The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, June 20, 1907, Image 6
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I CONQUEST
| By BOOTH T
J Author of "Cherry,** "M
I COPYRIGHT. 1905. BY
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(Continued from last week.)
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CHAPTER XXI.
r I *HERE was meat for gossip
f a-plenty in Canaan tliat after- j
S noon and evening. There were
A rumors that ran from kitchen
to parlor, and rumors that ran from
parlor to kitchen; speculations that de- 1
tained housewives In talk across front
fates, wonderings that held cooks in
converse over shadeless back fences In
aplte of the heat and canards that
brought' Main street clerks running to
the shop doors to stare up and down
the sidewalks.
Out of the confusion of report the
. judicious were able by evenfall to extract
a fair history of this day of revolution.
There remained no doubt that
Joe Lotaden was in attendance at the
deathbed of Eskew Arp, and somebow
It came to be known that Colonel
Flltcroft, Squire Buckalew and Peter
Bradbury had shaken hands with Joe
' and declared themselves bis friends.
There were those, particularly among
the relatives of the hoary trio, who exnrMopri
the nnlnlon that the colonel
and bis comrades were too old to be
responsible and a commission ought to
it on them. Nevertheless some echoes '
of Eskew's last "argument to the conclave
had sounded In the town and
were not wholly without effect.
Everywhere there was a dipping curiosity
to learn how Judge Pike had
"taken" the strange performance of his
daughter, and the eager were much disappointed
when It was truthfully reported
that he had done and said very
Uttle. He had merely discharged both
8am Warden and Sam's wife from his
service, the mild manner of the dismissal
almost unnerving Mr. Warden,
although he was fully prepared for j
bird shot, and the couple bad found
/ Immediate employment Id the service ;
Of Ariel Tabor.
Those who humanly felt^the judge's j
behavior to be a trifle flat and unsenSatlonal
were recompensed late in the j
afternoon when it became known that
Eugene Pantry bad resigned his posl- |
tion on the Tocsin. His reason for
severing pis connection wua uuimuuuu- ,
Jug. He bad written a formal letter :
U-e judge and repeated the gist of It
to bis associates ! tbe office and ac- I
quaintances upon the street He .declared
that he no longer sympathized ;
Jh? atytude Oj the Tbcsip toward '
his stepbrother and regretted that he
bad previously assisted In emphasizing
the paper's hostility to Joe, particularly
in the matter of the approaching
murder trial. This being the case, >
be felt that-his effectiveness in the j
service of the paper had ceased, and
L be must in Justice to the owner re- ;
sign.
"Well, I'm cursed:" was the simple ,
comment of the eider Louden when hl:t
stepson sought him out at the factory
and repeated this statement to him.
"80 am I, I think," said Eugene wanly.
"Goodhy. I'm going now to see !
mother, but I'll be gone before you ,
con? boms/: ? ??*** , ? .
"Just away. I don't know where," j
Eugene answered from the door. "I j
couldn't live here any longer. I"?
"You've been drinking," said Mr. :
Louden, inspired. "You'd better net '
let Mamie Pike see you." j
Eugene laughed desolately. "I don't
mean to. I shall write to her. Good- j
by," he said and was gone before Mr. ,
Louden could restore enough order out
of the chaos in 41 mind to stop him.
Thus Mrs. Loudeu's long wait at the
,Window was tragically rewarded, and
she became an unhappy actor lu Ca-;
naan's drama of that day. Other ladles
attended at other windows or near
their front doors throughout the after- j
noon?the families of the three patri- j
archs awaiting their return as the time ;
an-n n.ni, nkin to fren- i
ay. Mrs. Flltcroft, a lady of temper,
whose rheumatism coufiued her to a i
chair, had her grandson wheel her out i
upon the porch, and as the dusk fell
and she finally saw her husband coming
at a laggard pace, leaning upon ,
his cane, his chin sunk on his breast,
she frankly told Norbert that although
she had lived with that man fifty-seven
years she would never be able to un
derstand him. She repeated this with
genuine symptoms of hysteria when
she discovered that the colonel had
not come straight from the Tabor
house, but had stopped two hours at
Peter Bradbury's to '"talk it over."
