Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-07-04


| found on our doorstep, smashed into
bits"
"Yhat was certainly vindictive--and
childish. Still i think you might for
! give even that"
'It isn't question of forgiveness
You don't understand, because you've
never been brought in contact with
such people. And as to their having
! had the worst of it, there is question
about that. They made poor Grand
| father Latimer's life miserable, and /
shall always believe that John Bynum
killed him at last. Besides that, they've
always been annoying and worrying us
in ways that forbid retaliation because
we couldn't demean ourselves to pay
them back in their own coin. No,
don't think they've had the worst of it,"
When Mrs. Ludlow reported this con-
versation to her husband he smiled and
said: 81 wouldn't NEEDLE with that
| quarrel, if were you; it's pretty deep
ly ingrained on both sides, and shall
be surprised if it doesn't come to a
pitched battle some day. If the
colonel had a suspicion of what found
out about the trouble in the McNabb
tunnel, l wouldn't care to answer for
the consequences; and as for Henry,
it'll be miracle if he doesn't get him
self killed in the row. He has the cour-
age of veteran, joined to the rashness
OF headstrong boy; and he's as good
Il hater as any of the Bynums."
Its great pity" rejoined peaceable
| Mrs. Ludlow. 'It gives one an uncom-
Portable feeling of living over volcano
that may burst out at any moment.
Isn't there any way to put stop to it ?'
"Only one that / can think of, and
that's been tried. 1t occurred to me
some time ago that the family in the
cove might be peaceably deported If
the Bynum farm could be purchased.
and ! suggested it to some of our peo-
| pie in New York, with the caution that
| the colonel mustn't be told of it untii
the purchase was fact accomplished.
| They put the matter in the hands OF
our attorneys and told them not to bag.
gle about the price. don't know how
the negotiations were conducted, but
l imagine the Bynums found out that
the company was in the deal and they
refused point-blank to sell ct any price.
That settled it, and it means that they
propose to stay and fight it out.
There'H be fight, too, when we try to
open the McNabb vein; and hope we
can keep the Latimers out of it,"
But you mustn't get into it your
self, Tom," interposed Mrs. Ludlow.
Ludlow smiled grimly. "You think
wouldn't cut much of figure as
fire eater, don't you? Well, now, you
just wait and see. When the time
comes I'll not go out of my way to pick
a quarrel or to avoid one; but if those
fellows interfere with the work they'll
have to stand from under. And they'll
| find that they haven't whole-souled,
irascible, generous southerner to deal
with, either"
1t was during the summer of Ring
brands visit to Tregarthen that the
question of resuming work in the aban-
doned tunnel came up again. jeff
Bynum heard the news in the store in
the village, and he told his brother Jed
when they were driving back to the
cove in the evening.
"Does you-all aim to low hit ?' asked
the younger Bynum.
.'Not much!-they-all done beat us
out o. the coal mine, but it amt gwine
do them no good"
"What dye low for to do, Jeff?''
"Nev' you mind; you-all jest wait an
see. Ye can be plum shore O. one thing,
though; they-all amt new gwine take
/ no coal out O. that vein"
'Don't We reckon OF Latimer's put
'em up to do hit?"
81 dunno an 1 don't keer; but jest
tell We that thar crowd up on the noun
ting's gwine to let on like they heard
somethin' drap; we-all We KEEP quiet
for pretty tol'able spell, now, an
reckon Latimer lows we done forgot
81 reckon julie wouldn't let nobody
forgit; she does hate the Latimers
right; but then she'd ought to-she
was big enough to reflect when daddy
was killed." Jed Bynum was the
youngest of the three brothers, and he
had never quite shared the bitter ami
mostly of the others.
81 can riclect on my own account,
| reckon" rejoined jeff, sullenly, dull
flush reddening his sallow cheeks. 81
amt likely to forgit the day when Lat
inner put the cowhide on to me, an l
low he remembers bout the broken
arm, too. new could tell what made
my ham shake that thar time. Ididn't
aim to break his arm"
II s'pect hits sort O. lucky We didn't
aim no better" replied Jed. "Thar was
a heap O. talk about gettin' we for what
ye did do"
The talk was interrupted by their
arrival at the farmhouse in the cove,
but it was resumed again at the supper
table when julie and Bud were told of
the threatened resumption of work in
the McNabb tunnel.
"That's some more O. Latimer's do
ms, we can jest chalk that up on the
} dol" exclaimed the woman, vindictive-
ly. "Thar'll new be no peace for we
all IS long as thar's airy one of 'em left!''
"Thar's like to be one more of 'em
fore they's any less, l reckon" said
jeff, making harpoon of his fork and
spearing another corn pone from the
dish ON the other side of the table.
"Iow dye make that out?" inquired
Bud.
Il done saw young Teller a-ridin
| with ho in