The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-11-20

v,
m | want to see ye drivin' round the
kitcnen the way we used to. don't want
to be too hard on ye Almiry,' says he, but
| we need ye uncommon all around. The
youn' kits are runnin' wild, m every thing S
goin' to pieces, m if We don't get up m
pitch into the work jest little mite at
| first meb be, swan Fll smash your best
chiny teapot She didn't say much-didn't
believe him, of course-when down he
takes her best chiny teapot, m smash it
goes on the floor. Dick Fitton,' she says,
how can you do soa' M she fell to sobbin'
fit to kill; but he keeps right on, m breaks
lot more, m still she didn't stir. Then
he took down her best bunuit, m says he:
Get up quick, Almiry, or I'll souse your
| bunnit, wills 'n'-you won't believe it,
but it's true as Gospel-up got Almiry
| Fitton, m snatched her bunnit away from
him m run up stairs m hid it, m after
| that she got up and dressed herself every
day. She's as we'll now as you be Salome
| see her only day or two before left
home.n
They all laughed.
Pm afeard,' said Mrs Jenkins, ''that
that sort of thing wouldn't work with
| Webster. Why, his limbs is as limp as
rags. Jest think, it's thirty years since he
walked a step. There he goes again. Oh
\ | see. It's such a nice day they're takin'
him down to see his corn-field. Pm glad
of it, He hain't been down for week and
the corn's shot up. The corn on the three
cornered patch is the highest in town"
| beats all what store Webster sets by
that three-cornered patchl" unused her
| husband
| Mrs. Jenkins went to side window and
| watched the Nileses wagon as it turned off
| into meadow. Uncle Elnathan followed
| her and looked over her shoulder
Il s'pose you know about the three-cor-
nered patch, Uncle Elnathan;" she said,
| inquiringly.
81 do knows I do" returned the old
gentleman, doubtfully. ''You see pve
pretty much lost track o. Centerville. Les
see; WANT there high, triangular patch
across the river on Esau Newton's farm? ~
Mrs jenkins and her husband exchanged
glances of mingled dismay and astonish-
ment
Good landp' Sylvester Jenkins found
breath to say at last, you don't mean to
say that things was that way when you
left town. There's been a pretty law suit
about that patch o. land since them days"
"How's thats" asked Uncle Eluathan,
dropping into chair and eyeing,his nephew
with look of interested curiosity.
That individual took off his hat, which
he had been wearing until this moment in
the expectation of going Immediately out
to hoe in the corn-feld, and settled down
after the manner of man who has a story
to tell
L
been good many years after you left
town there was flood. 1t was an awful
freShet. The whole o. Esau's meddsr, m
the whole o. Webster's medder lay under
water for week. There wa'n'tnever seen
nothin' like it round here, before or sence;
but, | can remember this, boy IS | was:
that three-cornered patch stood up as pretty
as you please, right in the midst o. the
water. It's considerable high land, tell We,
M there's full three acres of it. 1t was
covered with stocks o. corn; the food was
in October, m all around was this pretty
green grass border. Wal, when the water
hnally went down, behold, the river WANT
runnin' through Webster's medder any
more. There it was-three rods wide of
1T, m full o. the deepest kind o. holes
howin' through Esau's medder, as peaceful
as baby. 1t was nigh impossible to tell
where it had run before. The whole med
der was tore up m covered with sand m
stones m fotsam it took years IN wears to
get it back to who're it was before for
crops But every body could tell this
much. They knew that three-cornered
patch didn't use to be on Webster's med
der. But it wasn't no use to Esau now;
he'd have to go clear round by the bridge
to get his crops from off'n it, m it didn't
seems that would hardly pay. Besides
Webster'd lost heap by the flood, m he
was for takin' that patch anyhow, m
claimin' it. | always thought that if Web
ster'd gone about it right, he might a. got
the patch peaceable; but he was SO fast to
say now that it was his anyhow, that Esau
he got towerin' mad. He swore he'd go to
law before he'd let Webster have it. m he
did; but, by hook or by crook, Webster
beat him. | never see a man so mad as
Esau was, but he was too poor to carry the
case up, so he had to let it go. But he's one
o. the folks that don't like Webster Hunt,
mind ye! M Webster don't like him no
better.n
Uncle Elnathan laughed, and was Just
about to comment upon this strange story,
when the Jenkins children came running
in from school, thus reminding their honest
sire that he had been neglecting his work
all the afternoon.
Il declare fort" he exclaimed catching
up his palm-leaf hat, lido know when Pve
had such good visit with anybody IS I've
had with you, Uncle Elnathan; but have
idled away a sight of time!n And he
vanished through the open door.
Meanwhile, through the freshness of the
June day logged the Nileses wagon, having
on board Mr.. Webster Hunt and Mr.
Ebenezer Niles. A haying-road, only half
defined in the verdant June grass, wou.d
from the village street across the meadow,
out of which rose the historic bit of upland
of which the Jenkinses had been talking.
Small as were its dimensions, it was in
deed piece of ground worth fighting for.
it, their crisp, curling leaves, double the
size of those upon the meadow beneath
Webster Hunts face lighted up as he looked
upon it.
'That's the best corn in Centerville," he
said proudly.
81 guess you're right" assented his com
panion and after few more comments
upon the forwardness of the season and the
softness of the air. they turned the horses
head toward home. In spite of the beauty
of the day, there was a cloud gathering in
the northwest. Mr. Niles pointed to it.
''There'Q be rain by tomorrow; pretty
tol'a able hard, too !" he said
Mr.. Niles prediction came true. Before
daylight the next morning. heavy rain
was pouring down upon Centerville, and
all day long the storm continued Another
day and another night of rain followed
Grave fears began to be expressed that
great reservoir some miles above Center
willie might burst and still further deluge
the fertile valley-its whole winters supply
depending upon the issue of this storm.
POTATOES are ruinedl" grumbled Mr..
Sylvester Jenkins, as the evening of the
second day came around, chill and wet and
cherries. "Corn's spoilt, oats m rye m
wheat fiat. l do know what's goin' to be-
come of usl"
As he gave a groan upon concluding
somewhat twitted since his return to his
old home about western cyclones and tor
nadoes-openly proclaimed, that Though |
Indiany might have her failin's, they
never had had such a rain as this out there
in the whole forty year since he had emil
grated
Then the reservoir did burst. doing nm |