The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1897-11-04
THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.

single street climbing from the ferry
landing on the river bank up to the
weather-beaten courthouse on the first
slope of Johns mountain. IL il differed
from other inland county seats in
northern Alabama il was on the side
of drowsiness and shabby incense
quence Its reason for existence was
purely geographical; the Chiwasscc
valley divides Chilmath county into
halves, and the ferry was d point ac-
cessible to the farmers in the valley
aud TO the dwellers on Jubal noun
tain on the east and Johns mountain
on the west. In the %sprinkling of
weather-worn buildings strewn upon
the hillside facing the river, but three
were relatively notable. One was the
courthouse, wooden. two-storied, with
a classic porch out of which tumbled
a cataract Of steps flowing down 10 the
head of the street. Another was Cat
ron's store, low and windowless in the
real and self-assertive and p~retentious
in front. with q high forehead of
Notwithstanding rising above the
wooden awning over the sidewalk.
The third was the Mountain house, Just
across the street from Catron's. 1t had
been a planters mansion in the days of
masters and slaves. and in falling from
SITS better estate the square brick house
had brought down some reminders of
ancient stateliness and solidity. There
was a suggestion OF comfort in it's deep
yerandas, roomy Railways and wide
G.-lAa. l..t Al. L.,A -.. I--. -. ~.
general aspect of decay and neglect,
and the Mountain house, together with
everything else in the village. pointed
toward a gradual and painless relapse
into a condition of moribund disusa.
In the nature of things, the old Alla-
coochec saw few visitors. 1t was 90
miles down the valley to Prattvillc.
the nearest railway town. and Abel
FreDch's blackboard was the only means
of communication. French drove down
twice a week for the mail. but he sell
dom brought back a passenger, and,
save on First Mondays" and other
court days. the Mountain house was
usually without guests. One pleasant
evening in February. however. French
broke the record. lie brought two
strangers up with him from Prattvillc.
and there was q consequent stir of spec
ulative curiosity among the loungers
whose rallying point was the shelter
of Catron's awning. French. being
promptly Intercepted. confessed reluc-
family hat he had beer unable to find
out his passengers business: and. hav-
ing run "A 20-mile gauntlet with the in
quisitive mail carrier. the strangers
had no trouble in evading the less skill
full approaches of the townsfolk. For
two weeks they spent their days driv-
ing up and down the valley. and their
evenings sitting upon the vernnda of
the Mountain house.asking questions of
everyone and contriving to dodge all in-
Huiries aimed al the obiectof their visit.
One evening when the sun had gone
down behind Johns mountain the new.
Corners ooh their accustomed places
on the veranda. drawing their chairs
together and lighting their after-sup-
per cigars in full view of the open-aiI
court in session under Catron's w
ing. One OF them was a heavy-set man
with a smooth-shayen face, hard but
u~nreadable. He had the mannerism OF
quiet aggressiveness which belongs to
ply sical superiority. but the bully IN
him was a force rather than AN eNpres'
sion. Certain little idiosyncrasies, such
as the habit of slipping his hands int1
Iris pockets m rocking his chair gen
tIy on two legs as he talked, suggested
the lawyer cross-cNamining a witness
,.l tb. htpt tNpfntnl trnfhTnlN I'm th.
gentlenan's profession. Among his
legal associates in New York, Lawyer
Sharpless was respected as an able at
torney and one whose loyalty TO hi
clients was never hampered by incon'
yenient questions of conscience. Iii,
companion WAS a ~iry little man whose
clothes were shabby with the wear OF
activity. He talked volubly, puDctuat'
ing his speech with a lean finger laid
in the palm of the opposite hand, ane
throwing one leg over the arm of his
chair as he warmed TO his subject. His
calling was not SO obvious, but thai
was because he had followed so many
occupations that none of them had left
its impress upon him. 4 ~pettifogging
lawyer. "a land agent for a railway com
pauy, a broker in real estate, and lat
terly a professional boomer. Mr.. Jenkins
Fench was a man of many parts, well
. qualified to bear his share in the enter
brise in which he was al present as
sociated with the New York lawyer.
Sharpless enjoyed the first inch OF
his cigar in silence before he nodded to
the group across the street. The
guessers are hard at it again over there;
you don't suppose they have heard any
thing. do your"
Hardly" replied Fench; there
hasn't been anything they could get
hold OF, yet"
''No-not unless Gates has been talk
ing"
.'He hasn't anything TO talk o
All he knows is that we want to buy
his land, and that proves nothing
Perhaps not, to these people" re
joined the lawyer, tipping his chair Il
the ross examination angle. What dc
they say about the engineers camp vi
ON the Little Chiwassee?"
Fench chuckled. They think it's al
exploring party for a new railroad; ever
Gates don't suspect that the men nave
ANYTHING 10 do with us"
Its been pretty carefully worked