The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-05

"Young man, I've heared tell as you
lie mighty easy, but eff Ben Topmark
has got any sech notion as that you tell
him he better come an find out what
old Sister Annis has got ter say ter it. I"
"Yessum. Cert'nly, I'll tell him."
Teddy said, rusning to tie her horse, the
while looking significantly at the rest
with the eye away from the old woman.
Clearly she was crazy, as crazy as ole
Phemy, who lived on the fears Of the
other niggers, who, poor fools, took her
for conjure D oman. This was in
Teddy's mind. His speech was SO civil
that without in the least intending it
Mrs. Annis had spent So with him before
she rode away
Jack Talbot drove home at a Shaping
pace. He would have been amazed but
that he was so furiously angry. There
must be something in Teddy's tale. And
why should that old virago prick up her
eyes and scowl of the mention Of Rob?
The Annises he recalled as distinctly
disreputable folk. He knew his father
and Mr.. McGregor had said GOOD rid.
dancep when they went west 10 years
before. He recalled, too, that he had
heard of them anew within the last
month. Somebody at the courthouse had
said the old man was dead and his wife
and son had struggled back and rented
the Nolan place, poor, lean farm in
the edge of the hill country ten miles
away. Why should the old beldame ride
all that distance to do her trading?
There were at least three stores nearer
than Topmark's, and in either of them
she might look for better bargains.
Clearly her concern was with Topmark.
1t could not DO with Rob-his Rob,
whom he would go and see at once.
His Rob, his own true Lowell Now he
faced tho knowledge with which for
three years at least he had fenced and
played. Before that he had told him
self she was his little sister. He had
even tried to keep up that pleasing fig
ment after he came to find his heart
beating like trip hammer at sudden
sight of her. OF course he had known
in the depths of consciousness what it
meant, but love, marriage, were not for
him until he had Strengthened all the
tangle of home affairs. He had a sort Of
chivalrous idolatry for his parents, and,
though he rejoiced to know that his IA
ther understood Rob and loved her as
she deserved, he knew, too, what his
mother felt. If only she had been harsh
in Judgment, be might have thought of
defiance. 1t was the gentleness Of her
disapproval that gave it so much weight
with her son.
There was the question of money too.
Meager as was the return it brought,
Roscoe was unquestionably valuable
estate. A man needed to think we'll Of
himself or have little of manly inde-
pendence to go counting the heiress Of it
with empty hands. Jack was proudly
independent. He wanted his wife to
owe to him comfort and cherjshing. But
what ought he not to put aside to save
his love from the insult of Ben Top
marks wooing?
maybe the land is what he's after,
oonfound him!' Jack said TO himself as
he strobe across fields to Roscoe after he
had set his black hirelings at another
task. Heaven knows the place needs a
master badly enough, but not that mas
teri Rob, any dainty girl, had bother be
dead.
Roscoe folds were truly pitiful
sight Weeds stood as high as stalks in
the soant breadths Of corn land, and
crab grass made thick. fluffy rnaze be-
tween. II tQbsooo had cleaner filth, tall