Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, December 23, 1965 SEC. C—PAGE 15 [ill ®SB@ M you know the way home. Not me I’m tired of working every \ A By Mike Bennett 'The wintry wind brought snow- 1 flakes and sent the flame of the campfire dancing up and down, creating eerie shadows against a background of water, pilings and overhead steel. Billy Smith poked the fire with a stick. “I don’t know, Teddy. Maybe w'e oughta go back home. I never been away from home at Christmas.” Teddy answ'erd with something like a grunt. He had pulled his mackinaw over his head until only his nose and eyes were bare and was nonchalantly studying the flickering shadows on the frame work of the railroad trestle over head. “I know we made a deal, Teddy. But I didn’t think you would de cide to leave home just before Christmas. Couldn’t we wait a while? We can run aw'ay any time. Let’s go back, just for Christmas. Then. I’ll be ready, anytime you say. How about it?” No Dice Teddy pulled down his jacket, sat upright, and pointed his fin ger. “We made a deal, little bro ther. You want to chicken out, Teddy pointed his finger. “We made a deal, little brother.” day on a farm, tired of going to school, tired of being told to ‘do this’ and ‘do that’. We both agree Aunt Alice doesn’t care about us. She just took us on when Pa died so she would have some help around the place. We’re going out and do something for ourselves.” “But, she is good to us, Teddy. You know that. And, I think she loves us. She doesn’t know how to show it, never having had any family of her own. She act? like an old maid because that’s what she has been all her life. Things were getting better, weren’t they? You said so yourself.” Teddy began to poke the fire. “I think she knew we planned to run away.” The wind was even stronger now. The boys lapsed into si lence. Teddy stood up. “I gotta ® SCW. INC. BRIGHT GOOD WISHES! GARDNER INSURANGE AGENCY CITY FINANCE COMPANY JEAN AND L. D. GARDNER find some more firewood . . . He paused in mid-sentence, trans fixed. “You kids got anything to eat?” He was a big man, tall and heavy. His voice was gruff and un pleasant. Neither boy could speak or move. The man moved to the fireside. He reached down and lifted Billy with one hand. “Let’s see what’s in that pack you’re sitting on, kid.” Billy moved to the side, almost into the darkness. “Come back here, kid. Get back in the light where I can see you. You gonna try something? I don t recommend it.” Searching The boys watched in silence as the man rummaged through the pack and began to munch greed ily on the chicken and sandwiches he found there. “You boys running away from home? Eh? You don’t have to answer. I know you’re not regular hoboes. You’re just setting out to be, like me I ran away, just about your age, too. Was gonna find a job and get rich, I was. Didn’t work that way. Never does. A fella pulls up roots, never really sets ‘em down again. I been in jail more times than you boys been to Sunday School.” ' The man finished eating, took the pack for a pillow and stretched out on the ground. “I’m gonna take a little rest. You boys stay put and stay quiet.” Moments later, he was snoring, and alone. The boys had disap peared into the darkness. Deputy Sheriff Clint Parker dropped a nickel into the cross roads pay phone. “Miss Smith? Deputy Parker. I found ‘em. When you said they aimed to catch a freight, I knew just wher£ to look. I think they’re on the way home. They’ll probably be hungry .... You’re welcome .... and a Merry Christmas to you, too.” TREE HISTORY Today the Christmas tree is a symbol of Yuletide gaiety. In early Finland, the Votjak tribe regarded the fir tree as sacred and individual branches were con sidered family gods to which sac rifices must be made. Offerings of bread, meat and drink were given to a tree placed on the mantle; and it was believed a new house should not be built until a fir was placed under the roof, a cloth spread before the tree, and sacrifices placed on the cloth. be yours! We hope our friendship will live thru’ many years! l Summer’s Hobby Shop 1110 CALDWELL STREET—NEWBERRY f/[\ W* < TO ALL OUR KIND PATRONS AL RABIN’S SHOES 1304 MAIN ST. NEWBERRY lOAD* 0 W,T H BEST SY** S fOR Alt/ Right on schedule with joyous greetings to you, our patrons, from the staff & management of CHAPMAN HAWKINS HARDWARE 1319 MAIN STREET PHONE 276-0300 Newberry, South Carolina