Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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k A *. fc*? **? i*t r*t t*i I^? t^t t*i i^i >*a B*^? t^t *^m. k*j fc** k^- ..^^T. * W *?4 " ? 4- V 4r *y ^JT V ?i^ 4 V V 4 j*** Copyright. 1899. by Doubleday jjj* Copyright. 1902 ' oe et ? ? 9 . . e ?oe?)?? TSfiir ?2? t^g A A ?*a a'** A A A A . A A ?T- A A A A A A rv "4 V ? V V V V AV V . V V V V V V V V V * V W*j v ' "Why? What's going on at the Judge's?" "Goin' en! Didn't you see that strange lady at the lecture with Minnie Briscoe and the judge and old FisbeeV "I'm afraid not Bowlder." "They couldn't talk about anything else at the postoffice this mornin' and at Tom Martin's. She come yesterday on the afternoon accommodation. You ought to know all about it because vhen Minnie and her father went to the deepoe they had old Fisbee with 'em, and when the buckboard come through town he was settin' on the hack seat with her. That's what stir l?? the town up so. Nobody could Ag? ger it out any way, and nobody got much of a good look at her then except Judd Bennett He said she had kind of a new look to her. Thaf s all any of *em could git ont of Jndd. He was in a sort of a dreamy state. But Mildy Up? ton- You kno? Mildy? She works out st Briscoe's" "Yes, I know Mildy." . "She come in to the postoffice with the news this lady's name was Sher? -wood and she lives at Rouen. Miss Tibbs says that wasn't no news-you could tell she was a city lady with both your eyes shut But Mildy says Fisbee was goin* to stay for supper, and he come to the lecture with 'em md drove off with 'em afterwerds. Sol _Tibbs s?ys~he~reck?ned it was^?^?se Fisb?? was the only man in Carlow that Bris? coes thought bad read enough books to be smart enough to talk to ber, but Miss Sehny says if that was so they'd have got you instead, and so they had to all jest about give it up. Of course everybody got a good look at her at the lecture-they set on the platform right behind you and Halioway, and she did look smart What got me, though, was the way she wore a kind of a little dag? ger stuck straight through her head. Seemed a good deal of a sacrifice jest to make sure your hat was on right You never see her at all?" "I'm afraid not" answered Harkless absently. "Miss Briscoe stopped me on the way out and told me she had a visitor." . "Young man," said Bowlder, *you better go out there right away." He raised the reins and cracked to the gray mare. "Well, she'll be mad I ain't in town for ber long aga Ride in with me." "No, thank you. I'll walk in for the sake of my appetite." "Wouldn't encourage it too much Mvin' at the Palace hotel," observed Bowlder. '"Sorry you won't ride." He gathered the loose ends of the reins in his hands, leaned far over the dash? board and struck the mare a hearty thwack. The tattered banner of tail jerked indignantly, but she consented to move down the road. Bowlder thrust his big L: :-d ihroiu.!: thv '.TU curtain behind him and continued ccu satlOEL "See the White Caps ain't soi you yet" "No. col yet." Harles toughed. "Reckon tk?? i:oys "drurlu-r y;.y stay*f? in town after d;.:i;*" the o her ?.: back. "We:!, ronni- c.v.*. a:ui s < A rf you git any spare riiuc from iLe judge's." He laughed loudly again in farewell and the editor waved bis hand as Bowl? der finally turned bis attention forward to the mare. When the flop, flop of ber hoofs bad died out, Harkless realized that the day was silent no longer; it was verging into evening. He dropped from the fence and turn? ed his face toward town and supper. He felt the life and light about him. ?eard tbe clatter of the blackbirds above him, beard the homing bees bum by. saw the vista of white road and ?evel landscape framed on two sides by tbe branches of the grove, a vista of infinitely stretching fields of green, lined here and there with woodlands and fiat to tbe horizon line, the village lying in their lap. No roll of meadow, no rise of pasture land, relieved their serenity cor shouldered up from them to be called a bill. A f::rm bell rang in the distance, a tinkling coming small and mellow from far away, and at the lonesomeness of that sound tie heaved a long, mournful sigh. The next instant be broke into langhter. for another bell rang over the He stopped to exchange a word. fields, the courthouse bell in the square. The first four strokes were given with mechanical regularity, the pride of the custodian who op?rai ed the bell being nf?eman II idtana i DOTH TA"RKIJ*GTOJV *jl _ ?