One Item of his recital, while sufficiently
startling to his wife, had a remarkable
effect upon his grandson, i
This was the Information that Ariel
Tabor's fortune no longer existed.
"What's that?" cried Norbert, starting
to his( feet. "What are you talking
about?"
"It's true." said the colonel deliber- I
ately. "She told me so herself. Eskew
had dropped off into a sort of dozemore
like a stupor perhaps?and we
all went Into Roger's old studio, except
Louden and the doctor, and while
we were there talkin' one of Pike's
?lerks came with a basket full of tip
I E ======
of CANAAN J
j 1
ARKINGTON, ' i
onsieur Beaucaire." Etc.
HARPER I* BROTHERS
tL 1
boxes ana packages or papers ana
talked to Miss Tabor at the door and
went away. Then old Peter blundered
out and asked her point blank what it
was, and she said it was her estate?
almost everything she had. except the
house. Buckalew, tryin' to make a j
joke, said he'd be willin' to swap his
house and lot for the basket, and she
laughed and told him she thought he'd [
be sorry; that all there was. to speak
of, was a pile of distillery stock"? i
"What?" repeated Norbert Incredulously.
"Yes. It was the truth,' said the I
colonel solemnly. "I saw it myself.
Blocks and blocks of stock in that distillery
trust that went up higher 'n a
kite last year. Roger had put all of
Jonas' good money"?
"Not into that!" shouted Norbert, un- :
controllably excited.
"Yes, he did. I tell you I saw it!"
"I tell you he didn't He owned (
Granger.gas, worth more today than
II ever Wup. X Jb.tr n? nu^ci 3 aitorney
in fact and bought It for him
before the old man died. The check
went through my bands. You don't j
think I'd forget as big a check as
that, do you, even if it was more than
a year ago? Or how it was signed and j
who made out to? It was Martin Pike
that got caught with distillery stock.
He speculated once too often!"
* "No, you're wrong," persisted the
colonel. "I tell you I saw It myself."
"Then you're blind," returned his
grandson disrespectfully; "you're blind
or else?or else"? He paused, open ,
mouthed, a look of wonder struggling
its way to expression up$n him. gradually
conquering every knobby out- 1
post of his countenance. He struck his
Tat hands together. "Where's Joe Louden?"
he asked sharply. "I want to
see him. Did you leave him at Miss
Tabor's?"
"He's goin' to sit up with Eskew, j
What do you want of him?"
"I should say you better ask that!" j
Mrs. Flltcroft began shrilly. "It's
enough, I guess, for one of this fam- 1
ily to go runnin' after him and shakin'
hands with him and heaven knows
what not! Norbert Flltcroft!"
But Norbert Jumped from the porch. |
ruthlessly crossed bis grandmother's
geranium bed and, making off at as
sharp a pace as his architecture permitted,
within ten minutes opened
Ariel's gate.
Sam Warden came forward to meet
hfm.
"Don't ring, please, sub," said Sam.
"Dey sot me out heah to tell inqulrin' !
a!a Vf A mirrhir
incus UUl I'U U1C .U131 aip uii6ui; ,
low."
"I want to see Mr. Louden," return- j
ed Xorbert. "I want to see him Immediately."
"I don' reckon he kin come out yit,"
Sam said in a low tone. "But I kin .
go in an* ast Mm."
He stepped softly within, leaving
Xorbert waiting, and went to the door
of the sickroom. The door was open,
the room brightly lighted, as Eskew
had commanded when, a little earlier,
he awoke.
