Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-30
THE RED ACORN.
BY JOHN M'ELRoY,
author of "Andersonrille,1 Etc.
copyrighted by National Tribune Publishing Co.,
and published by arrangement with them.l

"Yes, the same one who got his reward yes
terday,n she continued, interpreting the ex-
preston of his eyes. The Penningtons air
the richest family this side O. Danville They
an the Drills an the FORMERS hev alters been
mortal enemies. Thar's bin blood shed in
ev'ry gineration. Kunnel Bills faith, limpt
ter his grave on count of bullet in his hip,
which wuz lodged thar soon aTter I'd flung on
the floor $40 gold piece he'd crowded inter
my hand at dance, where he'd come 'ithout
airy invite The bullet was from the rifle of a
young man named David Brill, tibet mar
ried the next day, jest es he wuz startin' fur
Mexico, He volunteered little airlier then
he'd intended, fur his fathers wheat wuz not
nearly all harvested, but hit wuz thot best
ter git himself out o the way o the Penning-
tons, who wuz monty revengeful family,
an besides they then he'd the law on Their side
Ez soon ez he come back from the war Ole
Kunnel Bill, an Young Kunnel Bill, an all
the rest o the Pennington clan an connec-
ton began watchin' fur a chance ter git even
with him. The Ole Kunnel used ter vow an
swar tibet he'd never leave the airth ontil
Dave Brill wuz under the clods o the valley
But he he'd ter go last year, spite o. hisself,
an leave David Brill live an well an becom-
in more an more lookt up ter ev'ry day by
the people, while the Penningpons war gittin'
wuss and wuss hated We he'd a son, too,
the very apple of our eyes, who wuz CROWN
up, Jest like his father"
The Quaver of an ill-repressed sob blurred
the tones. She closed her eyes firmly, as II
to choke back the trimming tears, and then
rising from her seat busted herself brushing
the Goals and ashes Rack into the fire
"Thet walnut pops SO awfully," she said,
"thst body hez TO sweep nearly ev'ry minnit
ter keep the harth at all clean.
THE death of his father made no change in
the younger Col. Pennington He kept up
the quarrel the same as ever, did her" asked
Harry, deeply interested in the narrative.
"Wussen ever! Wussen everI He got bit
terer ev'ry day. He laid his defeat when he
wuz runnin' fur the legislator at our door
He hired DULLES ter git inter a quarrel with
David, at public getherins, an kill him in
sech way ez ter hev a plea o. self-defense
ter crar themselves on; but David TUX too
good keer o hisself ter get ketched that
away, an he hurt one o the bullies so bad
tibet he niver quite got over hit. He and
kunnel Pennington leveled their weapons on
each other at q barbecue near London last
fall, but the bystanders nterfered an pre-
vented bloodshed fur a time
"When the war broke out We never be-
lieyed hit would reach us. Thar mout be
trouble in Louisville and Cincinnati--some
even thot hit likely that thar would be
fouten' in Lexington-but way ur IN the
mountings we'd be peaceable an safe alters.
Our young men formed themselves inter a
company of home guards, an elected my
husband their capting. Kunnel Pennington
gathered together bout a hundred O. the
poorest, ornericst shakes on the headwaters
an tuck them off ter jine Sidney johnson,
an drive the Yankees way from Louisville.
Everybody said hit wuz the best radiance O.
bad rubbish the country'd ever knowed, and
when they wuz gone our chances fur peace
seemed better'n ever