>..> - /3? McClur* Co. %X% \. by McClure. VbiiUps SSL Co. T#4 f C' v Cf ?' ,i****v v *?**?' '?' C' 'X" "I* 9 'I* ?" '?f 'X' 'I' 'X' i1 'X' '1* to produce the effect of a clockwork bell, such as he had once heard in the courthouse at Rouen, but the fifth and sixth strokes were halting achieve? ments, as, after 4 o'clock he often lost count in the strain of the effort for pre? cise imitation. There was a pause after the sixth; then a dubious and reluctant stroke, sev<.n; a longer pause, followed by a final ring with desperate decision -eight! Harkless looked at his watch. It was twenty minutes of 6. As he crossed the courthouse yard to the Palace hotel on his way to supper he stopped to exchange a word with the bell ringer, who. seated on the steps, was mopping his brow with an air of hard earned satisfaction. "Good evening. Schofields'," he said. "You came in strong on the last stroke tonight" i "What we need here," responded the bell ringer, "is more public sperrited men. I ain't kickin' on you, Mr. Hark less-nc, sir; but we want more men like they got in Rouen. We want men that 'Il git Main street paved with block or asphalt; men that 'll put in factories; men that 'll act-not set round like that old fool Martin and laugh and pollywoggle along and make fun of public sperrit, day in, day out I reckon I do my best forjhe city." ~"0h, nobody minds old Tom Martin,' observed Harkless. "It's only half the time he means anything by what he says." "Thaf s just what I hate about him,' returned the bell ringer in a tone of nigh complaint "You can't never tell which half it is. Look at him now!" The gentleman referred to was stand? ing over in front of the hotel talking to a row of coatless loungers, who sat with their chairs tilted back against the props of the wooden awning that projected over the sidewalk. Their faces were turned toward the court? house, and even those lost in medita? tive whittling had looked up to laugh. Mrw Martin, one of his hands thrust in a pocket of his alpaca coat and the oth? er softly caressing his wiry, gray chin beard, his rusty silk hat tilted forward till the brim almost rested on the bridge of his nose, was addressing them in a one keyed voice, the melan? choly whine of which, though not the words, penetrated to the courthouse steps. The bell ringer, whose name was Henry Schofield, but who was known as Schofields' Henry (popularly abbre? viated to Schofields'), was moved to in? dignation. "Look at him!" he cried. "Look at him! Everlastingly goin' on about my bell! Well, let him talk. Let him talk!" As Mr. Martin's eye fell upon the editor, who, having bade the bell ring? er good night, was approaching the hotel, he left his languid companions and crossed the street to meet him. "I was only oratin' on how proud the city ought to be of Schofields'," he said mournfully as they shook hands; "but he looks kind of put out with me." He hooked his arm in that of the young man and detained him for a moment as the supper gong sounded from with? in the hotel. "Call on the judge to? night?" he asked. "No. Why?" "I reckon you didn't see that lad? with Minnie last night" "No." "Well. I guess you better go cit there, young man. She might not stay hen long." T CHAPTER II. HE Briscoe buckboard rattle? along the elastic country road, the roans setting a sharp pace as they turned eastward on tho pike toward home. "They'll make the eight miles in three-quarters of an hour," said Judge Briscoe proudly. He turned from his laughter at his side to Miss Sherwood, vho sat with Mr. Fisbee behind them, .ind pointed ahead with his whip "Just beyond that bend we pass through Six Crossroads." Miss Sherwood leaned forward eager y. "What did you mean last night if?;?r the lecture," she said to Fisbee. when you asked Mr. Martin who was o 1:?' with Mr. Harkless?" "Who was watching him," he an? swered. " Watching him? I don't under .la :id.