Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-11-25

+ WtIthCDCtl liIll NlON II COLSlOEIdDlG. koOlll0
folks say if Bub was to come along and
offer to fix things up the old man
wouldn t make no objections. But the
boys got the Cissel stubbornness along
with his mothers tarnal perseverance.
Sary Hopwood cut enough chicken feath-
ers off the quills for to make 20 pound
bed =
The sunlight was something beauti-
full to see as the cowboys showed their
milk cans into the car and began to dis
perse around the station. It lay along
the fence rails in brilliant streaks, and
on the frosty ground were silver sprigs
and silver stones. Even the half frozen
road dirt lay in ridges of crusted white
ness It looked as if there would be q
right good freeze soon and healthy
winter.
Walking across the frosty road, on
his way from the store to the station,
was old Cissel He was tall, old man,
with stoop in his shoulders that was
becoming more and more pronounced.
His beard was rough and straggly, the
ragged lining of his coat showed at the
pockets, he needed Bub's aunt to see to
him, the pitying neighbors said.
He looked up and spoke grayely and
politely to shacklett Then his face
frightened perceptibly "Want to buy
a hoss Shacklett?' he inquired 81 can
sell you as fine hoss as you'll II happen
across in the country. I've got to sell
him. I'll sell him dirt cheap to you,
Shacklett. I'm wantin money. The
world ain t got no use for man with
out money. I'll let you have the critter
for $125. You'd best take me up, eh?''
He tried to speak all through in bust
pesslike way, in the manner of an in
dependent man offering his wares for
sale, but his voice faltered when he said
that the world hadn t any use for a man
without money and the fear showed it
self in his eyes. 4 hundred and twen-
ty-fve dollars amt much for boss
like Hawk, eh, Shacklett?'
"No, taint much, y acquiesced
Shacklett but times is hard tell
you what you do, Cissel. He laid his
hand upon Cissels shoulder. "You git
on that thar hoss. Nobody rides him bet
tern you, though you's most 80. You
jest git on that hoss and ride him home.
The feller in the county that wants the
hoss worst is Bub. .
Cissel threw off the kindly grasp and
drew himself up. II reckon, = he said,
"as Williams'll be glad to buy the boss
on the present terms. was speakin to
him yesterday .
ssIm an old man, too, " said Shack
lett, "and | know thar amt but one
place on earth for old men. You'll be
sorry for it by and by, Cissel, and the
boy'll be sorry too You don't want the
boy to be sorry when it's too late, when
it won't do him nor anybody else no
good?'
Old Cissel stepped forward with a
lurch, steadied himself, Strengthened
his shoulders. The Cissels, he said
stubbornly, never gifts sorry
Shacklett shock his head in dismal
disapproval and went over and climbed
into his milk wagon. He shook his head
again on the way home, with the lines
hanging loose over the neck of his
mare. "It's the boys place to come for
ward, 2 he muttered. He's young
It's too hard for to expect an old man
to give up to his own boy. But Bulbs S
got the mothers perseverance. She cut
enough of chicken feathers off the quill
for to make 25 pound bed.
Tho Washingtons kept old Cissel six
weeks before Mrs Washington spoke in
all earnestness and severity about the
board money. "Some'n' 'sgott to bedone, :"
she said e1nphatically. "Times is hard.
Ann carp KEEP you four weeks, and she
amt had cent from you yit. The hoss
is eatin his head off in Cramer's stable,
and you re OWN me six weeks board.
Now and then have KEEP boarder to
help along, but I've alays been paid at
the end of the week. OF course if you
was to sell the hoss at once amt say
in you mightn't stay on, but you We
been yer six weeks tomorrow evenin,
and you amt no nearer sellin him than
when you come. Washin ton was sayin
yesterday it's all fullishness, you settin
a price on the boss You might "a got
$125 by the rattle, but you amt gunno
git a hundred right down from farmer
What you can git for the boss that's
what he's wut!l. p
'The hoss comes from good stock, I"
said the old man family. ''If any one
wanted fine trotter''-
s"No matter who's wantin a fine trot-
ter, they Amt wantin it at fancy
price, said Mrs. Washington. sCf
course if yen must keep the hoss, then
it's Bulbs place to keep the two of you.
If he won't let you stay at the farm, ,-he
odght for to make arrangements about
yer board Ilawsr' she added, looking
keenly into the old mans face. II
should think as the boy II be mighty
sorry after while if he does nothin
now.
"The Cissels, y said the ole. man bro
kenly-" they never gifts sorry. y.''
81 don t want to do noshin mean, y
said Mrs Washington, "but the boy
oughter come fawward now if ever. To
morrow's Thanksgivin .
The old man rose and went out of the
uOuS0. 11O WulhOO NGly olOWly dC1OSS W
the station and fingered about, but the
people evaded him. Nobody wanted to
buy horse, and most of the cowboys
we're becoming weary of his entreaties
eSn he'd had the rattle, he'd been all
right for awhile, y they said.
"The world amt got no use for a
man without money, mIttered old
Cissel. He can't buy chaw of tobac-
co nor nothin. He was feverishly anx-
ious to sell his horse that eve of Thanks
giving.
Bright and early on the morning OF
Thanksgiving day the horse was sold,
very quietly, before many people were
around The purchaser arrived for him
at noon, but Cramer insisted upon be-
ing paid for the horses keep before de-
livering him to his new master. Old
Gissel's hands trembled as he counted
out the dollars for Hawks keep He's
q fine hoss, he said as the new owner
rode away, as fine hoss as one can
ind in the country. but. a bodv's got to
take what they can git for boss now
adays. Tain t no use settin price. "
Some people who saw old Cissel 60
ing into Ann Earp's said that he walk
ed as if he were growing young again,
but his former landlady's face was Sc