Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-12-15
CHAPTER XXVI.
4 LETTER AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

a LETTER AND IT'S CONSEQUf CES.
" Squar hawkins
" this is too Lett Il no that u better
be Keerful hoo 700 an yOre family
tecks cides with fer peepl wont Stan
it too hev the Men watts sportin the
wuns watts robin us, spOrted bi yOr
Foxes kepin kumpne with 'em, Il been
a ossifer ov the Lau, yOr Ha vii bern
as qick as to an yOr Barn tn. so Tax
kere. No NOR ad pressnt."
This letter accomplished its purpose.
The squire's spectacles slipped off seve-
raj times while he read it. His wig
had to be adjusted. If he had been
tIaeatened personally he would not
minded it so much. But the hay
stacks were dearer to him than the ap-
PIE of his glass eye. The barn was
more precious than his wig. And
those who hoped to touch Bud in a
tender place through this letter knew
the Squire's weakness far better than
they knew the spelling-bOOk. To see
his new red barn with its large Nor
mon" hay-press inside, and the noun
ted Indian on the vane, consumed.
was too much for the Hawkins heart
to stand. Evidently the danger was
on the side of his niece. But how
should he influence Martha to give up
Bud? Martha did not value the hay
stacks half so highly as she did her
lover. Martha did not think the rev
red barn, with the great Mormon
press inside and the galloping Indian
on the vane, worth half so much as a
moral principle or kind-hea1ted ac-
ton. Martha, bless her! would have
sacrificed anything rather than for
sake the poor. But Squire Hawkins's S
lips shut tight over his false teeth in
a way that suggested astringent purse
strings, and Squire Hawkins could
not sleep at night if the new red barn,
with the gallopiug Indian on the vane,
were in danger. Martha must be
reached somehow.
So, with many adjustings of that
most adjustable wig, with many turn
ings of that reversible glass eye, the
squire managed TO frigthen Martha by
the intimatIOn that he had been threat
ened, and to make her understand,
what it cost her much to understand,
that she must turn the cold shoulder
to chivalrous, awkward Bud, whom
she loved most tenderly, partly. per-
haDs, because he did not remind her
of anybody she knew at the East.
Tuesday evening was the fatal time.
SpelIing-school was the fatal occasion.
Bud was the victim. Pete Jones had
his revenge. For Bud had been all
the evening trying to muster courage
enough to offer himself as Martha's
escort. He was not encouraged by
the fact that he had spelled even worse
than usual, while Martha had distin-
guished herself by holding her ground
against Jeems Phillips for half an
hour. But he screwed his courage to
the sticking place, not by quoting to
himself the adage, Faint heart new
er won fair lady" which. indeed, he
had never heard, but by reminding
himself that "ef you don't resk moth
in you'll git nothin'," So when the
speiling-schoOl had adjourned, he ST.
died up to her, and looking dreadfully
solemn and q little foolish, he said:
d" Kin | see YOU safe homer"
And she, with a feeling that her un-
cle's life was in danger, and that his
salvation depended upon her resolu-
tion-she, with feeling that she was
pronouncing sentepce of death ON
her own great hope, answered huski-
ly:
mo, thank you"
If she had only known that it was
The red barn with the Indian on top
that was in danger, she would proba-
bly, have let the galloping brave take
care of himself.
1t seemed to Bud, as. he walked
home mortified, disgraced, disappoin-
ted, hopeless, that all the world had
gone down in a whirlpool of despair.
might a knowed it," he said to
himself. "Of course, a smart gal like
Martha amt agoin' to take a big, bur
lv, blunderin' fool that can't spell in
two syllables. What's the use Of try
in? A Flat Cricker is Flat Cricker.
You can't make nothin' else out OF
him, no more nor you can max Chi
ma hog into a Berkshire"