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?rn ~w-*-t^ ?fU JL J J? ?% J* ?T VWVTTVTTTTTV Ge From /f Copyright. 1899, by Doubleday Copyright. 1902 .?. .?- .?- .?. ? .?. .?. .?. .?. .? np 1? v *r v wv v V v VVT V v v v v v N CHAPTER V. HHS bright sun of circus day shone into Harkless' window, IS?S& ?1 an^ **e awoke to find himself ^r*P& smiling. For a little while he 5ay content, drowsily wondering why fee smiled, only knowing that there ^eas something new. It was thus as *i boy he had wakened on birthday Q&ornings or on Christmas or on the fcbnrth. of July, drifting happily ont of ^pleasant dreams into the consciousness <o? long awaited delights that had come tree, yet lying only half awake in a ^cheerful borderland, leaving happiness Undefined. , The morning breeze was fluttering at Sns window blind, a honeysuckle vine happed lightly on the pane. Birds were trilling, warbling, whistling, and from Vie street came the rumbling of wag ^os, merry cries of greeting and > the barking of dogs. What was it made Shim feel so young and strong and light hearted? The breeze brought him the janell of June roses, fresh and sweet ^wlth dew, and then he knew why he Shad come smiling from his dreams. He heaped out of bed and shouted loudly: "^en! Hello, Xenophonr tn answer an ancient very black ^larky, hi3 warped and wrinkled vis =age showing under his grizzled hair c?ie charred paper in a fall of pine T-shes. put his. head in at the door and said: "Good, ma wir, sun. Yessuh. Hit's ?done pump' full. Good mawn', suh." j A few moments later the colored | "^ian. seated on the front steps >f the ?wattage, heard a mighty flashing \vt&3n while the rafters ling with ^?entorian song: * "He promised to buy me a bonny blue ?r?bbon. "i?e promised to buy me a bonny blue tibbOB. ^He promised to buy me a bonny blue ribbon. To tie up my bonny brown hair. """Oh, dear, what can the matter be? "Oh, dear, what can the matter be? . rOh? 4ear, what can the matter be? :. Johnnie's so Jong at the fair!" 'Che listener's jaw dropped, and hi3 trjett?fa opened and stayed open. "Him!" ?? muttered faintly. "Singm'T' the old triangle knew the music I ^ rof our tread; ?low the peaceful Seminole would tremble in his bed!" . r sasg tte editor. *I dunno buce?me it." exclaimed the *^?d mao. "but bless Gawd, de young t^nan happy r A thought struck him "'^soddenly, and he scratched his head. ^*5taybe he goin' away," he said quer ^?ons?y. "What become of ole Zen?* ^T?e splashing ceased, but not the voice, ^hich struck into a noble marching "^?h, my Lawd." said the colored man, ^ pray you listen at dat I" """Soldiers marching up the street. Xfcey keep the time: They look sublime! 33ear them play 'Die Wacht am Rhein.' They call it Schneider's band. Tra la la, la la." /^B&e "length of Main street and al! s??fes^?f the square resounded with the ^af?t?e of Vehicles of every kind. Sine:1 *3atri?est dawn they had been pouring in 3? the village, n long procession, on ev country road. The air wrs fn:i of <*s?bBara?io?;~everybody was laughing ^?Bd shouting and calling greetings, for '"Gasrlow county was turning out and 3)nxn far and near the country people ^JBBiu nay, from over the county line: ^BE?- 'Clouds of dust arose from every 13b?sbUghrare and highway and swept ^*&> town toTierald their coming. Oibb Zane, the "'sprinkling contract ^fiiT bad been at work with the town '^Stmcy^hU baid luck slug 70' brcakfus1." **5atPr<.*art since the morning stars were bright, but he might as well have wa? itered the streets with his tears, which, .^SSideed, when the fanners began to <CfKxoe in, bringing their cyclones of he drew nigh unto after a burst <?a? profanity as futile as his cart. ^CUS'wie das Meer soll deine Liebe sein." ?BKfismed the editor in the cottage. His sa&S?g -had taken on a reflective tone, as of one who cons a problem or j sa&j?sically ponders which card to play. ? '&fc"!was kneeling before an old trunk in i ^bedchamber. From one compart *&BB9tft he took a neatly folded pair of ?stsr?c trousers and a light gray tweed ?C?st?z, .from another a straw hat with a tsri&hon of bright colors. He examined Glasse ?nusingly. They had Iain in the ggfccft, tor a long time undisturbed. He i ? ? *? ? 4.i, ? g. .j ? ,$ ? ? * ? ,|. * ?:? * ? ? !j idiana \ OOTH TA HK.IJVG TO JV 1 _ j ' McCIvr* Co. J !. 5jr McClure. Thfflipj t<SL Co. J ? ? ? ? j? ? . ? ?