Joe and Ariel were alone with him,
leaning toward him with such white
anxiety that the colored man needeJ i
no warning to make him remain siler.t;
In the hallway. The veteran wcs
speaking, audits voice was very weak,
scorning to come from a great din- j
tance.
"It's mighty funny, but I feel like I
used to when I was a little boy. I i
reckon I'm kind of scared?after all. I
Airie Tabor?are you?here?"
"Yes, Mr. Arp."
"I thought?so?but I?I don't see very
well?lately. I?wanted?to?know?tc
know"?
"Yes?to know?" She knelt close be
side him.
"It's kind of?foolish," te whispered.
"I just -nuated to know if you was
still here. It?don't seem so lonesome
now that I know."
She put her arm lightly about him, \
and he smiled and was silent for a [
time: then he struggled to rise upon I
his elbow, and they lifted him a little. J
' It's hard to breathe." gasped the old i
man. "I'm pretty near?the big road. !
Joe Louden'V"Yes?"
"You'd have been?willing?willing to !
change places with me?Just now? I
when Airic"?
Joe laid his hand on his. and Eskew i
emih-d again. "I thought so! And. j
Joe"?
"Yes?"
"You always?always had the?the
best of that joke between us. I>o yon
I
?you suppose they charge admission?
up there?" His eyes were lifted. "Po
you suppose you've got to?to show
your good deeds to git in?" The answering
whisper was almost as faint
as the old man's.
"No." panted Eskew, "nobody knows.
But I hope?I do hope?they'll have
some free seats. It's a?mighty poor
6bow?we'll?all have?if they?don't"
He sighed peacefully, his bead grew
heavier on Joe's arm, and the young
man set his hand gently upon the unseeing
eyes. Ariel did not rise from
I where she knelt but looked up at him
J
A - - 7- \j
"It's hard to br(athc,,, gaftpcd tht old
man.
wnen, 5" littlC'later; ne nitoa ins naua. t
"Yes," said Joe, "you can cry now."
CHAPTER XXII.
JOE helped to carry what was
mortal of Eskew from Ariel's
house to its final abiding place.
With him in that task were
Buckalew, Bradbury, the colonel and
the grandsons of the two latter, and
Mrs. Louden drew In her skirts grimly
as her stepson passed .her in the mournful
procession through the hall. Her
eyes were red with weeping (not for
Eakew), but not so red as those of
Mamie Pike, who stood beside her.
On the way to the cemetery Joe and
Ariel were together in a carriage with
Buckalew and the minister who had
read the service, a dark, pleasant eyed
young man, and the squire, after being
almost overcome during the ceremony,
experienced a natural reaction, talking
cheerfully throughout the long drive.
He recounted many anecdotes of Eskew.
chuckling over most of them,
though filled with wonder by a coincidence
which he and Flltcroft had discovered?the
colonel had recently be^n
made the custodian of bis old friend's
will, and It had been opened the day
before the funeral. Eskew had left
everything he possessed; with the regret
that it was so little, to Joe. *
"But the queer thing about It" said
the squire, addressing himself to Ariel,
"was the date of It, the 17th of June.
The colonel and I got to talkin' It over
out on his porch last night tryln' to
rec'lect what was goin' on about then,
An>?ni>a^ If Ailf that If TT ac tho
auu n c u?gvivu *%. vuv %u??. .? ?. uu vvv
Monday after^rou come back, the very
day he grft ?o upset when be saw you
goin' up to Louden's law office with
your roses."
Joe looked quickly at Ariel. She did
not meet his glance, but, turning instead
to Ladew, the clergyman, began,
with a barely perceptible blush, to
talk of something he had said in a sermon
two weeks ago. The two fell into
a thoughtful and amiable discussion, j
during which there stole into Joe's
heart a strange and unreasonable pain.
