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v* * I SPRING IS HERE I ?$ ? 4$ 4? and you want to freshen up your &J J? home in keeping with the season. ^ 4$ See mv new lines of ? 1 * & t ed Boom Suits, Felt Mattresses, Hammocks, i ; 1 Rons and Mattings and Refrigerators. ? )A 4$ I Lppo rnn^tantlv on hand a com. it 4S " "?r ^ ? aw 4y plete line of : : : : 1 COFFINS and CASKETS I ft and am prepared to render my J services day and night. I L. J. STACKLEY. 1 4> THE FfR.MTIRE >IIX. 5 KINGSTREE, - - S. C. ? fi I IrrKf fi H?telS 8 * ?lKflL PiiKKr km'Mi'nrrc 7I V) kJ * wv"v ?j 9/foderate Cost. 8 | ^Perfect jfcting. | Gasoline Engines for any purpose. W c? S. Sngman, Florence, S.C. yl g 1 ~ 1T!* Parlor Market f #? *c * "n?A??AiJ Wanfe Ploli Aoma PAHHTV IA 2 JV1C99CU iUCdbO' A jiouj vuuiv, a vuivi^ r* ? Oysters, Eggs and Full Line 5} j S^sc3a.oy Q-rocerles 5 ^ ? hides wanted ^iqhes^Tmarket ? ^ ):j c prices paid.) tx ? Jj Tixe Faxlox IvCaxIset,, ? ? T. E. Arrowsmith, Agent., ? ? KINGSTREE S. C. ? BLEZAM HARDWARE CO. IS THE HOUSE ' " w ar li/E are headquarters for all ?T? ? <!.? WW kinris of HaHwarp. Guns. Cutlery? Pumps, Piping1, Steam ^w-j... \ 1 ~ l TjTTLfj} j Fittings, Belting, Pittsburg Perj - \ ? *! ( feet Fence, Baib Wire, Crock ffi"""" ^j ery and Glassware, Cooking ?1 *-~l?^#5 Stoves, Builders Material of all kinds, N. C. Pine Shingles, Paroid Roofing, Sash, Doors, Blinds, Lime, Cement, Paint. Farming Implements, Stalk Cutters Cole Corn and Cotton Planters, Guano Distributors^ : : : : SEE US BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDERS. Yours very truly, BLIZZARD HARDWARE CO. LAKE CITY, S C. "A dollar saved is a dollar made" There is no better way to save your dollars than by dealing with - J. L. Stuckey, the old reliable live-stock man. I have a splendid line of Biiti, Wilts nl Ins, that in view of the hard times am offering at 10 per cent above cost. A nice bunch of HORSES and MULES always on hand at prices to suit. J. L. Stuckey, Lake City, S. C. I Rates to James The following rates to the Jan next JYiday. April I'd. have beer Srjis.'ui Ticket >' Scranton $13) >"? $]: Lake City lt? .?() i Cades 11? H5 1 Kin^stree 36 75 SaIters 10 05 1 Lanes 17-0 1 Gourd ins 17 35 1 Coach excursion tickets will b< opening of the exposition and wi week thereafter. They are iin tickets will be sold on the day pi sition and will be on sale daily d tion. f" ? """I) I CONQUEST J By BOOTH T Author of "Cherry,*" ~M COPYRIGHT. 1905. BY I ? * (Continued from last week.) , ? - j CHAPTER XIV. A upon a world canopied with stoma, hong with mourning purple and habited in black, did Mr. Flitcroft turn his morning face at 8 o'clock antemeridian Monday as be hied himself to his daily duty at the Washington National bank. Yet more than tbe merely funereal gloomed out from tbe hillocky area of his countenance. Was there not, I' faith, a glow, a Vesuvian shimmer, 1 beneath the murk of that darkling eye? Was here one, think you, to turn the other cheek? Little has he learned of Norbert Flitcroft who conceives , that this fiery spirit was easily to be quenched! Look upon tbe jowl of him j r?*wl lrtf Kim ttKa Homo maintain thflt aUU it l? UiUi TTUV UWftVW , people?even the very Pikes themselves?were to grind beneath their , brougham wheels a prostrate Norbert | and ride on scatheless! In this his own metaphor is nearly touched: "I ' guess not They don't run over me. , Martin Pike better look out how he tries It!" So Mother Nature at her kindly tasks, good Norbert, uses for her unguent our own perfect Inconsistency, and often when we are stabbed deep in the breast she distracts us by thin scratches in other parts, that Jn the itch of these we may forget the greater hurt till it be healed. Thps, the remembrance of last night, when yQU undisguised!? ran from the wrath nt a PiVa Trlth a nrettv adrl looking on (to say nothing of the acrid Arp, who will fling the legend on a thousand winds), might well agonize you now, as, in less hasty moments and at a safe distance, you brood upon the piteous figure you cut On the contrary, behold! You see no blood crimsoning the edges of the