# ? # ? % % % % % 9 m sT?ook the coat and brushed it. Then laid the garments upon his bed ; proceeded to shave himself carefu after which he donned the white ts sers, the gray coat and, rummaging the trunk again, found a gay pink < vat, which he fastened about bis collar (also a resurrection from trunk) with a pearl pin. He took a 1< time to arrange his hair with a pail brushes. When at last it suited 1 and his dressing was complete, he 1 lied forth to breakfast Xenophon stared after him as he w out of the gate whistling heartily. 1 old darky lifted his hands, palms 0 ward. "Lan' name, who dat?" he exclain aloud. ?"Who dat in dem panjingeri* He gone jine de circus!" His hai fell upon his knees, and he got to feet rheumatically, shaking his he with foreboding. "Honey, honey, baid luck, baid lock sing 'fo' breakft Trouble 'fo' de day be done. Trout honey, great trouble. Baid lock, bi luck!" Along the square the passing of 1 editor in his cool equipments was progress, and wide were the eyes a deep the gasps of astonishment cans by his festal appearance. Mr. Tit and his sister rushed from the po ! office to stare after him. j "He looks just beautiful, Solomoi ! said Miss Tibbs. I Harkless usually ate his breakfc j alone, as he was the latest riser j Plattville. There were days in t j winter when he did not reach the ho j until 8 o'clock. This morning he fou: a bunch of white roses, still wet wi dew and so fragrant that the whe room was fresh and sweet with th? odo? prettily" arranged in a bowl ? the table, and at his plate the large of all with a pin through the stem. I looked up smilingly and nodded at tl red faced, Ted haired waitress who w; waving a long fly brush over his hea *Thank you. Charmion," he sai "Thafs very pretty." "That old Mr. Wimby was here," si answered, "and he left word for yon look out. The whole possetucky 1 Johnsons from the Crossroads pass? his house this mornin', comin' th way, and he see Bob Skillett on tl square when he got to town. He le them flowers. Mrs. Wimby sent 'em 1 ye. I didn't bring 'em." **Thank you for arranging them." She turned even redder than she a ways was and answered nothing, vij orously darting her brush at an ima? inary fly on the cloth. After severi minutes she said abruptly, "You're we come." There was a silence, finally broke by a long, gasping sigh. Astonished he looked at the girl. Her eyes wer set unfathomably upon his pink tie The wand had dropped from her nerv? less hand, and she stood rapt and im movable. She started violently fror her trance. "Ain't ye goin* to finisl yer coffee?" she asked, plying her in strument again, and, bending slightly whispered, "Say, Eph Watts is ove there behind ye." At a table in a far corner of the POOL a large gentleman in a brown froe? coat was quietly eating his breakfas and reading the Herald. He was of a; ornate presence, though entirely neat A sumptuous expanse of linen exhibit ed itself "between the lapels cf his !ov. ! cut waistcoat, and an inch Q2 bedia j monded breastpin glittered there lik< j an ice ledge cn a snowy mountain side. He had a steady blue eye and a dissi pated iron gray mustache. This per sonage -was Mr. Ephraim Watts, who following a calling more fashionable ii; the eighteenth century than in the lat? ter decades of the nineteenth, hat shaken the dust of Carlow from his feet some three years previously at th? orrong request of the authorities. Th; j Herald I:ad been particularly insistent j his deportation. In the local j ?uirstse. Harkless had "run him out o' :?wn." Perhaps it was because thc !>ra!d*s opposition, as the editor had explained! at the time, had been "mere ly moral and impersonal," and the ed : had confessed to a liking for the ^?professional qualities of Mr. Watts. .?at there was but a slight embarrass :.: ?!t when the two gentlemen met to ::y. His breakfast finished, Harkless :ve::t over to the other and extended Isis hand. Cynthia, the waitress, heh: ker breath and clutched the back of a .hr.ir. However. Mr. Watts made no morion toward his well known hip xx-ket. Instead he rose, flushing slight? ly, and accepted the hand offered him. "I'm glad to see you. Mr. Watts." -.rid the journalist cordially. "And a Iso. if you are running with the cir .ns and calculate on doing busines here today. I'll have you fired out of fown before neon. How are you? I You're looking extremely well." "Mr. Harkless," answered Watts. "I cherish no hard feelings, and I never said but what you done exactly right when I left, three years ago. No. sir: fm not here in a professional way at all, and 1 don't want to be molested. I've connected myself with an oil com? pany, and I'm down here to look over <hc ground. It beats poker and fantail all hollow, though there ain't as many chances in favor of the denier, and in ! oil it's the farmer that gets the rake?)