The Holly chieftain., 1897-11-05
THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.

THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.
In the days before the new eGa, Ala
coochee was dcad-slivc village with a.
single street climbing from the ferry
landing on the river bank up to the
weather-beaten courthouse on the first
slope OF Johns mountain. lfit differed
from other inland county seats in
northern Alabama 1t was on the side
of drowsiness and shabby inconse-
quence. Its reason for existence was
purely geographical; the Chiwassce
valley divides Chilmath county into
halves. and the ferry was point ac-
and to the dwellcrs 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 threc
were relatively notable. One was the
courthouse. wooden, two-storied, with
classic porch out of which tumbletl
cataract Of steps flowing down to the
head of the street. Another was Cat
ron's store. low and windowless in the
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. It had
been q planters mansion in the days OF
masters and slaves, and in falling from
:ts better estate the square brick house
had brought down some reminders OF
ancient stateliness and solidity. There
was suggestion of comfort in it's deep
verandas. roomy Railways and wide
firepiaces. 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 condition of moribund disuse.
In the nature Of things. the old ALA
coochee saw few visitors. II was 20
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 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 PrattyiIle.
and there was a consequent stir of spec
ulative curiosity among the loungers
whose rallying point was the shelter
of Catron's awning. French, being
s,,<o <n>1 n1.x..
family that he had been unable to find
out his passengers business; and, hav-
ing run 20-mile gauntlet with the in
quisitive mail carrier, the strangers
had no trouble in evatling 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 oi
the Mountain house. e.asking questions OF
everyone and contriving to dodge all in.
Aniries aimed at the object of their visit.
One evening when the sun had gone
down behind Johns mountain the new.
comers 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 heavy-set man,
with smooth-shaven face, hard but
Unreliable. He had the mannerism OF
quiet agsressiveness which belongs to
physical superiority. but the bully in
him was force rather than an expires
sion. Certain little idiosyncrasies, such
as the habit of slipping his hands into
his pockets and rocking his chair gen.
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
Sharpless was respected as an able at
torney and one whose loyalty to his
clients was never hnmpered by incon-
vcnient questions of conscience His
companion was wiry little man whose
clothes were 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 us he warmed to his subject. His
calling was not 30 obvious, but that
was because he hnd followed 70 many
occupations that none of them had left
its impress upon him. A pettifogging
lawyer. land agent for railway COM
pany, broker in real estate, and lat
terly professional boomer, Mr.. Jenkins
Fencb was a man OF many parts, well
qualified to bear his share in the enter
prise in which he was at present as
socinted with the New York lawyer.
Shnrpless 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?"
Hardly" replied Fench; "there
hasn't been anything they could get
hold OF, yeti
-No-not unless Gates has been talk
ing"
.'He hasn't anything to talk about.
All he knows i that we want TO buy
his land. and that proves pothipg.''
perhaps not. to these people," re-
Joined the lawyer. tipping his chair to
the cross-examinntion angle. "Whntd0
they say about the engineers camp up
on the Little Chiwassee?"
Fench chuckled. "They think its nm
exploring party for . new railroad: even
Gates don't suspect that the men have
anything to do with u.s."
''It's been pretty carefully worked,
no far. Portheroe'x a sharr fellow. and
he knows how to keep his mouth shut.
He was the best man you could have
found to handle the exploring party.