horrid gash in your panoply of self esteem; you but smart and scratch the scratches, forgetting your wound in the hot itch for vengeance. It Is an itch which will last (for in nucb matters your temper shall l>e steadfast), and let the great Goliath In the mean time beware of yon! You rau last night. You ran?of course you ran. Why not? You ran to fight another day! A bank clerk sometimes has opportun'vies. Toe stricken fat one could not understand how It came about that be bad blurted out the damning confession that he had visited Beaver Beach. When he tried to solve the puzzle, his mind refused the strain, became foggy and the terrors of his position acute. Was he, like Joe Louden, to endure the ban of Canaan and, like him, stand excommunicate beyond the pale because of Martin Pike's displeasure? For Norbert saw with perfect clearness today what the Judge had done for Joe. Now that he stood in danger of a fate Identical this came home to him. How many others, he wondered, would do as Mamie had done and write notes such as he had received by the hand of Bam Warden late last night? Dear Sir?this from Mamie, who, in the Canaan itish way, had been wont to address him as "Norb!"?My father wishes me to state that after your remark yesterday afternoon on the steps, which was \ overheard by my mother, who happened to be standing In the hall behind you. and your behavior to himself later on he considers it impossible to allow you to call any more or to speak to any member of his household. Tours respectfully, MAMIE PIKE. Erasures and restorations bore witness to a considerable doubt in Mamie's' mind concerning "Yours respectfully," but sbe bad finally let it stand, evidently convinced that the plain siguature, without preface, savored of an intimacy denied by the eoutext. *' 'Dear sir!'" repeated Norbert between set teeth. " 'Impossible to allow you to call any more!'" These and other terms of bis dismissal recurred { to him during the morning, and ever and anon be looked up from his desk, his lips moving to the tune of those horrid phrases, and stared out at the street. Basilisk glaring this, with no Christian softness in it, not even when it fell upon his own grandfather, sitting among the sages within ea'sy eye shot from the big wiudow at Norbert's elbow. Hotfe/er, Colon*! Fliteroft was not disturbed by the gaze of his dem town Exposition, lestown exposition, which opens i furnished us by the a?,rent here: 7 Days Days iO Days '"arh Kx'-ur-'n ) 25 $1 2 00 $7 50 :> 4o 12 io : to 6 65 12 30 8 10 4 oo 12 55 h :>r. 4 35 12 70 s so 4 40 12 b5 s 9() 4 50 12 95 s 95 ? sold on the day prior to the j 11 be on sal^ Tuesdays of each lited to seven days. The other rior to the opening of the expounn? the period of the exposig of r; AM A AM zj vniinnn \ ARK1NGTON, lonjieur Beiucaire," Etc. HARPER t- BROTHERS ! gcenaant, oeiug, id ract, quite uuawflTfi of it. The aged men were having a busy morning. The conclave was not what It had been. (See Arp and all his works.) There hod come as the years went by a few recruits, but faces were missing. The two Tabors bad gone, and Uncle Joe Davey- could no longer lay claim to the patriarcbshlp. He had laid it down, with a half sigh, and gone his way. Eskew himself was now the oldest of the conscript fathers, the colonel and Squire Buckalew pressing him closely, with Peter Bradbury no great time behind. Today they did not plant their feet upon the brass rail inside the hotel vlnHnvg tint pnnr+ort tha cfninl xrMtli. B I er outdoors and, as their summer custom was, tilted back their chairs iu the shade of the western wall of the buildins. "And who could of dreamed," Mr. Bradbury was saying, with a side glance of expectancy at Eskew, "that Jonas Tabor would ever turn out to have a niece like that!" Mr. Arp ceased to fan himself with bis wide straw bat and said grimly: "I don't see as Jonas has 'turned out'?not in particular! If he's turned at ail lately I reckon It's in his grave, and I'll bet he has if be had any way of bearin' bow much she must cf spent for clothes!" ? "I believe/' Squire Buckalew began, 'that young folks' memories are short." "They're lucky!" Interjected Eskew. 