
for the best.
"I shall want you to send me a de
tailed story of this wreck, sworn to
by yourself and wife," said Frye; "also j
the articles found on this child, and j
I will lay your affidavits before tho at
torneys for this estate and report
progress to you later on."
When Uncle Terry turned his face
toward home his pocket was lighter
by $200.
"I s'posed I'd git skinned," he mut
tered to himself after he was well on
his way home, "an' I recken I have!
A lawyer knows a farmer at sight, an'
when he ketches one he takes his hay!
He's taken mine fur sartin^an' 1 begin
to think I'm n cousnrncd old fool, that
don't know 'miff to go In whou It rains!
How I'm golu' to git tin* wimmln to
glvo up them trinkets 'tliout Mowln'
I've lost my senses Is oue too many
fur me!"
CHAPTER XV.
HB effect of Albert Page's vig
orous efforts to attain success
was not lost upon his friend
Prank.
After their Christmas visit to Sand
gate Albert had applied himself dili
gently to the care of Mr. Nason's legal
Deeds, This brought him Into contact
with other business men, and the fact!
that John Nason employed him easily
Secured for him other Clients. In two]
mouths he not only had Mr. Nason's
affairs to look after, but all his re
Uinlntng time was taken up by others'
He had spent several evenings at the
Nasous' home and found the family a
much more agreeable one than Prank
had led him to expect. Both that
young man's sisters were bright and
agreeable young ladies, and though
little affected, they treated him with
charming courtesy and extended to
him a cordial lnvitntlou to have his
sister make them a visit.
Since the day he had shaken his tlst
nt tlie eloped door of Mr. Pryo's law of
lie Albert bad met that hawk nosed
lawyer twice ami received only n chill
lug bow. The memory of that eon
tcuitlble contract he had tacitly allow
ed Pryo to consider as made brought a
blush to his face every time he thought
of it. but he kept bis own counsel
Once or (wlco he had be. n on the point,
ot telling Krank the whole story, but
had refrained.
In Ins intimate relation; with John
Nason he saw enough to satisfy himself
thai Pryo's Insinuation against that
busy man's character was entirely
false. .Mi-. Nason seldom spent an
evening away from his ho.'ie, and when
he did it was to attend the theater with
hi3 family.
After their visit to Sandgato Prank
and himself naturally drifted into more
intimate relations, and a day seldom
passed that Prank did not step into Ills
ofticc for a chat.
' Don't mind me, Bert," that uneasy
man wonk'. say when ho saw that
l'age was busy, "and if you don't want
IUO lo talk any time, tell nie to shut tip.
1 shan't feel offeiahHl. Tin? fact is I
don't know what to do with myself.
If it were only summer I'd go off on
the (lypsy even If I had to go alone."
One evening at the club he made Al
bert a lather surprising proposition.
Albert, who seldom entered Into any
card games and only occasionally play
ed pool or billiards, was In the reading
room as usual enjoying a cigar and
the evening paper when Prank drew
up a chair and sat down. They were
alone, and as Page laid his paper aside
Prank said:
"Do you know, 1 am getting abso
lutely tired and sick of doing nothing.
Ever since 1 left college I've been an
Idler, and I can't say I'm enjoying it.
I arise in the morning ami wonder how
I can manage to get through the day.
I read the papers, k<> down to the store,
up to the club, down to your ofllcc,
back to the club to lunch and maybe
play pool for an hour or two with
Home poor devil as lonesome ns I am
Or go to tho matinee, and In the even
ing only do I begin to enjoy myself ft*
Uttle. I nm beginning to realize that
a life of Idleness Is a beastly bore, aud
I am sick of lt. t want you to let me
come Into your olHcc and study law.
Will you?"
Albert looked at him a moment,
while an amused biuIIo crept over his
face.
"Do you know what that means?"
bo responded at last. "Do you know
that to read law means two years per
haps of close application aud perse
verance? In my caso I had the spur
of necessity to urge mo on, and eren
with that stimulus It was a dry, hard
grind. With you, who have all tho
money you need and are likely to, It
will ho much worse. I respect your
feelings, and I admire your determina
tion very much, and of course do not
wish to discourage you. You are more
than welcome to my ofllco and law
books, and I will gladly help you all I
can," and then, after a moment's ro
'Jcction, he added, "I believe it's a wise
step, and I'll bo very glad to have you
with me. You can help me out In a
good many ways also that will ad
vance you even faster than steady
reading."
Lie was surprised at the look of
pleasure that came Into Frank's face.
