Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-02-04
THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.


weather-beaten courthouse on the first
slope of John mountain. fit differed
! from other inland county seats in
northern Alabama ii was on the side
of drowsiness and shabby incense
quence. Its reason for existence was
purely geographical; the Chiwassee
valley divides Chilmath county into
halves, and the ferry was point ac-
cessible to the farmers in the valley
and to the jewellers 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
cataract of steps flowing down to the
head of the street. Another was Cot
ron's store. low and windowless in IN.
rear and self-assertive and pretentious
in front, with 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
masters and slaves. and in falling from
its better estate the square brick house
had brought down some reminders of
ancient stateliness and solidity. There
was suggestion of comfort in its deep
verandas, roomy Railways and wide
fireplaces, but the hint was lost in the
general aspect of decay and neglect,
and the Mountain house, together with
everything else in the village, pointed
toward gradual and painless relapse
into a condition of moribund disuse.
In the nature of things, the old ALA
coochee saw few visitors. It was 90
miles down the valley to Prattville.
The nearest railway town, and Abel
French'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. He brought two
strangers up with him from Prattville.
and there was consequent stir of spec
whose rallyng point was the shelter
of Catron's awning. French. being
promptly interrogated, confessed reluc-
family that he had been 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 veranda of
the Mountain house asking questions of
everyone and contriving to dodge all in
1uiries aimed at the object of their visit.
One evening when the sun had gone
down behind Johns mountain the new
corners took their accustomed places
on the veranda, drawing their chairs
together and lighting their after-sup-
per cigars in full view of the open-air
court in session under Catron's avn
ing. One of them was heayy-set man,
with smooth-shaven face. hard but
unreliable. lie had the mannerism of
quiet aggressiyeness which belongs to
physical superiority, but the bully in
sion. Certain little idiosyncrasies, such
as the habit of slipping his hands into
his pockets and rocking his chair gem
tly on two legs as he talked, suggested
the lawyer cross-eXamining witness,
and the hint pointed truthfully to the
gentleman's profession. Among his
legal associates in New York. Lawyer
ShaIpless was respected as an able at
torney and one whose loyalty to hL
clients was never hampered by incon-
Venient questions of conscience. His
companion was wiry little man whose
clothes We're shabby with the wear of
activity. He talked volubly, punctuat-
ing his speech with lean finger laid
in the palm Of the opposite hand, and
throwing one leg over the arm of his
chair as he warmed 10 his subject. His
calling was not SO obvious, bat that
was because he had followed so many
occupations that none OF them had left
it's impress upon him. A pettifogging
lawyer. a land agent for a railway com
pany. a broker in real estate. and lat
terly professional boomer. Mr.. Jenkins
Fencb was man of many parts, we'll
qualified to bear his share in the enter
prise in which he was at 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 you?"
Hardy" replied Fenrh; 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 about.
All he knows is that we want to buy
his land, and that proves mott e."
Perhaps not, to these pie" re-
joined the lawyer, tip : mis- chair to
the DISCRIMINATION angle. "Whatdo