'The shorter your memory the less meanness you know." "I meant young folks don't remember as well as older people do," con tinued the squire. "I don't see what's so remarkable In her cotnin' back and walkin' up street with Joe Louden. She used to go kitln' round with him all the time before she left here. And yet everybody talks as If they never heard of seeb a thing." "It seems to me." said Colonel Flitcroft hesitatingly, "that she did right I know it sounds kind of a queer thing to say, and I stirred up a good deal of opposition at home yesterday evening by sort of mentioning something of the kind. Nobody seemed to agree with me except Norbert. and he didn't say much, but"? He was Interrupted by an uncontrollable cackle which Issued from the inouth of Mr. Arp. The colonel turned upon blm, with a frown, Inquiring the cause of his mirth. "It put me in mind," Mr. Arp began promptly, "of something that happened last night." ,f ; ( .. rrao It*' Eskew's mouth -was open to tell, but he remembered Just In time that the grandfather of Norbert was not the nudlence properly to be selected for Ihls recital, choked a half born word, coughed loudly, realizing that he must withhold the story of the felling of Martin Pike until the colonel had taken his departure, and replied: "Nothln' to speak of. Go on with your argument" "I've finished," said the colonel. "I only wanted to say that It seems to me a good action for a young lady like that to come back here and stick to i her old friend and playmate." "Stick to him!" echoed Mr. Arp. "She walked up Main street with him yesterday. Do you call that stlckln' to him? She's been away a good while; she's forgotten what Canaan la. You wait till she sees for herself jest what his standing In this com"? "I agree with Eskew for once," interrupted Peter Bradbury. "I agree because"? "Then you better wait," cried Eskew, allowing him to proceed no further, "till you hear what you're agreein* to! I say you take a young lady like that?pretty and rich and all cultured up, and it stands to reason that she won't"? "No; it don't!*' exclaimed Buckalew impatiently. "Nothing of the sort! I tell you"? Eskew rose to his feet and pounded the pavement with his stick. "It stands to reason that she won't stick to a man 110 other decent woman will speak to, a feller that's been the mark lor every stone throwed in the town ' ever since he was a bey. an outcast \II4U t # ?.. .* Md 4'.uil4 ub ft preacher's shoes on Suuday! I don't care if he's her oldest friend oo earth, she won't stick to hlni! She walked with him yesterday, but you can mark my words, his poose is cooked!" The old man's voice rose shrill and high. "It ain't in human nature fer her to do it! You boar what 1 say ?you'll never see her with Joe I.ouden again in this livin' world, and she as good as told me so herself last night. You can take your ontli she's quit him already! Don't''? Eskew paused abruptly, his eyes widening behind his spectacles. His jaw fell. His stick, raised to hammer the pavement remained suspended in the air. A sudden color rushed over his | face, and he dropped speechless in his | chair. The others after staring at 1 h#n in momentary alarm followed the I direction of his gaze. Just across Main street and in plain view was the entrance to the stairway which led to Joe's office. Ariel | Tabor, all in cool gray, carrying a big bunch of white roses in her white gloved hands, had just crossed the sidewalk from a carriage and was ascending the dark stairway. A moment later she came down again empty handed, got into the carriage and drove away. "She missed him," said Squire Buckalew. "I saw him go out half an hour ago. But," he added and, exercising a self restraint close upon the saintly, did not even glance toward the heap which was Mr. Arp, "I notice she left her flowers!" Ariel was not the only one who climbed the dingy stairs that day and read the penciled script upon Joe's door: "Will not return until evening. J. Louden." Many others came, all ex- ] ceedlngly unlike the first visitor. Some were quick and watchful, dodging Into