Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-17


river, to say nothin OF the sheep and
cattle. 1t might a.b'en easy job in
the days Of father Abram and Isaac and
Jacob, but il will be somethin Of an un-
dertakin for the old man and me. y
Suppose the negroes won't go:'
Wont gor' Seth reared well, ]
reckon we don't expect To waste no
time consultin their wishes on tb. sub
ject The plan ~ the campaign u al
ready mapped ont We are just waitin
for the wurl go from the gov 'ner Pa
will lead the van with the men and the
mules. and ! will b. rarguard to th"
women and children and cattle. You
see the gov ner wants 'em all run hack
20 the hills before he starts out him
self"
Starts out where to;'
"To joia the army and Adrien.
~ thought he was Union mani"
$50 he was 50 he was. He wanted
to save the Union. You know he did
Ole man Strong Is true grit 10 the back
bone. Don't you mind his speech at the
big ratification meetin: How he begged
'em almos' with the tears in his eyes
not 10 do nothin that couldn't be un-
done? How he warned 'em they Was
playing with u sword that could cut
two ways? Don't you recollec, Strong,
when the ordinance Of secesh was pass.
ed an everybody was a-whoopin an Ia.
hollerin all grabbin for blue cockades,
how the ole mans head dropped till his
white beard touched the bottom button
Oh his vest. | was a-lookin square at
him, and coald alnos' a-swore, Strong,
that saw the water a-standin III his
ole eyes
perhaps you did The governor Is
rather emotional, and he was Union
man all the way through, said Strong
coldly.
"You make me feel like had took a
drink of ice water when wasn't thirs-
ty, Strong. Well, Union man or no,
the gov 'ner il gettin ready to 80 out
himself"
"Go ont where?"
ITO the front, or wherever there's
fightin to do. He says he can't sit IN
the chimbly corner sucking his thum :
while other men are taking their
chances for the bullets. Oh, tell you
there amt 10 discount on ole man
Strcng."
Strong WINGED and involuntarily
moved farther away from the chimney
corner. Presently he broke out passion
ately:
1T isa-s shame The whole thing
| is al Internal mistake. Making butch
ers out Of men who wouldn't harm u
| hair on dogs back il left to their own
devices. Now, il the army was made
MP exclusively Of such sneaks as AdricD
Strong, the country could survive its
loss. !"
"Adrien Strong don't pass for sneak
| in Virginia, where the tightin Is hot.
test.
Perhaps not.
Strong looked 50 ugly as he snarled
out those two words that Seth forbore
communicating the laudatory rumors
that were anoat in the neighborhood
about Adrien Strong.
| Silence fell between the two men.
Seth's mission had failed. He would
wait and take his supper of black coffee
and fried bacon with Strong, then
climb the cliff and go home.
The darkness deepened within and
without. Old Viney came into the room
with a globeless kerosene lamp in hel
hand, placed it in the middle OF the
table, flung pine knot in the fire and
hobbled slowly out again.
The insistent rain, made invisible by
the interior illumination Of lamp and
freight, battered dismally upon the
hard beaten surface Of the dooryard.
The clock ON the rough pine shelf over
the fireplace gave premonitory cluck
and struck seven
viney made . second grand entree,
laden down with plates and cups and
saucers, which she arranged upon the
table with considerable clatter and nc
taste whatever. She was hobbling slow
| " toward the door once more when
something caused her to lift her turban-
ed head and to stand still in an alert
attitude Of surprised attention
81 yhers w'eels," she said, turning
automatically toward the two men on
the hearth.
"WheelsP'
They laughed incredulously. No one
ever sought Neck or Nothing on wheels
under the brightest sunlit skies Who
should be cropping thither in this storm
drenched darkness?
"You kin snicker s'long as you aint
got no manners, but ! yhers 'em all de
same Dey done stop"
She hobbled to the front dor anC
flung II open with assertive violence,
sending yellow band Of light athwart
the wet beaten walk between the cabin
and the still.
"She is right. Hail Columbia! Who
can 1t be!' said Seth, rising quickly In
his astonishment
Strong lifted himself more deliberate.
ly. Not even the unprecedented posi-.
bility Of visitors to Neck or Nothing on
this inclement evening could stir him
beyond the point Of looking behind the
door for his umbrella and lifting his
lantern from the nooe with . tentative
swing to decide II there was any oil In
t. Then he Joined Seth and viney In
The ousn DOORWAY