The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-12
PINNEY'S SECRET.
How He Sheltered the Child of
His Lost Love.

There was some mystery, or something
wrong at Pinney's That was the reason
why the "neighbors' folks" on the porch of
Barker's store stood motionless, furtively
gazing at Pinney's place beyond, as though
it was camera and they were being
"taken" just as they were. Old Major
Hawkes. had been so shocked by the sus.
picion, that he still held extended high his
arm, which he had meant to bring down
with q denunciation of Henry Clay, char
acterized by the vigorous emphasis of Con-
necticut Democracy. But just at that mo-
ment the Majors reflections were checked.
There was something wrong at Pinney's.
So the Major sat in the big ann chair in
the shady corner of the porch-a spot where
he established himself and watched and
mapped when the days we're fine-his
billowy eyes, rolling over billowy cheeks
6xed in a melancholy stare upon Pinney's
home yonder.
Judson Guernsey-known only as Jud
Gauzy-had at the moment been reading to
the neighbors' folks from the weekly city
paper some dreadful warlike threatenings
from Mexico, but he now stood transixed,
his finger ON the line. and actually upon
the word ''bloodshed," which he had just
read as Teachuin came up and said that
there was something wrong at Piuney's
lner6 was JdDeZ IeckudHl, WIG uHu DeeD
at the instant testing the strength OF a hoe
handle. He sti,i stood leaning upon it, but
with his eyes turned toward Pinney's place,
OF rolling them timidly from one to another
of the group. Even the surveyors men
across the highway on the old canal tow
path halted in their work, forgot that they
were there to prepare to bring New Haven
and Northampton within three hours
travel instead Of three days, and stood in
suspense by their theodOlites aud checkered
poles watching Pinney's house.
For Teachum had just come with strained
eyes and bated breath, and announced thai
there was something wrong at Pinnsy's
They did not need to ask him. why he
said so. OF course something was wrong
The little red story -and-a-half house was a.
three hours high. True, the faded green
shutters, upon which the rain had tracked
serpentine trails and which were bronzed
at the hinges with rust, had been as tightly
closed for twenty years, but there was one
shutter in the window of the rear room
sunrise. That was tight this morning
Then, too, the corrugated and mossy we'll
sweep hung with its bucket. high In
air, as 1t had not done before for twenty
years one single minute after sunrise; foI
from his house and lower the bucket. int9
the well for the day. But, beyond all
Pinney's brown and gambrel-roofed stor'
across the lot, and opposite the canal, wa
shut as though il was the Lords day.
The same thought was in the mind OF al
of them, but none dared speak IL. Instead
each, after the silence was broken, ven
tured some suggestion Is far away % pos
sihls ssOni the dreadful suspicion that bur
dsned all Major Hawkes., whose theory
OF existence was that all Wings ought to b
suppressed by law, and that no man VIII,
slept enough ought to die. ventured to sug
gsst that possibly Pinnsy's clock had rui
down and that he had slept over
III 1t wasn't for wiinInin' folks and clock
most ON us would sleep over now and then
It comes nst'ral to men folks, and what
nat'ral 10 what's best. Now Pinney. jus
as like - not, let the big clock run down
suppose he's got the big clock yet.
used TO be there. When the clock is ru
down, and there amt no wimmin' to bother
man of his years might forget to wax
Nobody paid any heed to this suggestion
and the Major rolled his billowy eye
about as though bssesching some one
Offer better. Than Jud Guernsey hinte
that Pinney might be Q little under th
weather. But to this Teachum replied
"You've teased him enough to make
saint swear, Jud Gauzy. Why it was onl
last week Fourth of July night that 20
brought the cannon right under his wiz
dow and touched her of. What hain't 20
done TO sicken him. Juds'
ssWall, the rest Of Us haven't been ski
fssh about bothering him first and last,
replied Guernsey, with . ''yoa-too" spoi'
jsbss Psckham denied the possibility {