The advocate., 1894-01-31
CHAPTER vi.
OvERTON LEARNS SOMETHING AND
HAS "a SPELL"


the true society will come. Then there will b.
no more lords; there will be free, living men
There will be no more wealth. there will b.
abundance for the poor. There will be no NOR
masters; but there will be brothers The
that toll shall have. This Is the future NJ
more prostratiOn, no more abas5ment no mor'
ignorance, no more wealth. no more beasts
burden, no more COurtiers. no more kings
but llght"-VICToR HUGO
About 5 o'clock John and his father
pulled up at the barn on the COtterel
homestead.
The sound of therumbling old wagon
caused Kate to look out the door, and
with the glad cry so, ma, here's
JohnI' she rushed to the barn, with
her mother a close second. The big,
handsome blacksmith was kissed and
hugged, and with Kate holding him by
the hand, started for the house; Mrs.
COtterell remaining at the barn for a
confidential talk with her husband
while he Embarrassed and fed his team.
The subjects of discussion at this secret
session were the how and the what of
supper for the distinguished guest who
had come with Kate, and Mrs. COtter-
ell's misgivings as to whether they had
anything "iit to set afore city folks. "
Another difficulty which troubled Mrs.
CotteTell was the lack of tone in the
dining-room appointments, and espe-
cially, the dishes, which were, as Mrs.
Cotterell put, it "sOawful cheap an old
fashioned to set afore folks that's been
used to high-toned table tiXin's."
Overton had suspected that some
such thoughts might trouble the head
of his kind hostess, and Kate having
returned to him while John had gone
to the pump to wash his face and hands
and to comb his hair on the back porch,
Overton told her, III the confidence
which had become habitual between
them, to persuade her mother not to go
to trouble for him; that he would feel
hurt if he were not treated precisely as
if he belonged there. The mode of
bringing about this cOnsummatiOn was
left entirely to Kate's own tact. She
went to look for her mother and sue
ceeded so well in her mission that, when
the time came, they all sat down to a
good farmhouse supper, which to
OVertOn, then COnValeScent, seemed a
feast fit for the gods; and he said SC
with such honest emphasis that Mrs.
Cotterell was thenceforth his friend.
John had waited outside for his father
and mother, and both he and his father
wishing to postpone as long as possible
the ordeal of meeting their "citihed''
guest, went about over the place to-
gether, while Mrs. Cotterell and Kate
went in to prepare supper, Kate now
and then going into the parlor to chat
moment with Overton, who was aim
lesSly turning over the leaves of the
album on the 'Center table," and it
was not till they met around the supper
table that he was at last introduced to
COtterell and John. Sam Cotterell was
trying to think what would be just the
right thing to say under the circum-
stances, when from force of habit he
said it unconsciously: "Well, pitch in
and eatp' Mrs. Cotterell was mortified
to death" at this rude etiquette, but
OvertOn said:
I'm in the habit of obeying orders,
Mr.. Cotterell, and you are in command; {;
so here goes, I'm hungry and can't
wait for ceremony. Kate, you have
been telling your mother how like my
coffeep'
"Was you in the army?" said Cot
terrell eagerly.
81 wus in it from 1862 until the big
muster at Washington in 1867 an
swered OYerton.
"What regiment? Was you with
Sherman inquired Cottereli.
Yes, went through with him." an
swered Oyerton, and thereupon ensued
some OF that "old soldier talk" which
Kate had declared to DR.. Darlington
she had "heard at home many a time"