!!'. I've come back, but in an enterprising I spirit this time, to open up a new field I and shed light and money in Carlow. They told me never to show my face here again, but if you say I stay I guess I can. I always was sure there was oil in the county, and I want to prove it for everybody's benefit Is it all right?" "My dear fellow," laughed the young man, shaking thcgainbler's hand again, "it is all right I have always been sorry I had to act against you. Every? thing is all right. Stay and bore to Korea, if you like. Did ever you see such glorious weather?" "I'll let you in on some shares," Watts called after him as he turned away. The other nodded in reply and was leaving the room when Cynthia detain? ed him by a flourish of her fly brush. "Say." she said-she always called him "Say"-"you've forgot yer flower." He came back and thanked ber. ."Will you pin it on for me. Charmion?" "I don't know what call you got to speak to me out of my name." she re? sponded, looking at the floor moodily. "Why?" he asked, surprised. "I don't see why you want to make fun of me." "I beg your pardon. Cynthia," he said gravely. "I didn't mean to do that I haven't been considerate. I didn't think you'd be displeased. I'm very sorry. Won't you pin it on my coat?" Her face was lifted in grateful pleas? ure, and she began to pin the rose to his lapel. Her hands were ?large and red and trembled. She dropped the flower and, saying huskily. "I don't know as I could do it right," seized violently upon a pile of dishes and hurried from the room. Har&less rescued the rose, pinned it on his coat himself, with the internal observation that the red haired wait? ress was the queerest creature in the village, and set forth upon his holiday. Mr. Lige Willetts, a stalwart bach? elor, the most eligible in Carlow, and a habitual devotee of Minnie Briscoe, was seated on the veranda when Hark less turned in at_ the gate of the brick house. "<7The~lad.ies w??i l>e clown "right off," he said, greeting the editor's cool finery with a perceptible agitation and the editor himself with a friendly shake of the band. "Mildy says to wait out here." There was a faint rustling within the house, the swish of draperies on the stairs, a delicious whispering, when light feet descend, tapping, to hearts that beat an answer, the telegraphic message^ "We come! We corni! We are near! We are hear!" Lige Wil? letts stared at Harkless. He had never thought the latter wa3 good looking un? til he saw him step to the door to take Helen Sherwcwd's^ hajod^and say, in a strange, low, tense voice, "Good* morn? ing," as if he were announcing, at the least: "Every one in the world, except us two, died last night It is a solemn thing, but I am very happy." They walked. Minnie and Mr. Wil? letts, a little distance in front of the others. Harkless "could not have told afterward whether they rode or walked or floated on an airship to the court? house. All he knew distinctly was that a divinity in a pink shirt waist and a hat that was woven of gauzy cloud by mocking fairies to make him stoop hideously to see under it dwelt for the time on earth and was at his side, dazzling him in the morning sun? shine. Last night the moon had lent her a silvery glamour. She had some? thing of the ethereal whiteness of night dews in that watery light a nymph to laugh from a sparkling foun? tain at the moon, or, as he thought, re? membering her courtesy for his pretty 3peech, perhaps a little lady of King Louis' court wandering down the years from Fontainebleau and appearing to clumsy mortals sometimes of a summer night when the moon was in their heads. - - ... But today she was of the dainties I ?ol.or, a pretty girl whose gray eyes twinkled to his in gay companionship. He marked how the sunshine danced across the shadows of her fair bair and seemed itself to catch a luster