The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-03-31

by nod Of his head, and saw q
silvery- haired old man with o stout
walking cane pass slowly by on the
sidewalk.
was an utter stranger in the viii
lage, but month of enforced idleness
was ahead Of me, and determined to
become friendly with the old man.
This did not prove hard TO do, for he
was genial, and l have always had
liking for elderly people. Short and
stout, ruddy of face, with perfectly
white HAIR and whiskers, and blue
eyes quick to light up with laughter,
he was very good to look at. In talk
ing, he had trick of occasionally re-
peating the last words Of q sentence, n
habit amusing to strangers, but rather
pleasing than otherwise on closer &C.
quaintance.
When l had put myself on fairly
good footing with him, some two
weeks after our Introduction, found
him one afternoon in an easy-chair on
his front piazza. Sitting down on the
steps, leaned against post and econ
led him to talk about his young days.
"Well," he said, al will tell you the
story straight, for see you have had
several secondhand nibbles at it al
ready.
"When / was young blood, like
yourself, lived on a large. plantation
in Georgia, my father being one of
the richest planters in his State. On
the same road that our house faced,
with about two miles OF field and
woodland between, was another extern
sivc farm. This was owned by the
Grantlands, q family who were our
bitter enemies. though we had once been
on the frlendliest terms-yes, friend
liest terms. The Oldest son of that
house had killed the oldest son of my
fathers house; that caused the en-
nifty, bitter TO the core. The young
men had been bosom friends; one
wouldn't go 'possum hunting unless
the other went. l remember the
morning when my brothers body was
brought home. was about sixteen
then, and he twenty.three. My father
stood by the corpse and swore eternal
hatred of the whole Grantland family,
and the rest OF us partook of his
spirit.
"'Why, you married Grantland,
didn't you, Mr.. Dearing, l asked,
''Not SO fast, young man, not so
fast You are like one OF these elec.
trio machines; didn't have such in my
day.
''To go back to my story. OF course
none of the Grantlands came to the
funeral, and the young fellow who had
done the killing had skipped the coun'
try. II was fine thing for him that
he got away, and his family took good
care that he did not come back-good
care, tell you. They held their heads
as high as we did, for none of them
believed the killing had been inten-
tional. We took our membership away
from their church, going five miles
further to another. They would not
get their mail from the same Office
where we got ours, but sent fourteen
miles to another Office, and neither
family would attend an entertainment
in the neighborhood where the Other
family might be met.
"All this went on, and at last
found myself twenty-five years old
Then something happened that wa
like gall to my taste-like gall.
"Mr. Grantland had a daughter whC
was about eighteen years of age at tha
time, a girl named Henrietta. Living
so near together, of course there were
times when members of the two fami
lies were obliged to see each other
and it seemed to me that l was forever
seeing Henrietta Grantland. would
pass her, face to face, both of us Oh
horseback, run across her at picnic
where did not dream she'd be, anC
meet her in town at the home of som,
mutual friend. Pretty soon l foun'
myself watching out for her, looking
at her on the sly, wondering what il
was in the set of her head that was 81
taking, Why it was that her hair seemed
to catch and hold the CLINT of the sun
shine-and all the like OF that, yol
know.
SIT made me angry every time
found myself watching her, for hate
her, you see-hated the whole Grant
land generation. Despite all, however
there was something about the gin
that compelled me to look her way an'
to think about her. ] just fairly des
pissed myself for it, felt worse than
traitor than a traitor. An