** **Yes: they have shot at him froir lie '.vends at night and" "i;t:t who watches him?" "The young men of the town. H< .as a habit of taking iong walks af te; ia:-c. and he is heedless of all renton france, so the young men have organ 'i- (l a guard for him. and every even? ir: one of them follows him until be roes t:> tlie office to work for the night. . ; is a different yoting man each night, aid the watcher follows at a distance, so that he does not suspect." "But how many people know of this arrangement?" "Nearly every one in the county ex cept til?' Crossroads people, though it is not improbable that they have discov? ered it." "And has no one told him?" "No; he would not allow it to con? tinue, lie will not even arm himself." "They follow and watch him night after night, and every one knows ai xi no one tells him? Oh. I must say." cried the girl, "I think these are good people!" ; The buckboard turned the bend in the rond, and they entered a squalid seule? ment built raggedly about a black? smith shop and a saloon. 'Td hate tc have a breakdown here." Briscoe re? marked quietly. Half a dozen shanties clustered near the forge, a few roofs scattered through the shiftlessly cultivated fields, four or five barns prepped by fence rails, some sheds with gaping apertures through which the light glanced from side tc side, a squad of thin razorback hogs, now and then worried by gaunt hounds, and some abused looking hens groping about disconsolately in the mire, a broken topped buggy with a twisted S!?c5?l, seining imo the mud "or The middle of ihe road (there was always abundant mud here in the driest sum men ; a dim face sneering from a bro? ken window-Six Crossroads was for? bidding and forlorn enough by day. The thought of what might issue from it by night was unpleasant, and the legends of the Crossroads, together with an unshapen threat easily fancied in the atmosphere of the place, made Miss Sherwood shiver as though a cold draft had crossed her. "It is so sinister!" she exclaimed. "And so unspeakably mean! This is There they live, che people that hate him. is it? The White Caps?" "They c*il themselves that," replied Briscoe. "Usually White Caps are a vigilance committee in a region where the iaw isn't enforced. These fellows aren't that kind. They got together to wipe out grudges, and sometimes didn't aeed any grudge-just made^their raids for pure devilment. There's a feud be? tween us and them that goes hack into pioneer days, and only a few of us old folks know much about it." "And he was the first to try to stop them?" "Well, you see, our folks are pretty long suffering." said Briscoe apologet? ically. "We'd sort of got used to the meanness of the Crossroads. It took a stranger to stir things up, and he - did. He sent eight of them to the peni? tentiary, some for twenty years." As they passed the saloon a man stepped into the doorway and looked at them. He was coatless and clad in garments worn to the color of dust. His bare head was curiously malform? ed, higher on one side than on the oth? er, and though the buckboard passed rapidly and at a distance this singular lopsidedness was plainly visible to the occupants, lending an ugly significance to his meager, yellow face. He was talk lean, hard, powerfully built He eyed the strangers with affected lan? guor and then, when they had gone by, broke into sudden loud laughter. "That was Bob Skillett the worst of the lot," said the judge. "Harkless sent his son and one brother to prison, and it nearly broke his heart that he couldn't swear to Bob." When they were beyond the village and in the open road again Miss Sher? wood took a deep breath. "I think I breathe more freely. That was a hid? eous laugh he sent after us." The judge glanced at his guest's face and chuckled. "I guess we won't frighten you much," he said. "Young lady, I don't believe you'd be afraid of many things, would you? You don't look like it. Besides, the Crossroads isn't Plattville, and the White Caps have been too scared to do anything much except try to get