Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-01-14


them the desk proper. concealed by
heavy, sloping lid. Tho dark wood
had still fine polish, and the lid was
neatly ornamented with an inlaid star
of holly wood. 1t, with the three
plumed mirror on the wall above it,
was the eclipsing feature of the room.
All else, well enough in its way,
seemed commonplace. Drawing a
chair in front of the desk, sat down
to explore it, but was bewildered at
the very outset. Lowering the lid,
the many pigeen-holes, small drawers
and inner apartment closed by a
carved door, took me too much by
surprise to let me be methodical.
Everywhere were old, stained papers
and parchments, some SO very old the
ink had faded from them; but there
was no disorder. At last, knowing it
was no time to dream, l drew out
bundle of papers from pigeon-hole,
and noticed in doing SO that a strip of
carved wood, which | had taken for
ornament, slightly moved.
1t proved to be long and very mar
row drawer, and this again had more
carefully hidden compartment in the
back, as o narrow line in the wood
showed. Peering into this, I'found
scrap of paper SO long and closely
folded that it fell apart when opened;
but the writing was still distinct. 1t
was as follows: t1t is his Excellency's,
General Rowe's, express order, that
no person shall injure Silas Crabtree
in hisperson or property" 1t was duly
signed, countersigned, and dated
December 8, 1776. So Silas, the
great-grandfather, had been Toryl
was prepared now for revelations of
any kind. To look quietly over
papers, one ut time, was too prosy
an occupation, and thesuggestion that
there might be more secret drawers
was followed until every nook and
Granny had been laid bare, and there
were many of them.
Silas, in anticipation of just an
occurrence as l have described, had
placed roll of papers SO prominently
in the desk that l naturally took it up
with a serious purpose. The modern
red tape with which it was tied gave
it an appearance of Importance above
the others. These time stained sheets
contained his ancestors version of the
trouble with his coreligionists, and I
soon found il was most unpleasant
reading. My own ancestor had been
an unrelenting prosecutor, and, in the
name of religion, the cause of all the
Crabtree troubles; and now the last
of his race had taken this strange
revenge, telling me the unwelcome
story why his people had been no.
bodies of the backwoods and my
people dwellers in fat land. 1t was
some satisfaction to know that the
two families were not related, but,
reading on and on as fast as the crude
writing permitted decipherment,
learned that marriage, generations
ago, had been contemplated, and sue
cessfully thwarted by the father
of the would-be bride. Nothing
but i'll came of it, and the
rest We know. The wit of the Crab.
trees had not quite died out, but
smouldored like the burning of damp
wood. never receiving the quickenins
Of education, and ever struggling
against the curse of alcohol.
1t was a sad story; too sad to con-
template, this dreamy August day.
Closing the desk, l sat by the open
fireplace, as il watching the blazing
logs of midwinter. AS silent now in
doors as out, and every object about
me suggesting myself as the cause of
infinite trouble, grew desperate, and,
for more light, bit of sunshine, threw
open the solid shutter of the little
south window. The bright yellow
beams were magical. What strange
little window it was! Three of the
eight small panes were replaced by
paper, and the others were all dimmel
by decomposition that made the glass
prismntic. Through them no object
could be plainly seen. Every tree and
bush was broken and distorted. The
world was all askew as seen through
the cracked and warped glass as much
gone wrong as in reality it had been
TO the Crabtrees.
Though not half explored, l went
from the house to the porch, that
might return from the past to the
present. How hot and steamy were
the far-off woods and the one single
clearing in sight The sizzling rattle
of the noontide cicada was the only
sound. I gladly returned to the old
fireplace, although it was mid-August.
and then to the desk, putting on some
show of nationality, for Crabtree's
lawyer was expected. 1 even made a
fire in the little stove to warm the
lunch I had brought, and, after an
attempt at eating, awaited the man s
coming, with pipe and coffee.
A rattle of wheels, click of the
| rickety old gates latch, and n knock
at the door, quickly followed each
other, and without cere nony the
lawyer appeared. With GOODNESS,
precision, and dry-as-dust manner
that soothed my frettel nerves, he
proceeded to business, and did what
little was to be done. Some papers
which he had taken away he returned ;
and then, his whole manner changing,