the narrow entrance furtively; some smiled contemptuously as long as they were In view of the street, drooping wanly as they reached the stairs; some were brazen and amused, and some were thin and troubled. Not all of them read the message, for not all could read, bit all looked curiously through the ha.'f opened door at the many roses which lifted their beads delicately from n water pitcher on Joe's desk to 6cent that dusty place with their cool breath. Most of these clients after a grunt of disappointment turned and went away, though there were a few. either unable to read the message or so pressed by anxiety that they disregarded it, who entered the room and sat down to wait for the absentee. There were plenty of chairs In the office now, bookcases also and a big steel safe. But when evening came and the final gray of twilight had vanished from the window panes all had gone except one. a woman who sat patiently, her eyes upon the floor and her hands folded In her lap, until the footsteps of the last of the others to depart had ceased to sound upon the pavement below. Then with a wordless exclamation she sprang to her feet, pulled the window shade carefully down to the sill and A lady beautifully drttsed in white dimity appeared in the doorway. when the had done that struck a natch on the heel of her shoe?a soiled white canvas shoe, not a small one?ard applied the flame to a gas jet The yellow light flared up, and she began to pace the room haggardly. The courthouse bell rang 9, and as the tremors following the last stroke pulsed themselves Into silence she heard a footfall on the stairs and immediately relapsed Into a chair, fold Ing her bands again In ber lap, ner expression composing itself to passivity, for the step was very much lighter than Joe's. A lady beautifully dressed ixr white dimity appeared In the doorway. She hesitated at the tbreabolu, not, apparently. because of any timidity (her expression being too thoughtfully assured for that), but almost immediately she came in and seated herself near the desk, acknowledging the other's presence by a slight inclination of the bead. This grave courtesy caused a strong, deep flush to spread itself under the rouge which unevenly covered the woman's cheeks as she bowed elaborately in return. Then furtively, during a protracted silence, she took stock of the new comer from the tip of her white suede shoes to the filmy lace and pink roses upon her wide white hat, and the sidelong gaze lingered marvelingly upon the quiet, delicate hands, slender and finely expressive, in their white gloves. Her own hands, unlike the lady's, began to fidget confusedly, and, the silence continuing, she coughed several 0 =_=l times to effect the preface required ij H her sense of fitness before she felt It proper to observe, with a polite titter: B "Mr. Louden seems to be a gced H while comin'." H "Have you been waiting very long?*" asked the lady. B "Ever 6ince 6 o'clock!" V "Yes." said the other, "that Is veiri m "Yes. ma'am, it oert'nly is." The ^cethus broken, she felt free to useAer eyes more directly and. after a long, frank stare, exclaimed: "Why. you must be Miss Ariel Tabor. ain't you?" 0 "Yes"?Ariel touched one of the roses upon Joe's desk with her finger tips? j J i "I am Miss Tabor." I "Well, excuse me for asking: I'm sure it ain't any business of miDe." I .1 >,? mon_ saiu iiJtr uiuci. ivuivuiucnue *??? ners due one lady from another. "But 1 thought it must be. I expect," she added, with loud, inconsequent laugh- q ter. "there's not many in Canaan ain't heard you've come back." She paused, laughed again, nervously, and agalB. less loudly, to take off the edge of her abruptness, gradually tittering herself down to a pause, to fill which she put forth. "Right nice weather we be'n bavin*." "Yes," said Ariel. "It was rainy first of last week though. I don't mind rain so much"? this with more laughter?"I stay Id the house when it rains. Some people don't know enough to, they say. You've Heard that saying, ain't you. Miss Tabor?" "Yes." "Well, I tell you," she exclaimed noisily, "there's plenty ladies and gen* 