rather than impart it and the light of the June day drifted through the gauzy hat to her face, touching it with a deli? cate and tender flush that came and went like the vibrating pink of early dawn. She had the divinest straight nose, tip tilted a faint, alluring trifle, and a dimple cleft her chin, "the dead? liest maelstrom in the world!" Ho thrilled through and through. He had been only vaguely conscious of the dimple in the night It was not until he saw her by daylight that he really knew it was there. The village hummed with life before them. They walked through shimmer? ing airs, sweeter to breathe than nectar is to drink. She caught a butterfly basking on a jimson weed, and before she let it go held it out to him in ber hand. It was a white butterly. He asked which was the butterfly. "Bravo!" she said, tossing the captive craft above their heads and watching *ke fastened her rose in place of the white one. the small sails catch the breeze. "And so you can make little flatteries in the morning too._ It is_ another courtesy ' you Sx-vi?k? Laving from me if weren't for the dustiness of it. WJ till we '.-onie to the board walk." She had' some big pink roses at I waist. Indicating these, he answered, " the meantime, I know very well a L that would be blithe to accept a pr?t token of any lady's high esteem." "But you have one already, a vc beautiful one." She gave him a geni np and down glance from head tc fo< half quizzical and half applauding, b so "quick he scarcely saw lt, anti lie w glad he bad resurrected the straw h with the youthful ribbon and his otb festal vestures. "And a very becomii lio ever a white rose is," she continue "though 1 am a bold girl to be blame ing with a young gentleman I met : longer ago than last night." "But why shouldn't you blarney wi a gentleman when you began by sa ing bis life?" "Especially when the gentleman hi the politeness to gallop about the cou ty with me. tucked under his arm She stood still and laughed softly, b consummately, and her eyes clos< tight with the mirth of it She bi taken one di the roses from her waiS and as she stood holding it by the loi stem its cool petals lightly pressed b? lips. "You may have it-in exchange," si said. He bent down to ber, and si fastened ber rose in place of the whi one in his coat She did not ask hil directly or indirectly, wbo had put tl white one there for him. She knew t the way it was pinned that he hs done it himself. "Who is it that ev'i morning brings me these lovely flo\ ers?" she burlesqued as be bent ov< bei*. "Mr. Wimby," he returned. "I wi point bim out to you. You must s( bim and Mr. Bodeffer, who is the oli est inhabitant and the crossest of Ca low." "Will you present them to me?" "No; they might talk to you an take some of my time with you awa from me." Her eyes sparkled into bis for th merest fraction of a second, and st laughed. Then she dropped bis lape and they proceeded. She did not pi the white rose in ber belt, but carrie it ^".<-f. , ". ..j^wr3-*^"-jf$?%. The square was heaving with a jo? tiing, moving, good natured, happy un constantly increasing crowd that ove: flowed on Main street in both dire< tions and whose good nature augmen ed in the ratio that its size increase* The streets were a kaleidoscope c many colors, and every window oper ing on Main street or the square wa filled with eager faces. By 9 o'cloc all the windows of the courthouse i the center of the square were occupiec Here most of the damsels congregate to enjoy the spectacle of the parade and their swains attended, posted a coigns of less vantage behind the la dies. Some of the faces that peepe< from the windows of the dark, ole shady courthouse were pretty, an< some of them were not pretty, but near ly all of them were rosy cheeked, am all were pleasant to see because of th good cheer they kept Here and there, along the sidewall below, a father worked his way througl the throng, a licorice bedaubed cherul on on? arm, his coat (borne with lon* enough) on the other, followed by J mother, with the other children hang lng to her skirts and tagging exasper atingly behind, holding red and blu< toy balloons and delectable cand: batons of spiral striped peppermint ii tfghtly closed, sadly sticky fingers. J thousand cries rent the air-the stroll ing mountebanks and gypsying booti merchants, the peanut venders, th? boys