Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-10-09


The trouble was that old Colonel Jay
respected his ancestors, and refused to
listen to any proposition regarding their
sale; for the "vineyard" was a family
burying- ground this time.
The superintendent vainly represented
to him that the bones should be carefully
removed.
''They are earth to earth by this time,
SIR" said Colonel Jay, with stateliness,
"When l sell that ground, sir, l sell
them. So you will not mention it again,
if you please, sir"
After that, the superinteL 10, who
expected pistol in every Alabama
pocket, did not care to open the subject
again.
"Ain't you ever goin' to sell, Colonel
Jay9" asked 10.
He had padded across the creek
which separated the glass works from
the old mans house, and was
sitting on his porch with him in the
twilight.
mo, sir. Nor amt ever going to
accommodate again, neither. 1 told
those Dixes they might bury their little
babby there, and what did they dos
Laid it right on great-grandaunt Liza.
/ went and told them they'd got
to take that babby off. But it
warn't pleasant. l won't accommodate
again.
"And you amt ever COINS to sell,
Colonel Jay9"
"Look here, Jo," said the colonel,
testify, show old are you9 Eighteen
years. Well, l guess you remember me
as soon as you remember anything. Did
you ever know me to change my
mind2 That ground aint-ever-to- be-
disturbed"
Joe turned his full blue eyes on the
colonel.
Chow about when you die, Colonel
Jay2" he asked in his most deliberate
speech.
The colonel was staggered and
showed it.
"If | were you," 10 went on, now
looking over the water, 'Fc fix that
while | was able. There's whole acre
there, and there amt but one end of it
in graves. I'd sell it all under deed
that would make the man who bought 1t
keep the grave end nice and clean, and
the grass cut-and perhaps flowers"
Colonel Jay rose from his chair.
"Boy," he cried, "you're right! Why
didn't think of that?"
Then his face fell suddenly.
"But who'd be fool enough to buy"
81 would" answered 10, stolidly; and
if don't pay you hundred dollars for
it in years time, you can take the
ground back and all the Improvements on
it."
What the improvement meant, the
whole works soon knew.
$40 Tolly's store was the talk of the
place. 1t was little more than shanty,
but the laborers soon learned that the
shanty had goods of better quality and
lower prices on its shelves than the CON-
pany's handsome storehouse had on
theirs.
1T amt very pretty outside, but
tried to have it good in, said 10, mod
estly, looking at the well-stocked walls.
81 spent all my money there"
The money referred to was a small
sum which he had gotten by auctioning
of the worn-otf roof which covered him,
and the bit of land on which he stood.
The rest of the tract had been sold al
most to the very door step long before.
There had been no one to interfere in
his reinvestment, his father having per-
formed the first graceful act in his
worthless life by stepr . out of it at
this opportune time.
"Don't spend it all in shoestrings and
rock candy, Tolly," the superintendent
had said. "Put it in bank and try to
keep adding to your handbook. That's
the way"
eyes, sir" said 10, submissively; but
at the same time it was not his way, nor
did he follow it.
At first the Tolly store was only open
at night, and 10 waited on the customers
after hours, but as the business grew a
small boy kept store by day and was as
sistant to the proprietor ut night.
81 shouldn't think you'd dare, 10;
shouldn't, indeed" said the weak -kneed
clerk, who came to inspect s,enterprise
by stealth and after nightfall. "Why,
wouldn't even like the chief to see me
come in here. And how can you sleep
right next to those graves?'
81 like them," said 10, showing the
first sign of interest. "Im getting real
fond of them. | like Aunt Liza, and l
feel like knew Aunt Jane.
Dear friends, repent; no more delay,
For death will come to take no nay;
Be always ready, night and day,
suddenly was snatche1 away
Ifeel just like she was saying it to me
every time read it."
The head clerk-he of the 'tpeeled
eyes"-also paid Jo visit; but he came
in by broad daylight and examined
everything.
He laughed good deal, and looked
at JOS placid face curiously.
"You're bucking against big con-
Germ, boy" he said. 81 tell you you'll
have to work like an OK and kick like a
steer ~