even with the Herald for the last two yeass-ever since it went for them. They're lay? ing for Harkless partly for revenge and partly because they daren't do any? thing until he's out of the way." The girl gave a low cry with a sharp intake of breath. "Ah, one grows tired of this everlasting American patience! Why don't the Plattville people do something before they" "lt's just as I say." Briscoe answer? ed. "Our folks are sort of used to therm I expect we do about all we can. The boys look after him nights, but the main trouble is that we can't make him understand he ought to be more afraid of them. If he'd lived here ail his life he would be. If they get him there'll be trouble of an illegal na? ture." He broke off suddenly and nod? ded to a little old man in a buck? board turning off from the road into a farm lane which led up to a trim cot? tage with a honeysuckle vine by the door. "That's Mrs. Wimby's husband," said the judge in an undertone. Miss Sherwood observed that Mrs. Wimby's husband was remarkable for the exceeding plaintiveness of his ex? pression. He was a weazened, blank, pale eyed little man. with a thin white mist of neck whisker, and he was dressed in clothes much too large for him. No more inoffensive figure than this feeble little cid man cor jd be im? agined, yet his was the distinction of having received a hostile visit from his neighbors of the Crossroads. A vaga? bonding tinker, he had married the one respectable person of the section, a widow, who had refused several gen? tlemen at the Crossroads, and so com? plete was the bridegroom's insignifi? cance that to all the world his own name was lost. The bride continued to be known by her former name as "Mrs. Wini by," and her spouse was usually called "Widder Woman Wimby's hus? band" or "Mr. Wimby." The bride sup plied his wardrobe with the garments of her former husband, and, alleging this proceeding as the cause of their anger, the White Caps brose into the farniTiouse one rilgliVtore The old mali from his bed and before his wife's eyes lashed him with sapling shoo s till he was near to death. A little yellow cur that had followed his maste: on his wanderings was found licking the old man's wounds, and they deluged the dog with kerosene and then threw the poor animal upon a bonlire they had made and danced around in heartiest enjoyment. The man recovered, but that was no palliation of the offense to tin- mind of a hot eyed young man from ile' cast who was besieging the county authori? ties for redress and writing brimstone and saltpeter for his paper. Tin' pow? ers of the county proving either lack- ; adaisical or timorous, he appealed to i those of the state, and he went every j nig^to^oep_at_a farmhouse the own i rom i:.-' V.'bi Lc Caps, and one night i: leif}]] he was rewarded, for ti; Hiders attempted ;in entrance. He and Lie fanner and the farmer's sous beat ?ft tii!' marauders and did a satisfacto? ry amount: of damage in return. Two >r the White Caps they captured and uorrnd, and others they recognized. Thou the state authorities hearkened to the voice of the Herald and its owner. There were arrests, and in the course of time there was a trial. Every pris? oner proved an alibi-could have proved :i dozen-but the editor of the Herald, after virtually conducting the prosecu? tion, went upon the stand and swore to man nf ter man. Eight men went to the penitentiary on his evidence, five of them for twenty years. The Platt ville brass band serenaded the editor of the Herald again. There were no more raids, and the Six Crossroads mee who were left kept to their hovels, appalled and shaken, but as time went by and left them un? molested they recovered a measure of their hardiness and began to think on what they should do to the man who had brought misfortune and terror up? on them. For a long time he had been publishing their threatening letters and warnings in a column which he headed "Humor of the Day." When the Briscoe buckboard had left the Crossroads far behind and had come in sight of Plattville Mr. Bris coe's visitor turned to Fisbee with a repetition of the shiver that the laugh? ter of Mr. Skillett