The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-03-25
THE FINDING OF
GARFIELD BEAKIN
BY GEORGE l.. CAMPBELL.

1t was a great, old, rambling house
sadly in need of repair and it stood in
the midst of little grove of giant pines
and wide spreading beeches that threw
over il an uncanny and unwholesome
shadow. Beyond it the fields stretch
ed away TO the woods in rough and
rather dreary picturesqueness that was
often changed to scene of the widest
beauty when the moon burst out from
mass of tawny clouds and let flood
of liquid silver down over the stumps
and crags and the Withdrawing arms of
uprooted pines and on to the forest
running down to a mystical haze and
distance in the valley.
The house was occupied 10y the team
ster and the young man from the city
and his family. The teamster had been
in bed and asleep for two hours past.
He always slept soundly and rarely
stirred except at intervals when, with
a convuisive but unconscious move
ment, he would raise himself in bed,
turn haif-somersault and land on mis-
other side 10 the imminent risk of the
old-fashioned cord bedstead OH which
he reposed.
The young man and his wife had also
retired and were just composing them
selves for sleep when knock sounded
on the door that fairly shook the house,
followed by masculine below of "Hel-
10 : there ~
ats Emily" growled the young
man getting out of bed. ~ wonder
what the devils up now"
The knock was repeated and the bel
low sounded again.
Say, are you all dead i'm there ?"
'No, Pm coming" yelled the young
man in reply "a lac struck light and
opened the door.
Two women pushed into the house
without ceremony. One was tall gaunt
specimen of humanity with an eagle
nose, sharp eyes and mouth like an
inverted L that closed in hard and
tense lines under the bountiful sprout-
ing of an incipient moustache. She
was masculine by nature, and her
training had taught her to swear like n
trooper and hold her own with any
man. The other women was small and
shriveled up, with a look of vacancy in
her eyes that had come from years of
gazing on the bare walls of her cabin
on which was depicted no dream or
hope for the future.
"Is Dell home?" asked the tall wo-
man.
"Yes he is in bed" answered the
young man.
"Well, they want him to go out for
Jim and Mary-Garfield Beekin's been
shot and they want him to go after
them"
"WhO, Garfield ," queried the young
man. "Oh, DELI see. How did it
happen ?"
Both women started to tell the story,
but the masculine voice of the tall one,
Emily, drowned the other out.
'They sent him over to the postoifice
this evenin' just afore dusk. He didn't
want to go and took gun along and
don't know how to use it more'n a
baby. He hain't been to any houses
and they've hunted all over for him
and hain't found him yit. He's shot
himself, that's what he's done"
''He'd be scairt TO death, anyway, by
this time" chimed in the other women
seeing her opportunity. 'You know
he hain't bright"
''Ob, he may turn up all right yet,
said the young man cheerfully, "I'll
see what Deli says"
He went up stairs to the Transfers
room and raped on the door.
whats wanted ," growIed a coarse
voice on the ether side.
"Dell, they say Garfield Beekin has
shot himself, and Emily and Mrs. Dag
son have come to get you 10 go after
Jim and Mary. They haven't found
Garfield as yet, but feel confident that
he has either shot himself or died of
fright, and they want the relatives
notified"
A yolley of strange oaths came back
through the keyhole. 'Tell them,"
growled the teamster, ''that if they
want the rest of the family shot I'll get
up"
The bed sgueaked As the teamster
rolled to a new position, and the young
man descended the stairs to break the
refusal as gently as possible.
"How far is it to where Jim is work
ing?" he asked.
"'Bout seven miles," answered En-
lily.
"Yes? Well, Dell thinks it's most
too far to go until they are sure Gar
field is dead''
Emily rose from her chair, walked
to the stair door and threw it open with
bang.
"Dell ~ Her voice surged up the
stairway and thundered into the room
beyond.
"Well, what is it?'
'sBe you goin' fer Jim and Mary"
No answer.
"You forgit about when your father
and mother died, don't yer?" bawled
the woman.
.But Garfield hain't dead yet"
growled back the teamster.
"How do you know he hain't dead ?
That hain't what ails ye! Yer afraid
Jim Deegan I'll catch We and lick We
again that's what's the matter with
yer. He wasn't afraid of We, was he ?
Didn't run from We, did he? Laid We
out like little man, didn't he-d-yep p
The bed squeaked savagely and un-