Newspapers / Forest City Courier (Forest … / April 28, 1927, edition 1 / Page 3
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THEN AND NOW (PART TWO) The House Maid By (Judge) D. F. Morrow HISTORIC ROMANCE. 1865-70 Notice of Copyright CHAPTER 20 ' Yes, Will Rapps had survived, the war was ended, and once more he was upon the grounds of his boy hood. He was about five feet, ten, stood straight as the Indian's tree, that is it leaned a little, and Will did. For his head was always erect and his shoulders thrown back, having the appearance of one acting haugh ty, but it was a natural position with Will. His eyes were blue and large. His hair ginger cake brown and not curly but rather wavy, his skin was fair, but not ruddy, rather clear and the winter winds brought to the surface a cerulean tint. All in all he was a fine'looking young j ' man. Living with the Ohioians for six mbnths and more he had not only learned to read and write, but had taken on a dose of western or Yankee whang in his speech. Captain Fire brand noted this and said, "Will, I j will be darned, if you have gotten ; a Yankee twist in your tongue; but I am glad to see you, and to learn that at least one darned Yank has ] w a heart in him; for you show you * have been well treated." Will thank ed him and told the Captain that there were lots of good people North as well as in the South, but they were different in many ways. Captain | said, "Yes, Will, that may be so, j but there is a big lot of darned ; mean ones up there yet, and I fear they are going to hang many of the J southern leaders before the recon- j struction is finally over. I feel sure if that rapscallion Booth , had not murdered Lincoln, things would have been well for the South; now I fear the worst, but can hope • that I am mistaken. Are you going North soon Will?" "Sure, I am Cap tain, I have provided mother with enough to aid her in another crop and I feel I must go. Mr. Cripsy, the man I have been working for, made me promise. to come back and I can't go back on my word, however, much I would like to remain here." "Yes, go Will, always do what you promise . and your road in life will be easy. There may be thorns on the way jhut you will pass." Will took his leave of the Captain after thanking him over and over for lending his mother the ten dollars. The captain with tears in his eyes said, "Don't mention it, Will, I thought you were dead, and never expected to get it, but feel now that your mother will never want for anything, since her boy has come to life." Many were the scenes like this for years after the war, for there were orphans and widows scattered \ What is more delicious than a cup of tea? J We specialize and invite you to try our i blends. Our choice of groceries will please you, our prices surprise you. KING GROCERY CO. "SUNNY GROCER*' Phone 105 -:- Forest City, N. C. i throughout the land, which is always | the aftermath of war. But Will was above the average. ] He showed it in his face, and his i acts had spoken approvingly to the i Captain. There was manhood in Will j and that always spells success. J Christmas day was cold, wind j blowing from the North west, but Will was on the go, seeing all his old friends, but his only idol he could not see, for she was housed snugly at the Doog home. There were crowds there and Jane busy, but now and again the laughing eyes of Will's danced before her as she made her rounds in the field of choreism in and about the old home. Will felt good meeting many old' chums, and at the compliments paid him by Cap tain Firebrand, and yet there was something wrong within. Before he left Ohio and the Cripsy home, to come to see his mother he had plan j ned what a meeting it would be, and i had also *felt meeting with Jane j would be the climax, but alas, Jane ; had by her action, said go way Will. ! He felt it he knew. She had once lov j ed Will and she felt Will loved her, j and saw it in his eyes, at the wed -1 ding that he was still Will. But could j she give Mr. Peter up, never, for she had learned to love him and then the prestige it would bring to her and her mother if only she could get Mr. ; Doog and become mistress of the Doog home and iorlune. Poor Will I i had been told what was happening |at the Doog home. Madame Rumor said Jane had become concu'oine, this Will resented, but felt he must stay away and in fact was glad when the day came for him to return to his ■ Ohio place of business and forget, if he might, Jane. , If he had lost Jane, he had his J mother, and the respect of Captain . Firebrand, and Mr. Andy Cropsy. ; That was worth living for and he would just go, work hard and forget, | Jane, but would always wish her well. ; Before leaving he told Tom, that was ! my pal, to tell Jane that for him. j I have just said Tom was my pal ! and he was till Humpty Dumpty got j him but he was no more to me then i for he had went and married. I know | Will Rapps felt lonely on that Christ | mas day, for he knew he had lost ; | Jane, and it was no fault of Willis, j but I can't see he was more so than ! I was for I had lost Tom, my fav orite pal. ! Yes, it was a blue Christmas to me, Tom was gone, for Humpty had, | kicking mule, Tom's dog, big