"I had half expected you WOUld try
to discourage me," saltl lie, "and It'n
very kind of you to promise to help
me."
"Why shouldn't I?" answered Tage.
"I owe you n good deal more than that,
my dear hoy, ami when you have been
admitted we will go Into a partnership
If you want to do it."
"Here's my hand on it," said Frank,
rising, "and I mean It, too, and If you
will have patience With me I'll stick
It out or own up I'm no good In this
world." Ho seemed overjoyed, and
for two hours they sat and talked It
over. "When may I begin?" he said
finally. "I want to go at It right
away."
"Tomorrow morning at 0 o'clock
sharp," replied Albert, smiling, "and I
Warn you I shall keep you grinding
eight full hours six days a week and
no let up, until July 1. Hut tell me,
when did tills Idea enter your head?"
"Well, to be exact, it ontno to nie In
the parlor of your house in Sandgate
just at dark tho last evening I was
there, and a remark your sister made
to me was tho cause of It."
A droll smile crept over Albert's face
at this frank admission, but he made
no reply, and as he scanned his friend's
face, now turned slightly away from
him, and recalled that last evening at
home and how Alice had so persistently
devoted herself to the entertainment
(.f this young man, a revelation came
to him.
"So it's that heart breaker's blue
eyes that hove begun to work mischief
in Frank's feelings, is it?" ho said to
himself after In? had left the club, and
!n? almost laughed aloud at tho
thought. "Sis has some rather pro
nounced Ideas about Idleness, mul may
be she has read my young friend a
Us on in a few words. She Is capable
of It!"
When Frank came to the office next
morning, Albert s< t him to work and
rave |;!m nil posslhioemouragoment.
"Mt think rar more of you, "Frank,"" ho
Bald earnestly, "for this resolve, and
when you get fairly Into It you will be
glad j'ou look hold. I believe every one
in this world is happier and healthier
for having an occupation, and certain
ly you will be."
Frank showed a persevering spirit as
the weeks went by and became an
ardent student. In a way, too, he was
a help to Albert, for he could call on
him any time to Und some references
or some decision bearing on a case in
hand.
It was soon after Frank's new depar
ture in life that Allee received a letter
from her brother, and among other
things he wrote:
What wiib It you unlit to Frank tlio last
evcnlm? of oar visit at homo) lie has de?
Olded to study law In my ofllco and ad
mits his resolution to do bo whs the re
sult of n remark you made thon. Know
ing what a lino vein of sarcasm you' me
blossen with, l am curious to know what
?ort of nu nrrow you Ure\4 from your
Quiver that evening^
Hut Albert received no reply to his
question.
HBfigJ a big, good natuieil, polite
boy, rather conscious that he was like
ly to be sought after and disposed to
Bulk If he wasn't. Ills plea fur sym
pathy on tlie score that his life of Idlo
uess was a bore, which In; made the
day they went sleighing, only provoked
her derision, und us she was disposed
to judge all men by the standard of
her self reliant brother, he came near
awakening contempt oil her part. It
was not until the last evening of his
visit that she discovered her mistake
and realized that lie had more depth
of character than she had thought. II
is likely the keen enjoyment which he
seemed to feel when she song for him
had weight, for we are prone to like
those who like us, and It was natural
also that she should feel a little grati
tude for what he had done for her
brother.
Her life, hidden as she was In a by
way corner of n country town and
fleeing no one nil the week except her
small band of pupils, gave her plenty
of time for thought. Once a week,
usually Oil Saturday, she received a
letter from her brother, and that, to
gether with the mild excitement of
Sunday churehgolng, was all that
broke the monotony of her life.
A week after the Christinas visit she
received a package containing a new
book, three of the latest popular songs
and a box of candy, and pinned to tho
candy Frank Xnson's card, on the back
of which was written, "For the girl
who wanted to kiss her teacher."
She wrote a polite note of thanks. It
was midwinter and two weeks after
her brother wrote that Frank had be
gun studying law In his ofllco when she
received a letter from that young man
that surprised her. He wrote:
My Dear Miss Papo?I trust you will
pardon me for IntruditiK myself upon you,
but I wish y<m to know that u few point
ed words spoken by you while I wns en
Joying your hospitality havo not been for
? gotten and have Influenced mo to make
I nn effort to be something better than an
idler In the world. Your brother kindly
consented to 1ft me read law In his office .