The youtfg minister bad lived in
Canaan only a few months, and Joe j
had .never seen him until that morning,
but be liked the short, honest talk
he bad made, liked his cadenceless
voice and keen, dark face and, recalling
what be bad heard Martin Pike
vociferating in his brougham one Sunday,
perceived that Ladew was the
fellow who had "got to go" because his
sermons did not please the Judge. Yet
Ariel remembered for more than a
fortnight a passage from one of these
sermons. And as Joe looked at the
manly and Intelligent lace opposite
him It did not seem strange that she
should.
He resolutely turned his eyes to the
open window and saw that they had
entered the cemetery, were near the
green knoll where Eskew was to lie'
beside a brother who had died long
ago. He let the minister help Ariel
out, golug quickly forward himself
with Buckalew, and then, after the little
while that the restoration of du6t
to dust mercifully needs, he returned
to the carriage only to get his hat.
Ariel and Ladew and the squire were
already seated and waiting. "Aren't
you going to ride home with us?" she
asked surprised.
"No," he explained, not looking at
her. "I have to talk with Norbert
Flitcroft. I'm going back with him.
Goodby." /
rfs excuse was the mere truth, his
conversation with Norbert in the carriage
which they managed to secure to
themselves continuing earnestly until
Joe spoke to the driver and alighted at
a corner near Mr. Farbach's Italian
possessions. "Don't forget," he said as |
* 3 -* *? 1 ? ?? ^aa?i "T S?a rrnt I
De eiosea TUC carriage uwi, * .
to have both ends of the string in my
hands."
"Forget!" Norbert looked at the cupola
of the Fike mansion rising above
I the maples down the street, "It isn't
likely I'll forget!"
When Joe entered the "Louis Quinze
; room" which some decorator, drunk
with power, had mingled into the
brewer's villa, he found the owner and
! Mr. Sheehan, with five other men, en;
gaged in a meritorious attempt to tone
[ down the apartment with smoke.
Two of the five others were prosperous
owners of saloons, two were
known to the public (whose notion of
what it meant when it used the term
j was something of the vaguest as polii
ticians; the fifth was Mr. I'arbach's
closest friend, one who (Joe liad heard!
was to be the next chairman of the
city committee of the party. They
were seated about a table, enveloped
in blue clouds and hushed to a grave
and pertinent silence which clarified
immediately the circumstance that
whatever debate had preceded his arA
W'"'
i rival, it was now settled.
Their greeting of him, however,
though exceedingly quiet. Indicated a
certain expectancy as he accepted the
chair which had been left for him at
the bead of the table. He looked thinner
and paler than usual, which is saying
a great deal, but presently, finding
that the fateful hush which his entrance
had broken was immediately resumed.
a twinkle came into his eye,
one of his eyebrows went up. and a
corner of his mouth went down.
"Well, gentlemen?" he said.
The smokers continued to smoke and
to do nothing else, the exception being
Mr. Sheehan, who, though he spoke
not. exhibited tokens of agitation and
excitement which he curbed with difficulty.
shifting about in his chair,
gnawing his cigar, crossing and uncrossing
his knees, rubbing and slapping
his hands together, clearing his
throat with violence, his eyes fixed all
the while, as were those of his companions,
upon Mr. Farbach. So that
Joe was given to jierceive that it had
been agreed that the brewer should be
the spokesman. Mr. Farbach was deliberate.
that was all. which added to
the effect of what be finally did say.
"("hoe." he remarked placidly, "you
are der next mayor off Canaan."
"Why d:> you tl..:f:" asked the
young uinii sharply.
"Bickoss us here." he answered, interlocking
the tips of his fingers over
his waistcoat, th; t 1 oinsr as n'>ar folding
his hands as lay within his power,
"bickoss us here shall try to fix it so,
nnd so lief ditcided."
Joe took a deep breath. "Why do
you want me?"
"Dot," replied the brewer, "iss someding
I shall tell you." lie paused to
contemplate his cigar. "We want you
bickoss you are der best man fer dot
positsion."
"Louie, you mustn't make a mistake
at the beginning." Joe said hurriedly.