hat and the whole push and the worst was ( with me she had Tom. To lose a sweetheart may be bad, to lose money THE FOREST CITY COURIER, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1927. may make one weep, but when you lose a sure enough pal, I mean a childhood pal, be it" a dog, cat, pig or a boy pal it is something to break the heart of a boy as I was then. My mother told me I could go to see Tom when they moved out, but "lordy,', there would be Humpty I said and how could me and. Tom pal \ about? No sair I would never sro— i ' , r°m was gone for Humpty had him, J that was all. I guess Bill felt about | the same way about Jane, I know he said to my mother when telling her i goodbye that he was going back, but that he felt blue." I knew how he felt, when he said that for I had been "blue" ever since Tom had | been taken by Humpty the day be fore Christmas. No I had not' heard Tom coming across the woods at night blowing his o'possum horn, and his old dog Dixie barking every breath. Neither had I seen him coming up the lane on his kicking mule. No I had not seen Tom for two or three days. Not since Humpty took him. The worst thought was I never more would see nor hear him as of old for he was gone, Humpty had him, that's all. i Nell Cripsy was a daughter of Andy Cripsy with whom Will Rapps had hired soon as he was released from prison after the war. Nell was about Will's age, nineteen, about through school and it was she who had helped Will much in learning to read and write. She was very hand some, black hair and eyes. Could ride and drive a horse like a boy. Andy Cripsy had large holdings in the city, but he, his wife and Nell lived out on a tarm on the Ohio river just \ a few miles from the city of Cincin- [ nati. It was here where Will had been employed to work on the farm, tend the cows, looks after the horse and do chores and errands for Mr. Crip sy. It was a great place to live or stay, when compared to a camp life in the Confederate army or a pris on life in war times within the ene mies lines, and such had been Will's lot for tw o years, till Mr. Crispy had hired him. When one's life has been bettered thex-e is satisfaction* and hope re vives, without wrtch there can be no contentment. While he longed to be back home when he went to work but as the days rolled by, and the thought of going home Christmas passed in his mind he was content and happy. He wrote, or got Miss Nell to write his mother, that he was well and would be to see her Christmas, that was in May, and a long time to wait, but he could for Jane would wait, and his mother would be glad. With this thought his work was a pleas ure, and his environments enjoyable, i At nights in his room, he poured over i his books that Nell and Mr. Crispy had placed at his disposal. A month ' past and he could- read, then one , night he found a copy of the a. b. c.'s i on his table. Nell came and'showed! him how to hold his pen. Thus his routine of work in the day and study at nights went on, till the frost along the Ohio began to show of mornings. Christmas was coming fast and soon he would see mother, the children and Jane. He did, mother was glad and the children rejoiced, but Jane had turned away, and in mute language said, "Oh, Will K o away." He did and was back on his job in due time. Will was man all over, had he not been around the Doog home he would have lingered, done some violence, and wore stripes, but he rose above it and said good bye to mother and children, and tramp, tramp, much of the five hun dred miles back to Ohio was his lot but he had said he would go back and he did. The mind of both old and young is a strange machine, and as Will tramped the highways and by , ways the machine worked, and in its revolving, Nell came into his mind. , She had said when he left, now boy, don't go back down south and let some southern beauty catch you. i Why should Nell care, she was too high in social circles for him to even ( hope. He knew where he had been raised, social distinction had always barred such as he, but Nell had said i it and now that he was going back, | and Jane lost to him forever, Nell's j words kept ringing in his ears. Why . he did not know. I i j ' (The End) i Farmers of Anson County sold to one another several hundred dollars worth of implements, livestock, hay and other farm products at the Farmers' Auction Sale held in Wades | boro recently. I Many of us who wonder what our 1 friends think about us might be sur prised to learn that they don't think at all. A Bank Account Means More Than MONEY IN THE BANK V There comes a time in almost every man's life when it will mean a good deal to him to have the recommendation or en- , dorsement of a good bank. You establish your Credit and Reputa tion through honest dealings, proper bank ing connections and paying your obliga tions promptly. ' 1 I We Invite Your Account • ' * \ Farmers Bank & Trust Company • i FOREST CITY - ■ CAROLEEN Increase Earnings Thru Savings f AN EXTRA MEASURE OF SAFETY AN EXTRA MEASURE OF SERVICE l ---
Forest City Courier (Forest City, N.C.)
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April 28, 1927, edition 1
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