The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-28
The Deaeon's Plot.

The DeaeOn's Plot.
A reasonably good man was Deacon
Pilsey, as times went, but if he had
weakness, it was for making things in
general go about as he wanted them to
20. Not an Overbearing man by any
means, and certainly not a violent one,
but with wonderfully cute and quiet and
subtle ways, of his own, by which he
brought matters about without letting
other folks know how the thing was
done. When man is accustomed to have /
his own way, he makes up his mind 1
pretty easily, but there was one point of
all others upon which Deacon Pilsey
had been set and fixed for years, and the F.
care of which lay heavy on his mind, .
for the time had come when, in his judg- I
ment, something deep required to be
planned and all his skill exercised i'm
carrying it out. To a 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 conf
dentially with Joe Gaines, as the two
stood by the yard gate.
"Why, Deacon" said Joe, 'T always
thought you liked Bob Humphrey.
for any girl know of
$50 he is, so he is" replied the dea-
con. "Can't say a word ag'in him.
Can't forbid him the house or any of
that sort of nonsense; but, then, he can't
have Irene Wyern
az don't see how you'll help it, dea-
con. You're only her guardian, and she
is about of age"
mot for a year yet-thats how the
will reads-and she's i'm my house, you
know. / guess l can fix some things,
specially if you'll turn i'm and help me.
You're a lawyer, Joe Gaines but YOU
are young one yet, and Pll give you
the fattest fec 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
itsall right and square, I'd as soon earn
fee one way as another. What's your
prOgrammeY'
"Well, you know there's nigh on to
thirty thousand coming to Irene Wyer,
in her own right, and I've took the best
kind o. keer with it. It's been mighty
sight of trouble, and all along pve
thought of my son Scott"
"ScOtt Pilsey?' interrupted Joe.
"Why, he's in California"
'He won't be long. He's coming
home inside o. six months, and want
10 keep Irene safe for him. They used
10 be wonderful thick, and he writ to
her regular ever so long after he went
away, and so did she to him"
DO they correspond now?" asked
Joe.
"No, not now There's the rub.
That's one reason why Pm looking out
so sharp after Bob. Now, / want YOU
to just take holt and try and keep Bob
of till Scott gets back. 'TwOnt be for
long, and Irene amt such bad company,
nOhOw.n
81 don't know" said Joe doubtfuliv.
There's Maggie and her mother. |
couldn't be particularly attentive TO
Irene without their knowing it. And
Bob Humphrey will be around most of
the time, and it won't he long before |
have the whole village talking the mat
ter up"
''Never mind that, Joe, never mind
that. It'll be all right when Scott gets
home. Pll give you the biggest kind of
Fee"
"Well, Deacon" coolly replied the
young lawyer, cts pretty tough case,
but III take it on one condition"
whats that? ,"
"Why, so long as it's only fun, and
all That, III 90 ahead, but if il seems as
II was doing any harm-anything real
bad, you know-pm TO be at liberty to
back out"
"Well, don't mind, so long as YOU
let me know it 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 way down the broad and grass-grown
street Of the village.
"T'he old sharkri he muttered as he
strolled leisurely along. "What on
earth put it into his plotting old head
to pitch on me for his tool? He never
was more than half way decent TO me
before. | reckon I'll earn my fee, but
Pll be fair and square with Bob Hum
phrey. What would Irene say if she
knew what was up? Wouldn't those
black eyes of hers strike firer'
Now, it happened that of late, un-
known, perhaps, to the deacon, there
Nad been growing up more than a little
eioSenesS ofintimacy between Joe Gaines
and Bob Humphrey. and that II was
treachery TO his friend as well as to the
Ins Pte'ty neiTess, to which the young law
yer l''u allowed himself To he hrifad b,,
the deacOn's promised fee ~
a deep fellow was Joe Gaines and a
ihaI eiouS manipulation of social affairs
,,,o,,tI,s ',,u as days and weeks and
graduate himself on his aJ,l,iIsiy iIsgy cOil-
Iectloni ana chuckle to himself ne bo
witnessed the well-contrived S,,ao'I,9 - ne
JOe's maneuvers. There y-era 80 VI Vi
and drives and parties, and entar,ai', taiics
ments of various kinds, but i'm vei,, '''i ,iil ~
Bob Humphrey invite or propose. tba
young lawyer was sure to be beforebanS
with him, and it almost seemed as h
sweet, unassuming, quiet little Maggie
Pilsey herself, the deaeon's daughter
had Joined the secret league against hel
friend Irene, so often was some excuse
devised by which she was made to ap-
pear in the latter's stead.
Then, too, there were the home even
Ings at the deacon's house, when tn,