The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-07-20

mo" replied Langstatf, turning into
by-path, for he was in no mood for
talking.
''Hor on! Hol on" cried Deeson.
threateningly. ''Ye war fOllerin' me
now. know it. They jest amt no use
o denyin' emmy thing ez plain ez that.
Come. now! what did We think o find
in'?"
''Nothin'!' replied Langstaff. angrily.
Though eff feller'd nose round We
long huff. Jep Deeson. he'd run onto
some dirt or 'nuther. I'll be boun'!!'
Jep's brother. Silas. now came out of
the cabin and advanced to where they
were standing.
Thus reinforced Jep continued:
Il reckon We air a spy of the rev nue.,
Tom Langstatf. Thar's no use in try
in ter make We uns bleeve We didn't
ken up hyar on purpose. Ye know
thar's whisky hid in that air house ez
well ez do. Now how much II We take
ter keep yer mouth shet?'
Il amt no spy an don't want moth
in fur keepin' my mouth shet!' Lang
staff retorted hotly. ''Ef ye'd a-kep'
yer own tongue in Yer teeth I'd a never
knowed thar war emmy whisky round
hyar!'
Tell that ter them ell b'lieye yer'
cried Jep. '.Hyar's ten dollars. 1
heern We lost Yer job ter the mill and
it'll KEN handy"
He held out two gold half-eagles.
1t was terrible temptation and a
hot flush swept over Langstaff's face.
mo! l dassent tech it," he faltered,
whitening to the lips.
Twenty. them" said Jep. hauling
out two additional half-eagles. what
do ye say ter twenty?"
Realizing his danger. Langstaff
turned and. with cry that was half a
moan, fed down the mountain.
That evening. as he sat on bench in
front of his cabin. gloomily whiting
at a stick, Jep Deeson came up the lit
tie bride path leading from the valley.
''Thort ez how I'd like ter hev a talk
with ye!" he said. seating himself at
Langstaff's side and glancing furtivcly
at the doorway. beyond which Mrs.
Langstaff could be occasionally seen as
she moved about the room.
He dropped his voice to a hoarse
whisper.
1--WE been a-talkin' with Sile an he
lows ez it's our duty ter help an ole
frien' when he's out'n work an needin'
it."
Langstaff turned on him like an ami
NAL at bay.
Il don't want We ter gin me emmy
money. Jep DeesOn. won't tech it. I
aid't holpin' the rev'new. and l don't
low ter"
Il onderstan' that NAV is bouten
twenty dollars" Jep continued. not
needing the interruption. II sol my
ole black steer ter-day. It's the one ez
l brung up frum calf. The butcher
down yander is ter take it
ter-morrer. He reckOned it war
worth thirty dollars, which I thort
lib'rul 'nuff.' Fifty dollars is a right
smart pile. an 1 low it'll pay off that
mawgage an pull We through the win
ter. It's gwine ter be hard 'un, spec
tally ter man ez Out'n work."
Langstaff whitfield furiously at the
stick. his brain in a fiery tumult. Why
should he not take the money? Was it
not mans duty to ward the wolf from
his door at all hazards: He need do
nothing. Only keep still; and that he
had resolved to do anyway, whether he
received any thing for it or not.
Like most Tennessee mountaineers he
had no very high opinion Of the revenue
laws and officials His sympathy was
naturally with the men who were con-
stantly hunted like cartridges in the
mountains. then the mortgage that fell
due on the morrow, the empty meal
barrel that stood behind the door. the
grimy rafters, destitute of the smoky
sides of bacon that usually adorned
them. his poverty-stricken family and
the terrors of pitiless winter almost
at hand, all added their crushing weight
to the temptation that tugged at his
very heart-strings.
Jep Deeson saw that he was making
Roadway and continued. in the same