The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-09
CHAPTER V,

 miles distant from the Gansett farm Colonel Bently, few years before Len Gansett took up his residence in the Alb. bott's Ford neig had come from the east. He bought farm and, shortly afterward, established the stage line. His house, upon which some little architec- tural effort had been expended, was, with its grounds of we'll cultivated shrubs and carefully kept trees, an inviting place The outhouses were neatly painted white G uinea chickens cried pot-rack, pot rack" in the yard and the turkey hen, W ith her long graceful neck and bearing of meekness. reached up and picked the blue berries from the stubby cedar bushes. In the house there were many books-books of adventure and books of philosophy. The colonel was looked up to by every one in the neighborhood. He was foremost in every movement for the welfare of the community; he was chari- table to an admirable degree, and his flowing courtesy of manner and frank ness of countenance made even the most humble and ignorant man in the neigh borhood feel at ease in his presence. He lad never been married, but with the ex- ception of the servants that found home in his house, lived alone. He was appa- rently about forty years old, wore beard, in which one could catch silvery glimpses of coming age.
 Len and the colonel soon became &C., quainted. The young man felt proud of the attention which the colonel began at once to show him. Never before had he met an educated and wealthy man with whom he felt so free and to whom it was SO easy to talk.
 One afternoon Colonel Bently called at Bob Gansett's house, especially, he said, to take Len home with him.
 "You must stay all night with me-" said he. "The old people can get along very well without you one night"
 :" am willing enough to go," Len re- piled.
 "Yes," said Mrs. Gansett, "ior the pore child don't hardly go often the place."
 Grandma, don't pity me, if you please. You talk to me as though am cripple or subject to epileptic fits."
 The old man laughed. His wife turned upon him and said:
 "Now, pap, what are you winkin' an a blinkin' about. Kain't a body speak2"
 It peers mighty like body ken, the old man replied. "By the way, Lem qubees," he added, "before you come home to-morrer, l want you to go round an tell the neighbors to come over Thursday mornin' an hep me roll logs. The dead trees in the lower fep air fallin' with every win. Pm goin to set the nig- gers to choppin' lem in lengths right off,"
 You have never seen a genuine log rolling, dare say" said the colonel ad- Len.
 "No, sir"
 "Then you should attend"
 " If you should happen to come along at the right time," said Bob Gansett, turning to Colonel Bently, you'll find him there huddled up at the end O a ham spike, buckin' again Mort. Haney or some O the other tellers. Oh, Pm goin' to Parn him somethin'-goin' to finish his edycation."
 Len replied that he was willing to learn, and the colonel remarked that if he could recall few years he could hold his own with the best of them. "Len," the colonel added, sif you are ready, we'll proceed. Mrs. Gansett, although I am not invited to the log rolling, yet shall take the liberty of being present at din- ner."
 Do, Colonel Bently, do If you please" Mrs. Gansett replied. "We kaint prom ise you nothin' as good as you'd git at home, but we'll give you the best we've got"
 "Now, Len," said the colonel when he had shown his visitor into his library you must feel perfectly at home. In my house there arc no arbitrary rules to be observed. Hyou are hungry between meals, go to the dining-room and get something to eat. When l was a boy I was made SO uncomfortable by formah- ties while visiting that I even then re- solved that if ever owned . house would