? ami ] am now hard at It. I do not Imag
Ino this will Interest you, hut I felt that
I you. hud scant PQBpCCjt for useless people^
OH AFTER XVI.
LIOE PACE'S first Impression
of Prank Xnsotl did not do
him Justice. She thought him
SBO ?s y?u could rightly" BO Vj i;n"iiT in. r
wanted you to know Hint I atu capable of
rising abovo my tilmli'Ks life.
I have recalled so many llpioa all the
llttlo incidents of my vlaft (?> your homo
and lived over Hiokc ev&utnu graced by
your pronoun- and lit by n cheerful flro
tlmo and again. i?" n?>i think me Insin
cere when i assure you that thoy wore
tho most delightful ones l over pan ? id.
If you find tlmo to write a lino to one
who In now a worker In the lilve Instead
of a drone, It will bo gratefully received
by rno.
To a girl with Allee Page's sympa
thetic nature ft ml tender feelings words
like these made her feel she was what
she most enjoyed being an lusplrntlou
and help to others. In this respect
Krank Nnson had read her better than
she had read him, or else some fortu
nate intuition had led him aright, She
answered the letter at once, thanking
him for his Haltering words, but for
bidding him lo use any m< ,v of them.
"I do not like Ihltlorj'," she wrote,
"because no one over can feel quite
sure it is sincere, l will answer all
your letters If you will promise not to
tell Bort we are corresponding. Not
that 1 am ashamed of It by any means,
but he Is Inclined to tease me, and I
love him so dearly 1 can't bear to have
him do 80. 'the little rlrl you sent the
candy lo was both astonished and grate
ful. 1 did not tell her who sent it, for
tlie fact would have been all over town
in a week If I bad, ami I do not like to
be gossiped about. 1 merely told her a
good fairy had sent it, which was bet
tor."
(?net' a week thereafter Alice re
ceived a long letter from Frank and as
regularly answered it.
"Frank in .?,(?!ling along nicely," Al
bert wrote Alice in tho early spring.
"I believe he has tltO making of a ca
pable lawyer in him. lie grinds away
harder than I ever did when rending
law and has never yet complained of
how dry ami dull it all is. lie is a big,
warm hearted fellow, too, and I am
growing more fond of him every day.
He is more devoted to me than a broth
er, and we have made a lot of plan?
I for a month's outing on tho Gypsy this
j coming summer. 1 like his family very
much, ami Mrs. Nnson and both her
daughters have invited me to bring
you down when your school closes to
make them n visit. I think I shall run
up In June and stay over Sunday and
bring Frank witli me. 1 imagine ho
would like to come, for once in awhilo
I overhear him humming 'Men Holt.' "
"A very nicely worded little plot, but
don't you Imagine, my dear Herl, I do
not see through It!" was tho mental
comment of Alice when she read the
letter. "The young gentleman has
bravely set to work to become a man
Instead of a cipher. My brother likes
htm; he whistles 'lien Holt;' my broth
er Is to bring him up here again; I am
expected to fall in love witli Mr. Ci
pher that was and help him spend his
money, and I am to lie barely toler
ated by mamma and both sisters! A
most charming plot, surely, but it takes
two to make a bargain. I think I
know Just the sort of people mamma
and sisters are. lie told me she read
him a lecture every lime ho danced
twice with a poor girl, and now I am
expected to walk into the same trap
and cringe to her ladyship for the sin
of being poor. 1 ^uess not! I'll tench
SCllOOl till I die first, and he can think
of me as having a 'slab of granite s >
gray' to keep me in place."
BTlt this diplomatic "Sweet Alice"
wrote to her brother: "I run delighted,
that you are coinlirg up, for I nm so
lonesome, and the weeks drug so bard!
Bring your friend up, by all means,
Qtid I'll sing 'Hen Bolt' Uli be hates
the na me of Sweet Allee. The country
will he looking line then, and he can
go over to the cemetery and select the
corner I am to occupy. Pardon the
Joke, and don't tell him I uttered It."
To Prank she wrote: "He suro to
Come up with Bert. I will slnj; all the
old songs and the new ones you have
sent me as well. If you come up on a
Thursday you may visit my school
Friday afternoon, ntul then you can
see the girl you sent the candy to. She
wears a called pinafore and comes to
school barefooted."
Alice's tactful r. piy to her brother's
letter, coupled with his own sincere
affection for her, brought hoi' a re
sponse by return mail in tiie form of a
cueek for si<h>, with explicit orders to
spend every cent of it before he came.
CHAPTER XVII.