'lemen In this town that's like that"( Her laughter did not cease. It became louder and shriller. It had been until now a mere lubrication of the conversation, helping to make her eaaier in Miss Tabor's presence, but ah It Increased In shrillness she seemed to be losing control of herself,* as if j her laughter were getting away with* * her. She was not far from hysteria.' when she stopped with a ?asp, and j she sat up straight In her chair, white* and rigid. -* "There!" she said listening intently. "Ain't that him?" Steps sounded upon. the pavement below, paused for a sec- J|j ond at the foot of the stairs; there wan- ^ a snap of a match, then the steps " ~ "X sounded again, retreating. She sank back in her chair limply. "It was only . d some one stoppln' to light his cigar In toe entry, it wauu i jw miuuch ?- j step anyway." "Yon know his step?' Ariel's eye* were bent upon the woman wonder- .< ingly. "I'd know it tonight," was the answer, delivered with a sharp and pain- ' '3 ful giggle. "I got plenty reason to." Ariel did not respond. She leaned a. k little closer to the roees upon the desk,- ' letting them touch her face and breathing deeply of their fragrance to neutralize a perfume which pervaded tberoom, an odor as heavy and cheapsweet as the face of the woman who had saturated her handkerchief with- "~~ it a scent which went with her perfectly and made her unhappily definite; suited to her clumsily dyed hair, to her soiled white shoes, to the hot red hat smothered In plumage, to the- i restless stub fingered hands, to the ffct- J plated rings, of which she wore a. great quantity, though, surjwlslngiy enough, (he large diamonds in her earswere pure and of a very clear water. It wa3 she who broke the silenceonce more. "Well," she drawled, . 1 coughing genteelly at the same time; "better late than never, as the sayingIs. I wonder wbo it Is gits up all them comical sayingsV Apparently she had no genuine desire for light upon this mystery as she continued immediately:: "I have a gen'Ieman friend that's always glttin' 'em off. 'Well,' be uju 'the best of friends must part,",and. , ,'J Thou strikest me to the bea^T--an. kinds of cracks like that He's real comical. And yet," she went on in an altered voice. "I don't like him much. I'd be glad if I'd never seen him." The change of tone was so marked that Ariel looked at her keenly, to find herself surprised into pitying this, strange client of Joe's, for tears had sprung to the woman's eyes and slid along the lids, where she tried vainly to restrain them. Her face bad altered, too, like her voice, haggard lines suddenly appearing about the eyes and mouth as if they had just been penciled there?tbe truth issuing from beneath her pinchbeck simulations like a> tragic mass reveaiea uy me uispiae^ ment of a tawdry covering. "I expect you tbink I'm real foolish," abe said, "but I be'n waltln' ao awful long, and I got a good deal of worry on my mind till I see Mr. Louden." "I am sorry." Ariel turned from the roses and faced her and the heavy perfume. "I hope he will come soon." "I hope so," said the other. "Ife ' 1 something to do with me that keeps him away, and the longer he Is the more It scares me." She shivered and set her teeth together. "It's kind of hard waltln'. I cert'nly got my share of troubles." "Don't yon think that Mr. Louden will be able to take care of them for you?" "Oh, I hope so, Miss Tabor! If he can't, nobody can." She was crying ' openly now, wiping her eyes with her J musk soaked handkerchief. "We had A to send fer him yesterday afternoon"? m "To come to Beaver Beach, do you mean?" asked Ariel, leaning forwsgd. fl "Yes, ma'am. It all begun out there? fl leastways it begun before thatf with 9 me. It was all my fault. I deser>> all fl thats eomi 11 to me, i guess. I done H wrong! I done wrong! I'd oughtn't never to of went out there yesterday." H| She cheeked herself sharply, but after a moment's pause continued, en- ^Hj couraged by the grave kindliness of the delicate face in the shadow of the wide white hat. "I oughtn't to of HH went," she repeated. "Oh, I reckon (Continued on page 7.) MB HH