with palm leaf fans for sale, thc candy sellers, the popcorn peddlers, tin Italian with the 4:oy balloons that floal like a cluster of colored bubbles abovi the heads of the crowd and the bal? loons that wail like a baby: the red lemonade man, shouting in the shrill voice that reaches everywhere and en? dures forever: "Lemo'! Lemo'! Five a glass! Ice cole lemo'! Five cents, a nickel, a half a dime, the twentieth potofadollah! Lemo'! Ice cole lemo'!" -all the vociferating harbingers of the circus crying their wares. Timid youths in shoes covered with ? dust through which the morning polish but dimly shone and unalterably booked by the arm to blushing maidens bought recklessly of peanuts, of candy, of pop? corn, of all known sweetmeats, per? chance, and forced their way to the lemonade stands, and there, all shyly, silently sipped the crimson stained am? brosia. Everywhere the hawkers din? ned, and everywhere was heard the plaintive squawk 0/ the toy balloon. Tn the courthouse yard, and so sin? ning in the very eye of the law. two swarthy, shifty looking gentle.'ien were operating with some greasy walnut shells and a pea what the fanciful or unsophisticated might have been pleas? ed to call a game of chance, and the most intent spectator of the group around them was Mr. James Bardlock. the town marshal. He was simply and unofficially and earnestly interested. Thus the eye of the law may not be said to have winked upon the nefari? ousness now under its vision. It gazed wkh strong curiosity, an itch to dab? ble and, it must be admitted, a grow? ing hope of profit, the game was so di? rect and the player so sure. Several countrymen bad won small sums, and one, a charmingly rustic stranger, with a peculiar accent (he said that him and his goil should now have a sinoot' olt time off his winninks. though the lady was not manifested) had pocketed $25 with no trouble at all. The two oper? ators seemed depressed, declaring the luck against them and the Plattville people too brilliant at the game. [TO BE CONTINUED.] AntSaepttc Baptism. "The Joneses took every precaution at the christening of their first baby." "Every precaution?" "Yes; they boiled the water." Cleveland Leader. a It should be berne in mind that I every cold weakens the lungs, low si ers the vitality and prepare? thc 3 system for the more serious dis I eases, among which are the two I greatest destroyers o? human life, J| pneumonia and consumption. eri&m s j \ Cough Remedy I has won its great popularity by ita prompt cures of this most common ailment. It aids expectoration, re? lieves the lungs and opens the secretions, effecting a speedy and permanent cure. It counteract? any tendency toward pneumonia. ^jPrice 25c, Large Siz? R)tFfSKlBN?YC?RE Hakes Kidneys and Bladder Right THE FIRST DOLLAR SAVED IS .THE BEST.... The Sumter Banking and Mercan? tile Company, of Sumter, S. C., will open a saving department and receive deposits of one dollar and over OP which 5 per cent, per annum will bf allowed, payable^uarterly. The way- to have a bank accoum ls to start, and you will find it eas? enough to keep it growing. Save yow pennies and niekles and you will soor lave dollars. Call and get particulars as to in erest, deposits, etc. Deposits, subject to check solicited SUMTER BANKING AND MERCAN TILE COMPANY, -cr*^' Sumteri C, ^1 Mar 21-tf 4$ FOLETSnONET^IAR for chi ld ns n? safe, ?ure. J?o Opie M Promptly obtained or no fee. Write for our CONFIDENTIAL. LETTER before! applying tor patent : it is worth money. 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TEE Comptroller of the Currency hav? ing approved the increase of the Capital of this Bank to $100,000.00, depositors now have as security for their deposits : Capital, - - $100,000 00 Stockholders' Individual Lia? bility, - - - \00,000 00 Surplus and Undivided Prof? its, - - 25,000 00 Total Security for Depositors, $225,000 00 ONLY NATiQNLA BANK lr? 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. CHTKA, President. NEILL O'DONNELL, Vice President. H. D. BARNETT, R. D. LEE, G. A. LEMMON, JOHN REID, E. P. EICKER. R. L. Er MUNDS, Cashier. R. D. LEE, Solicitor. BOOKKEEPERS. J. L. Mccallum, D. J. Winn, Jr. _Oliver L. Yates._ Cures Colds! Prevents Paeemoa?a . THE BANK OF SUMTERT SUMTER, S. C. City and County Depository. 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