The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-01
ROB NJ GREGOR.
By MARTHA MOULLOOH WILLIAMS.
copyright. 1886, by the Author.l
CHAPTER l.

big road where lt ran down hill TO cross
Walnut creek. The storehouse was a
log structure, with a cringing frame
addition across the back In front there
was ramshackle shed porch, with a
gathering floor, and some tottering steps
at one edge. from which the women
customers who rode got up or down
from their horses. They were not over
many. For the most part the store got
its trade from the abundant freedmen.
Some part Of the blacks had small
holdings Of their own. A much larger
moiety worked upon neighboring planta-
tons, either for wages or for share Of
the crops. But, howsoever employed,
they bad a trick of coming to buy at all
hours of the day and night. Mr.. Top
mark, the storekeeper, bemoaned the
fact no little. ut is the i'll convenient
est thing" he said. 'Ef the niggeTs'd
jest come either all by day er all by
night, man'd know when ter be thar
an needn't bother an go ter expense
keepin no sech trial rs that thar triflin
Teddy Barton, who can't be depended
on more'n five days in the week.
Teddy, you see, considered himself
society man of the giddiest type He
thought nothing of riding 10 miles and
back to party, which, in his Judgment
at least, would be q fat failure lacking
the light Of his countenance. But he
had the redeeming quality of coming
cheap to his employer, and the further
merit of being humbly respectful to that
persons face, though among his own
mates he told wild tales of 1.-THE sass he
give ole Top jest whenever he had a
mind"
Nobody believed him. Nobody ever
did believe anything Teddy said. The
bare fact of his saying it indeed made
against the acceptance of anything I'M
less there was mighty good outside
proof "That thar boy-he' d ruther lie
than ter drink whisky er eben Dance"
big Matt Taylor, the blacksmith, said
OF him, with kindly, contemptuous
laugh. There were not lacking people
% to say, though, that it was Teddy fac
lie untruth which had got and kept
him his place as Mr.. Topmarks general
representative.
Still there were limits to Teddy's use
fulness. Mr.. Topmark knew him too
well 60 trust him with any matter too
parlous for general gossip. Possibly that
was why he said affably upon IA July
evening:
Teddy, amt thar no frolic nowhar's
in strikin distance ternight? You amt
been ter one in ten days, an do reckon
heap Of the fair sect is pinin fer the
sight OF you.
Teddy giggled and admitted that
"mayby two or three gals over at SCciic
Bynum's would chuue up an cry Cf he
didn't git thar fore 10 o'clock. " So
after bit moro chaff, he went gallon.
ing away, waving laughing Poodby to
Luley, the eldest Of Mr. Toumark's
three small daughters. She was prim
miss of s. Annie and Jinney, the 9th
ers, were respectively 8 and g. They
were all miniatures of their mother.
who was Of the softly curved, plump,
white rabbitty type. She sat little way
off, watching her children tumble and
play on the piazza floor. There were no
lights outside, but broad yellow radi-
ance fell from hall lamp on the hud-
died heads, making plain all the intri-
cacies of their touseled gold
"You Children better not make so
much fuss. Pappy'll send you off ter
bed. It's time you were there now-way
after o'clock" Mrs. Topmark said,
with slow, indulgent smile. Jinney
disentangled herself and toddled across |
to her father. He sat easily in a big |
splint rocker. but there was no ease in |
his face. Instead it wore q strained |
look, yet he smiled obviously upon the |
child, catching her up and making a
great ado of standing her upon her head.
At once be set her down and rose pre-
cipitately, saying
"Ain't that jest the beat Of luck? IF |
Teddy was here, wouldn't soul come |
a-nigh the sto' fer two days mayby, yet
thar's somebody hollerin now, an I've |
got ter go tend ter him er else lose my
trade ter that Teller at the crossroads +"
1T is aggravatin; but, then, folks
most always come erbout this time in |
the week-Thursday nights, you know"
Mrs. Topmark returned placidly. Her |
husband heard only the first words. He |
was half way across the hundred yards |
VI '"AA Nho0 SbpdIducu tHe stOre lIOu lD5 /
smart new house, brave in cream walls |
and scarlet window sash, that lately had |
replaced his fathers squat log dwelling |
some one was calling sharply from the |
'oad. The hail was insistent, but eau
ious. To one able to read faces IL was |
plain Mr.. Topmark had been listening
or 1T in spite of his elaboration of sur
)rised vexation over it. But nothing of |
hat came TO the woman sitting placid
y on the piazza. Except within the |
iarrowest personal limits, she had no
penetration. Besides she would sooner
rave questioned the ways of divine
'rovidence than those Of her husband.
The stores back door alone was open
! after dark. AS Mrs. Topmark heard |
clang behind her husband she settled