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

Seth had just delivered hinsseU Of the lat
est Uar netCs.
ous potency whose decrees were not To
be questioned; Strong sullen, resentful,
rebellious, wretched.
As he sat there opposite Seth, with
his elbows supported by his knees, his
long hair tumbling riotously about his
forehead, toying with pair Of clumsy
tongs which Vulcan might have design
ed in ponderous mood, there was pa
thetic suggestion Of wasted force about
him.
His form, which had broadened and
strengthened under tho open air agen-
cies Of cropmaking and deer hunting,
had the sinewy grace Of . young ath-
lete's
Seth, never erect, but grown still
rounder shOuldered and more slouching
AZ the years bent him earthward under
their unyielding demand for his best,
looked old and careworn by contrast.
His gentle blue eyes were fixed wist-
fully upon the young giant sulking on
the other side Of the hearth from him.
Several times his lips parted, as II he
were growing weary waiting for Strong
to speak the words he ought 10 speak,
but as often he closed them again pa
tiently.
He was man Of infinite patience,
but even Seth's patience had its limita-
tions, which were reached suddenly mt
last.
Strong slowly lifted the heavy tongs,
made lunge at the glowing logs that
sent shower Of red gold sparks flying
merrily mp the black throated chimney.
and replacing the tongs against the
whitewashed jamb thrust his hands in
his pockets, stretched his legs to their
utmost capacity and asked with an o.
tentatious yawn:
"How does sis get ON teaching Miss
Chambliss high art:''
Seth flung his rough hands ont with
an impatient gesture.
Every well, / reckon. They seem tn
like each other. Are together nearly oil
the time since Ran went into the az
my" Then, with a nervous catch in his
gentle voice, "You don't think of going
inter it at all, jedge, Strong"
Without altering his position Strong
removed his eyes from the dancing
sparks to Seth's anxious face. Some Of
the sparks seemed to have been insnar-
ed in their somber depths, they glowed
with such intense fire as he slowly
ground out his reply between his clinch-
ed teeth.
"Go into It? No, I'll be-n do!
For q second Of reflective silence Seth
umoothed the creased kneecaps Of his
jean trousers with his long freckled
hands Then his courage came back to
him.
1.-THE Martins amt cuttin very
good figger in this row nOhow, and it
amt particularly creditable to rs, see
ing how many Of us there is-men Mar
tins, I mean. The old man Is out Of the
question. The niggers are 30 upset they
don't know whether they be standin Oil
their heads er on their heels, and he's
| lust holdin himself in readiness to stam-
pede 'em all, mules and niggers over
ON to the Macon hills a. soon as Vicks.
burg falls, which it is p'ison sure to do,
| In my estimation. And he needs all the
help can give him while we stay here
or If we skcdaddle. We're JUS waitin
for the gov v'ner 10 give the word, and
the gov g'ner he's just waitin to hear
from some army friend he's wrote to
for advice on the situation. And Char
lie, he's such . delicate chap that ma
would just fret herself plum crazy Il
| be was to list. And SOL
Strong SPLIT the sentence in twain
with an unpleasant laugh
"And 50, as ! am not needed any
where in particular, and no one IL at
al likely to fret themselves plum era.
~ II / were to be picked on by = Yam.
| kee bullet or muffed out By camp fever,
you came down this aftesnoon to urge
my enlistment as