Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-23
Miscellany.
THE DEACON'S PLOT.

THE DEACON'S PLOT.
A REASONABLY good man was Deacon
Pi1sey, as times went, but if he had a
weakness 1t was for making things in
general go about as he wanted them to.
Not an overbearing man bv any means.
and certainly not a violent one, but with
wonderfully cute ard quiet and subtle
ways OF his own, by which he brought
matters about without letting other folks
know how che thing was done When a
man is accustomed to have his own way
he makes up his mind pretty easily, but
thea1e was one point of all others upon
Which Deacon Pisey had been set and
fixed for years, and the care of which lay
heavy on his mind, for the time had come
when, in his judgment, something deep
required to be planned and all his skill ex-
ercised in carrying it out. To mind like
! his, that had taken perfect measure of
every other in the village, and for miles
around it, there could be little difficulty in
selecting his tools and assistants, and he
had no need of counselors. That was how
he came to be talking so confdentially
with Joe Gaines, as the two stood by the
yard-gatc.
s'Why, deacon" said Joe, "I always
thought you liked Bob Humphrey. He's
tip-top fellow, and a good match for any
girl know of"
so he is, so he is" replied the dea-
con. "Can't say word agin him.
the house, or any of that sort of nom
sense; but, then, he can't have Irene
Wyer."
"I don't see how you'll help it, deacon.
You're only her guardian, and she is about
of age"
'tNot for year yet-that's how the
will reads-and she's in my own house,
you know. l guess l can fix some things,
specially if you'll turn in and help me.
You're a lawyer, Joe Gaines, but you're
a young one yet, and I'll give you the fat
test fee you ever dreamed of if you'll
only hitch teams with me, and see that
Bob Humphrey don't get the upper
hand"
"Well, if that's what you're after so
it's all right and square, I'd as lief earn
fee one way as another. What's your
programmes"
'sWell, you know there's nigh onto
thirty thousand coming to Irene Wyer,
in her own right, and I've took the best
kind O. keer of it. It's been mighty
sight of trouble, and all along I've thought
of my son Scott"
'Scott Pilseyf" interrupted Joe. "Why,
he's in California"
s'He won't be long. He's comm home
inside O. six months, and l want to keep
{ Irene safe for him. They used to be
wonderful thick, and he writ to her reg
lar ever so long arter he went away, and
so did she to him."
s'Do they correspond now?' said Joe.
"No, not now There's the rub. That's
one reason I'm looking out so sharp arter
Bob. Now, want you to just take holt
and try and keep Bob off till Scott gets
back. Twon't be for long, and Irene
amt such bad company, nohow."
81 don't know" said Joe. "There's
Maggie and her mother. couldn't be
particularly attentive to Irene without
their knowing it, And Bob Humphrey'll
be sure to be around most of the time,
and it won't be long before I have the
whole village talking the matter up"
"Never mind that, Joe, never mind
that. It'll be all right when Scott gets
home. I'll give you the biggest kind of a
fee y
'sWell, deacon" coolly replied the
young lawyer, it's pretty tough case,
but I'll take it on one condition"
"What's that?"
stWhy, so long as it's only fun, and all
that, I'll go ahead, but if it seems as if [
was doing any harm, anything real bad,
you know, I'm to be at liberty to back
out"
"Well, I don't mind, SO long as you let
me know in time"
And so the deacon and the lawyer dis
cussed their plot to their satisfaction, and
when all was settled the latter took his
own way down the broad and grass grown
street of the village.
''The old shark! !' he muttered, as he stroll
edleisurely on. "What on earth put it into
his plotting old head to pitch on me for
his tool? He never was mOre'n half de-
cent to me before I reckon I'll earn nv
fee, but Pll be fair and square with Bob
Humphrey. What would Irene say if
she knew what was up? Wouldn't those
black eyes of hers strike ire?"
Now, it happened that of late, un-
: known, perhaps, to the deacon, there had
been growing up more than little close
ne IS of intimacy between Joe Gaines and
Bob Humphrey, and thus it was treach-
cry to his friend as well as unfairness to
the pretty heiress, to which the young
lawyer had allowed himself to be bribed
by the deacon's promised fee.
A deep fellow was Joe Gaines, and a
marvellous manipulation of social affairs
Again and again, as days and weeks and
months went by, did Deacon Pilsey con.
gratulate himself on his admirable selec-
tion, and chuckle in his inmost being as
he witnessed the well -contrived success
of Joe's maneuvres. There were picnics
and drives and parties, and entertain
ments of various kinds, but in vain die
Bob Humphrey invite or propose tht
young lawyer was sure to be beforehand
with him, and it almost seemed as i
sweet, unassuming quiet little Maggie
Pilsey herself, the deacon's daughter
had joined the secret league against he
friend Irene, so often was some excus,
devised by which she was made to appea
lin the latter's stead
Then, too, there were the home even
ings at the dcacon's house, when the sub
tie. minded old plotter could have hugget
5. himself with satisfaction as he sat by an,
witnessed with his own eyes the admira
3 BILE manner in which Joe Gaines worke,
for his fee.
- cit takes lawyer, after ALL" he sal
ito himself. 81 don't care much what h
charges. / only hope he'll keep it up tha
way till Scott gifts home And then t
see Bob Humphrey! Why the feller'
got the perseverance of the saints, but b
amt nowhere with Joe Gaines.
AS for Irene Wyer herself, her red liz
laughed and pouted, and her bright blac
eyes sparkled and deepened, and her Ii
seemed flowing onward very pleasantly,
if no deep-laid plots and schemings hadar
over over her or her happiness Nor
o yer, through it all Joe Gaines seemed
M aintain the most complete external SCI
hi ance of frank hearted friendship wi