"I may not be the kind of man you're
looking for. If I went in"? He hesitated,
stammering. "It seems an ungrateful
thing to say, but?but there
wouldn't be any slackness?I conldn't
be bound to anybody"?
"Holt up your hosses!" Mr. Farbach
once In his fife was so ready to reply
that he was able to interrupt. "Wh<
hof vnn hAort KnPRk nff bounding? Hef
I speakt off favors? Dit I say der
sboult be slackness in der city gofer'ment?
Litsen to me, Cboe." He renewed
his contemplation of his cigar,
then proceeded: "I hef been tonkin' It
ofer now a couple rears. I hef mate
up my mind. If some peobles are
gombelt to keep der laws and oders are
not, dot's a great atwantitch to der
oders. ,Dot Iss what lss ruining der
foundry, und der peobles iss commencement
to take notice. Efer'reres
In ocler towns der iss bousecl^aning.
Dey are reforming und lndiedlng, und
pooty soon dot mofement comes here?
shoo-er! If we intent to holt der pardy
in power, we shoult be a leetle ahead
off dot mofement so when it shoult be
here we hef a goot 'mlnadstratlon to
fall beck on. Now, dere lss anoder
brewery opened und trying to gombete
mlt me here in Canaan. If dot brewery
owns der mayor, all der tsaloons
buying my beer must 6hut up at 'leven
o'glock und Sundays, but der oders
keep open. If I own der mayor, I
make der ftame against dot oder brewery.
Now, I am pooty sick off dot
ways off bitsness und fighting all times.
Also" Mr Parlmch added, with mae
nlflcent calmness, "my trade iss larchly
owitside off Canaan, und It Isa bedder
dot here der laws shoult be enforced
der same fer all. Litseu, Cboe! All us
here beliefs der same way. You are
square. Der whole tsaloon element
knows dot und knows dot all voult be
treated der same. MIt you It voult be
fairness fer each one. Foolish peobles
bef salt you are a law trlcker, but we
know dot you hef only mate der laws
brotect as well as bunlsh. Und at such
times as dey bet been broken you hef
made dem as mertslful as you coult.
You are no trlcker. We are willing to
help you make It a glean town. Odervise
der flghtin* voult go on until der
mofement strikes here und all der
gi-anks vake up und we git a fool reformer
fer mayor und der town goes
to der dogs. If I try to put In a man
dot I own, der oder brewery lss goln'
to fight like h?1, but If I work fer you
It will not fight so hart."
"But the other people," Joe objected,
"those outside of what Is called the
saloon element?do you understand
how many of them will be against
mer
'It Iss der tsaloon element," Mr. Farbach
returned peacefully, "dot does der
flghtin'."
"And you have considered my standing
with that part of Canaan which
considers Itself the most respectable
section?" He rose to his feet, standing
straight and quiet, facing the table,
upon which, it chanced, there lay
a copy or tue locsm.
"Uud yet," observed Mr. Farbach,
with mildness, "we got some pooty
rlsbecdable men right here."
"Except me," broke in Mr. Sbeehnn
grimly, "you have."
"Have you thought of this?" Joe
leaned forward and touched the paper
upon the table.
"We hef," replied Mr. Farbach; "all
of us. You shall beat It."
There was a strong chorus of conI
firmation from the others, and Joe's
eyes flashed.
"Have you considered," he continued
rapidly, while a warm color began to
conquer his pallor?"have you considered
the powerful influence which will
be against me, and more against me
now, I should tell you, than ever before?that
influence, I mean, which is
striving so hard to discredit me that
lynch law has been hinted for poor
Fear if I should clear him? Have you
thought of that? Have you thought"?
"Have we/thought o' Martin Pike?"
exclaimed Mr. Sbeehan. springing to
his feet, face aflame and beard bristling.
"Ave. we've thought o' Martin
(Continued on page 7.)
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