had caused . her and said half under her breath, "I wish-I half wish-that we had not djnven through there." She clasped Mr. Fis bee's hand gently. His eyes shone. He touched her fingers with a strange, shy reverence. "You will meet him tomorrow," he said softly. She laughed and pressed his hand, i'm afraid net. I was almost at his side last night when Minnie asked him to call on me. He wasn't even inter? ested enough to look at me." * * * * * * * Something over two hours later, as Mr. Tom Martin was putting things to rights in his domain, the Dry Goods Emporium, previous to his departure for the evening's gossip and checkers at the drug store, he stumbled over something soft lying on the floor be? hind a counter. The thing rose and would have evaded him, but he put out his hands and pinioned it and dragged it to the show window, where the light of the fading day defined his capture. The capture shrieked and squirmed and fought earnestly. Grasped by the shoulder, he held a lean, fierce eyed, undersized girl of fourteen elad in one ragged cotton garment, unless the coat of dust she wore over all might be es? teemed another. Her cheeks were sal? low, and her brow was already shrewd? ly lined, and her eyes were as hypo? critical as they wen? savage. She was very thin and little, but old Tom's brown face grew a shade nearer white when the light fell upon her. "You're no Plattville girl," he said sharply. "You lie!" cried the child. "You lie! I am! You leave me go, will you? I'm lookin' fer pap. and you're a liar!" "You crawled in here to sleep after your seven mile walk, didn't you?" Martin went on. "You're a liar!" she screamed. "Look here." said Martin slowly, "you go back io Six Crossroads and tell your folks th it if anything happens to a hair of Mr. H:< kless' head every shanty in your town will burn, and your grandfather, and your father, and your uncles, and y< ur brothers, and your cousins, and your second cousins, and your third cousins will never have the good luck to see the penitentiary Reckon you can remember that mes? sage? But before I iet you go to carry it I guess you might as well hand out the paper they sent you over heiv with." His prisoner fell into a paroxysm of rage. "PU fjlt pap to kill yd" Til git pap to kill ye!" she shrieked, striking at him. "I don't know nothin' 'bout yer Six Crossroads, ncr no pa? pers, uer yer Mr. Hurkels neither, ner you, ye razorbacked ole devil. Pap 'll kill ye! Leave me go! Leave me go! Pap 'll kill ye! I'll git him to kill ye!" Suddenly her struggles ceas? ed, her eyes closed, her tense iittle mus? cles relaxed, and she drooped toward the floor. The old man shifted his grip to support her. and in an instant she twisted out of his hands and sprang out of reach, her eyes shining with tri? umph and venom. "Yalmy, Mr. Razorback!" she shrill? ed. "How's that fer high? Pap 'll kill ye Sunday! YeTl be screecbin' in hell in a week, an' we 'nil set up an' drink our applejack an' lafiT' fTO BE CONTIXt'En.] The baby does more to cut down the , business of the divorce courts than all the grown people combined.-Dallas ; News. Tor Infants an? Children. Fha Kind You Have ?Sways Bough! Bears the Signatare o? THE FIRST DOLLAR MED BEST. Thc Sumter Banking and Mercan? tile Company, of Sumter, S. C.. will open a saving department and receive deposits of one dollar and over on which 5 per cent, per annum will be allowed, payable^quarterly. The way to have a bank account Ls to start, and you will find it eas? enough to keep it growing. >Save you; pennies and Hickies and you will soon nave dollars. Call and get particulars as to fri? erest, deposits, etc. Deposits, subject to check solicited. SUMTER BANKING AND MERCAN? TILE COMPANY, Sumter, S. C. Mar 21-tf 1 It should be borne in mind that every cold weakens the lungs, low? ers the vitality and preparer the system for the more serious dis? eases, among which are the two greatest destroyers of human Iii?, pneumonia and consumption. Chamberlain's Cough Remedy has won its great popularity by ita prompt cures of this most common ailment. It aids expectoration, re? lieves the lungs and opens the secretions, effecting a speedy and permanent cure. It counteracts any tendency toward pneumonia. I^Price 25c, Large Size 50c^ PATENTS Promptly obtained or no fee. Write for our CONFIDENTIAL. LETTER before applying for patent; it is worth money. We obtain PATENTS THAT PAY, and help inventors to success. Send model, photo or sketch, and we send IMMEDIATE FREE REPORT ON PAT? ENTABILITY. 