?N 1AXI >f! ATP. was just budding
I forth in a new suit of green,
?l^^sawi meadows dotted with
ffla^'yCoi daisies, and hero and there a
hunch of tiger lilies waved In the
breeze when one Friday afternoon the
teacher at the north district school
heard a knock.
The class In reading, then In evi
dence, wore halted in their singsong
of concert utterance, and Alice Page
opened the door to Und two stalwart
young men standing there. With a
quick impulse of propriety she stepped
out and closed the door hchlnd her,
only to find herself clasped In a big
brother's arms and to receive a smack
was heard by every pupil in the
little schoolroom. With a very red
face she freed herself and then pre
sented a small hand to the other young
mini with the remark:
"I think you are both just as mean
a.-, you can he to surprise me In this
way!"
When explanations wen1 duly made,
the two visitors were invited inside and
given seats. The class in rending was
Iben dismissed and that in spelling
called to what was now seemingly to
them an unexpected misery. A bomb
shell or a ghost at the window would
not have produced any more consterna
tion than those two strange visitors.
This class, that one by one tiled up 111
front of tho teacher's desk and ranged
themselves In line, stood trembling, and
the boy at the head, to whom was put
the (list word, was unable to utter a
sound. The next one spelled It wrong,
and It was tried by two others and
finally spelled right by a ?Irl who could
hardly do better than whisper it. She
was told to ;;o to the head, and after
thai the rest did belter. The search for
knowledge in that school had received a
! setback, however, for that day, and
1 A lice decided to do the wisest thine; and
dismiss her band of pupils without de
lay. When the room wits cleared of
them she turned to her two callers and
s iid with mock seriousness, "The first
class In deportment will now define
propriety."
"Propriety Is?Is? Propriety," re
plied her brother, "consists i:i two
young men surprising or. ? small and
very saucy Rclioohuu'nin and letting a
1 lot of Impri/oncd boys and girls escape
t? the woods aud enjoy an extra hour
of freedom."
"Not right." Bald Alice severely. "The
next pupil will now answer."
"Propriety," answered Frank, "con
sists In two young men escaping from
tho city and relieving one tired school
teacher from her duly and permitting
her to go and gather llowers if she will.
But -which was the girl you told tho
fairy talo to, Miss Page?" he added as
Alice began putting her books away.
"Tho only ono In tho spelling class
you two bold, bad men didn't scare half
out of her wits," she answered.
Frank walked about tho room, peer
ing curiously at Its rather primitive fit
tings.
"So this is wdiat you call a temple of
learning," he remarked as he surveyed
tho barnlike room. "It is a curiosity
to me, aud the first time l was ever In
an old time country Bcboolhouse. I
should like to peep through one of the
knotholes some day and watch the per
formances and hear a scared boy speak
a piece."
"You had better not try It," answered
Alice, "unless you want two or three
farmers to swoop down oil you armed
with scythes and demanding to know
what you are doing there."
When she had locked the schoolhouse
door they got Into the carriage tho two
young men had come In nnd loft tho
forlorn little templo to the solitude of
the trees and bushos that almost hid it
from sight.
"I will stop in the village," said Al
bert as they drove away, "and leave
you two to go homo or take a ride, as
suits you best; only, mind, be homo by
tea time, for I shall bo hungry."
There is no time when u drive along
wooded country roads is more charm
ing than when he trees are fast grow
ing green and tin; meadows spangled
witli daisies and buttercups.
"Let's go around by tho mill pond,"
said Alice after leaving her brother in
the village. "The road to iL follows the
brook up a mile. Wo may lind a few
lilies in the pond."
Tho brook be?ide which they were
soon walking the horse was a charming
bit of scenery as it came leaping over
mossy ledges, laughing, chattering and
filling the pool-; with foam decks, and
the old mill, with Its great wheel crip,
ping and clattering, and the mill Itself
proved even a greater curiosity to
Frank than the school house, lie hitch
ed the horse, and, helping his fair com
panion to alight, the two went inside
tho mill and watched the rumbling
wheels. Alice Introduced her escort to
the miller, and after they had been
shown tli" mysteries of grinding lie In
Vited them oul to the pond, and after
bailing the old leaky boat so it was
usable the two visitors started after
the lilies.
(TO Hi: CONTINUKD.)
RHKU.MA'I If I'.'vlXS QlK'KLY Ulv
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which its affords is alone worth many
times its cost. For sale by I.aureus
Drug Co. and Dr. B. F. Posey.
85?41.
8
8
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