Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-01-24
BUTLER, PA. FRIDAY, JANUARY "a 1890

I We Nlllthtu III Aut luttltllui s4At8i't Aia' -
/ accompanies rustic consumption of tobacco
| after a full meal To ears habituated Ia
noise, the silence outside appeared almost
unnatural there was no wind astir, SO that
even the sound OF its murmur among the
trees was ab.ent. My hearing, lnvolun-
y tarily strained for the relief of sound. grew
NJ eslly acute, and after a little
could Distinguish the barking of dogs at o
great distance The expression of my
face must have indicated intensity, tol
Tatters noticed it, and inclined his OWL
ear, inquiring if heard anything.
only dogs barking, away in the mount
aims somewhere, made answer.
y slow smile wrinkled the corners Of my
companions eyes and soitened the curve
! of his lips His face gained by the change
of expression. Ii was a rugged face at
best, with the aspect of having been
roughed out and never finished; but the
eyes were kindly, and there was about il
! something which inspired confidence. To
! drop into the vernacular, he looked like d
man to tie to.
."Thems Ted Hony's dogs" hi
observed He mostly travels with tive
or three to heel, an that thar big
spotted hound o his'n have got ring
| to his voice whar's onmistable. Ted 5
| comm over ther mountain to see hi.
sweetheart She don't live more'n mile
! from here. Thar weddin's sot for Thu sd 3
week. Mensie have give in to marry him
sence that thar wagon come an helped EN-
out'n ther lnire some
! Ny attention was at once arrested, and
| the subject which had dominated my
thoughts for days, held in allegiance for the
monce by physical comfort trundled brisk
! " To the front again. The name "Mensie'
in connection with a wagon suggested dis
! covery, and also complications. | hadn't
conceived of the possibility Of Il woman
| being ticleted with a name 50 sensele5r
until the initials given me by the man with
the red mustache had jumbed into it.
| Here was IA coincidence worth investigat-
! ing Before bursting into questions, how
ever | proceeded To put the matter IN
shape by briefly stating my business at
home, and recapitulating the blnndel
which had necessitated my visit To this
region. The attention with which my
| statement was received aud the interest
aroused by it might have been hattering
could have believed either evoked by
anything personal. But my audience had
no thought of me in the matter. His mind
was filled with other images, and his ex
preston was pcrplexed and decidedly re
grctful.
What sort o wagon did you say 'twasf'
he queried when my. tale was done.
| [ e-described it. He nodded twice ol
thrice, and beat with his pipe against his
knee, as though making an inward com
parison and checking off items.
"Did it come heref"
The question really appeared superiluous.
| was convinced that it had
Tatters avoided directed reply at first,
and went over my description.
'Two-hors' wagon, mighty strong and
serviceable, ironed heavy for rough travel
lin; painted green, with red wheels, an a
red line around ther sides o ther body.
| Had patent brake too, an things con
formable An a kyard tackled on ther
rump end o ther tongue, marked to Miss
Mensie Vane, Tatters' That's so, Yes,
stree! thar amt no crawlin' round them
facts. It's pity too! Blamed if it ain't!
couldn't see it in that light. To me
it was a matter of jubilation. My soul
had been vexed within me because of that
wagon, and my Joy in its recovery was
proportionately great. As delieately as
could intimated that, to me, outside
regret seemed superfuous. Then | de-
manded information as to the whereabouts
of the property.
Tatters met my glance with nedita-
tive sort of smile.
Ride easy" he said. ''Taiu't far of
an you cant do nothin' with it tonight.
It's safe enough, an 'tain't drtied none to
hurt, reckon. Ii come here week afore
last; but sorter late-long about Friday or
Sadday Thar's been mo- mistakes about
that wagon en- what you made. Yours
led off an t'others followed suit That's
how come I'm so tarnati0n bothered
A vision of our nice new veeicle mud
splattcred and dingy arose before my
minds eye. There had been heavy rains
the previous week. and for badness the
mountain roads are proverbial. From the
store. keepers words | inferred that our
wagon had been given opportunity to be
cone acquainted with them. The impn-
dence of some fellows coolly hitching up
and pranking about the country with our
property, injuring and befouling it, made
made me hot all over In few forcible
words gave Mr. Tatters TO understand
that, as freight agent for the place. / in
tended to hold him responsible for dam
ages He had no business To let the pro
perty out of his keeping.
Il dunno how come | hadn't" Tatters
retorted, nettled in his turn. ''Ther
blamed thing war 'rected TO Miss Mcnsie
Vane,' plain as an axe helve, warnt itf
An Miss Mensie Vane' lives just around
ther shoulder O the mountain, an sont
her. word ther wagon was here for her, an
she come over an paid charges an toted
| it off If that warn't straightiorred
| transaction. | dunno one when | see il. :"
The way he put it certainly gave it that
appearance Here were complications
with vengeance, and a promising pros
/
pect for more delay and annoyance. 1t
was bootless showing temper to Tatters,
however, since he was, apparently, in no
wise in fault. The better part of wisdom
would be to possess myself of particulars,
so that | might thereby regulate my fI-
ture movements.
The story elected was this:
About Il mile distant, through the gap,
there lived family by the name of Vane,
| indigenous to the soil, and tracing occu-
pancy of sterile little hill side farm back
to the days of pioneering. BY natural dis
| mtegration, brought about by thriftless-
ness in some of the race and enterprise in
others, the family in these parts had
dwindled down to an oldish man, manned
during the war, and gradually reduced to
sightlessness by cataract on both eyes, a
single daughter of eighteen, his youngest
and sole remaining child, and a brood OF
grandchildren of tender years, the proge-
ny of son and daughterin- law, both de
ceased This John Yane appeared the
very Murad of i'll fortune. He was Il