20 years'practice. Regis? tered Patent Lawyers. Write or come to ns at 505-507, 7th St. WASHINGTON, D. C. irani 50 YEARS' EXPERIENCE TRADE MARKS DESIGNS COPYRIGHTS &C. Anvone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an invention is prohablv patentable. Cnmmnnira tionsstrictlyconrldenti.il. Handbook on Patents bent free. Oldest acency for recuring patents. Patents taken through 3Iunn A Co. receive tptcUil notice, without cbanre, in the A, bandsomo?v illustrated we*?!:tv. ? -c.-tyjr iolatio.i ci anyscttntitio .1 !ji.-.:?!. ': ": ?.> a ve:?r: 'ourmonths,$L bcd l-/s?i ?? er? Tis Lar^gs? ai loi! Csileff i?i?lffieii? M Geo, S. Hacker & Sob -M A N UF A CT R ERS OF DOORS, SASH) BUNDS, Moulding & Building Material, iffiee acii Wareroomv Kin*., "ppoaite Cs DOD Street, CHARLESTON, S. C. jSf Purea?:?*- oar mnke, wbicb we guaran; snp?rior to anv sold South, and thereon save money Window and Fancy Glass a Specialtj October 16 - o THE "BOSS" COTTON PR?S5! SIMPLEST. STRONGEST. BEST THE MURRAY GINNING SYSTEM Gins. Feeders, Condei.sers. Etc. GIBBES MACHINERY CO. Columbia, <S. C. DeLORHE'S PHARMACY, 23 South Main St Open from 7 a. m. to 10 p. m. ; Sunday, 9 a. m to 1 p. m. Having consolidated mv two stores, I will be pleased to see all my customers at the above stan-i where I am better pre? pared than ever to eeive them. Your prescriptions will be called for and delivered. Phone 45. Full line of Drugs, Garden ?eec! and Cigars. Your patronage solicited. Call bell for ni^ht work. MONEY PICKED UP!! BY Writing Life Insurance In The Fenn Mutual Insurance Go. I I BE RAL contracts to live agents *-* in unoccupied territory. ADDRESS PERRY HOSES. JU. Genera! Agent, Sumter, S. G. $100,000.00 Capital. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK of Sumter, S. C. THE Comptroller of the Currency hav? ing approved the increase of the Capital of ?his Bank to $100,000.00, depositors now have as security for their deposits : Capital, - - $100,000 00 Stockholders' Individual Lia? bility, - - - - 100,000 00 Surplus and Undivided Prof? its, - - - 25,000 00 Total Security for Depositors, $225,000 00 ONLY NATIONLA BANK lb CITY OF SUMTER. Largest Capital of any Bank in this section of South Carolina. Strongest Bank in Eastern part of this State. Interest allowed on deposits to a limited amount. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. A. J. CHINA, President. NEILL O'DONNELL, Vice President. H. D. BARNETT, R. D. LEE, Gr. A. LEMMON, JOHN REID, E. P. KICKER. R. L. EE MUNDS, Cashier. B. D. LEE, Solicitor. BOOKKEEPERS. J. L. MCCPHU?Q, D. J. Winn. Jr. Oliver L. Yates. THE BANK OF SUMTER. SUB?TER, S. C. City and County Depository. Capital stock paid in, $75.000 00 Undivided surplus, 16^000 00 Individual liability of stockhold? ers in excess of their stock, 75.000 00 Transacts a general banking business; also has a Saving Bank Department. De? posits of $1 and upward received. Inter? est allowed at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually. W. F. B. HAYNS WORTH. President R. L MANNING, W. F. RHAME, vice-President. Cashier. Jan. 31. THE SUMTER ?83 BM. HORACE HARB Y. President. I. C. STRAUSS. Vice-president. GEO. L. RICP'.ER, Cashier. Capital Stock, $25,000 Liability of Stockholders, 2^000 MU li}!!! rr ?r~^|ft:?Rfl ; ^., .!? : ! j fe ! p8? . S ?! ::i? :^-;e:? ' ' jjw^^^^g ' . -.j Every Facility For the transaction of business is afford? ed those who deposit their money with The Sumter Savings Bank. Ia.portant papers can be drawn up and signed in a private room set aside for use of our clients and any information de sired will be cheerfully furnished by the management. Sawngs deposited here draw interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum. $1.00 will open an account and secure a bank book.