Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-12-14


boxes and bales to his direction began to
tumble off the boats which carried the
Southern roads freight down the river,
''Gittin move on yourself, eh, Un-
Gle Jimmy" suggested the village idlers,
observing these signs of trade. But
Fields jaw only elongated the more.
while his brow became network of con.
ficting wrinkles.
1t was remarked in open council al
Paxton's store ''that Uncle Jimmy
Fields warn't lookin jest up to the
notch"
'sMebby he misses that girl O. his'n,''
suggested some one. "She's away SOM
'ers. He sets everythin by that ct
Louisa M. Say, Paxton, like to died
that night at Wilson's dance when you
asst fer cudrille, and she jest sized you
up and says she's engaged fer every set!
Lord, the look she give yeh! double bar
relied and self loadinl But say, Paxton,
you oughtn't of give her the comfort of
seein you make o home sneak on ac-
count of it.
Paxton's cheeks Redeemed. He was
slight and tail, and his shoulders
twitched little.
''She has a right to pick her friends"
he said. The other man strapped on a
spur, his foot on his knee.
.'Fields is paintin his house." he said.
''They tell thet he's fxin up inside too.
Reckon Louisa M. 8 been stirrin him up"
After Louisa NJ 8 return the changes
became more marked. Two shades of
pea green illuminated the house with
out. Inside new stove and complete
stock of dry goods invited the villagers.
Even the window underwent startling
metamorphose from graveness and CRIME
to gaudiness. When it was found that
prices were happily in accord with all
this enlivening prospect town sages re-
marked that "Uncle Jimmy, when it
comes to rale tradin, can whip any
young dozen O. Paxton's sort with one
hand tied behind him."
Matters began to look dark for Paxton.
Public favor is an uncertain thing, i'm
permanent as the sudden rush of bloom
on an apple bough in spring. Paxton's
hour of blossoming seemed past. He
thought often of removing to another
town, but he had certain sense of sur
render in departure. He knew well
enough that she was at the bottom of his
overthrow-that daughter of Fields
that little gypsy faced creature, with her
black silk locks. He could see the mock
cry in her oddly blue eyes, the scorn on
her lips when she should hear that he
had given up the battle.
She never spoke to him now. Since
he painted advertisements on the fences
she had not so much as looked at him in
passing. But she could be gentle enough.
Paxton remembered how pleasant she
had been when he first came to town
the year before looking for place to
establish himself. When he decided to
stay it had been with more thought of
Fields daughter than of Fields. He had
not thought of competition, but this had
been thrust upon him before he consid-
cred what it meant. 1t meant every
thing adverse, and after Paxton read
this in the open disdain of Louisa M. he
felt there was nothing for him but to go
on and be successful, though success
whad bitter dregs and broke in sharp,
spiteful sparkles at his lips.
One morning in May, Fields, survey
ing from his door the rocky hills, no
longer rugged, but rounding with spring
greenery to a virginia. softness of curve.
fetched Il big sigh.
''Mebby it's only the time O. year." he
speculated, ''but somehow don't feel
jest right--'spechly when Igit to study
in bout young Paxton"
Louisa Nj. gave the back of his gray
head a glance of challenge. She was
setting things to rights in the showcase,
and she thrust bone hairpin rather
angrily into a bolt.of ribbon.
"WhyY' she exclaimed.
We've run him too hard" said Fields
uncomfortably. "a friend o his named
it to me yistiddy that he couldn't holt
out much longer feel this ways:
had my chance and he ought to hev
had his. He hadn't no i'll will to'des
me. He was gittin trade far and
squar', and he could of KEEP it eff / hedn't
undersold him clar below cost prices.
feel ez mean and or'nry ez fee dog
that sucks eggs. hain't treated him
white
Business is business" said Louisa
M, shaking back her hair. She was a
little thing in a gathered pink frock,
but she looked to Fields as immutable as
the austere justice on coin of the realm.
Perhaps after all she was right, and he
himself was swayed from judgment by a
sort of limp tendency to see other folks
comfortable. Fields resignedly modelled
his big clay conceptions upon the tiny
marble models of Louisa M. S ideas, but
somehow, though, his unwieldy notions
were grotesquely like the pattern; they
were soft and unstable, and required
constant bolstering into shape.
Though Paxton might be, as Louisa M.
declared him, the evilest of Adams
blood, it hurt Fields to see the handsome
young fellow going about the village
with drawn face and downcast eyes.
"I'm a-iosin fesh!'' he complained to
his daughter. "Thet feller hes got away
with my appetite. I'd rather go ragged
ez picked buzzard than keep this up.
I'd feel heap better, Louisa NJ, to
mark lhet last lot O calicoes up little, -
but under his daughters chastising eye
he drew tagging breath.
"You leave things to me, " commanded
Louisa M. 'You don't know anything
about business, pappy! We're only turn
: ing lis own blade against Paxton. He
deserves to fail! He came here year
back honeying around and never saying
he was looking for a place to locate.
was nice to him. l used to talk to him
free as air, never suspicioning he was
aiming to do my own father up" Her
voice choked. She had paled under her
coppery skin. and her wet eyes were like
violets that tremble open in swart
March bank.
Finally along toward summer the end
came. Paxton assigned for the good of
his creditors. A lawyer from Burksville
came to take charge of things, and the
steamboat landing was deserted, as men
gathered in Fields store to discuss the
happening. The river was sinking and
traffic was nearly suspended. Cows
grazed on the sunburned pasturage of
the lower hills. Tan colored hogs idled
about the paveless streets, and children
of corresponding tint of complexion
played shrilly on the perilous river slope.
"Waal, he 'peared likely young