Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-07-20

lead he hasn't dared to 60 in swim
ming since, folks say. They thought
he would die, sure, but lead can't kill
him.
1 remembered the incident, for I
had CHANGED to ride in the stage with
his mother on her way to see her son,
whom she believed to be dying. my
Pally," she called him, and told me
that she herself had named him Pales-
tine, ''bekase hits good Scriptur'
name" She was curiouBly proud of
her boy, although disappearing his
crimes; sorry that he did as he did,
but admiring his hardihood and power.
had seen Seagraves himself once.
He had galloped by me, frightening
my horse with his reckless speed and
yell, and turning toward me as he
passed pair of Fearful eyes. Whether
he was light or dark. wore o beard or
not, L could not recall, but 1 could not
forget those eyes, and knew that 1
should know him again if 1 ever saw
him.
By this time the thought OF Pal Sea-
graves had ell-nigh absorbed the lit
tie part of my lecture that was devoted
to other aspects of the liquor problem.
I had no thought of naming him, but
I knew that every one would know
whom L meant, and was quite wiling
they should know, inasmuch as he was
at safe distance. And so the lecture
began.
was boy of twenty, cultivating
my first mustache, and the minister
who introduced me told the people
who filled the schoolhouse not to de-
spise my youth, for, said he, 81 reckon
he'll talk we'll, and I know he'll give
you the best he's got"
l was through with my introduction,
and had started we'll upon the body of
my lecture, and had reached the topic
OF intemperance and crime.
had just got into this when the
door opened, and in came Pal Sea-
graves. He had companion before
whom he was evidently minded to
show off, and both were more or less
drunk. Respectful room was made
for them, and they sat well toward the
rear, but in plain sight, and their
coming sent a perceptible chill over
the audience, and worse than a chill
over me. tried not to look that way,
but turn as [ would to this corner aud
that, [ saw nothing but those eyes. L
talked on from sheer inability to stop.
[ could not forget what I had to say.
could not change it. L had to go on.
L confess L tried to soften down
some of my illustrations, but it seemed
to me that every such attempt brought
the statement out in all the more un-
compromising form. 1 grew almost
desperate.
soon saw that Seagraves recog-
nized his portrait, and counted it
good joke. He winked at his COM
panion and nudged him. Then he
laughed, first softly, then aloud, and
then coarse, defiant laugh. This IL
ritated me and steadied my nerve
somewhat, and began to say to my
self that he should hear the truth
about himself once, anyway. So L
gave myself more liberty, and went
straight ahead.
His laughing mood did not continue
long. He scowled; he scuffed his
feet on the rough floor; he made some
discourteous noises; and all the time
l talked on as il driven by fate, every
word sounding harder and more sting
ing than | had meant it to, even when
| supposed that he would be absent
At length he rose and started to-
ward me, walking unsteadiIy, partly
because he was drunk, partly because
such is the custom OF human centaurs
when compelled to use their own legs.
1t was not because L wanted to that I
looked him straight in the eye. L
could not help it. And L talked on
because l could not stop. Perhaps
my looking at him had an effect; per-
haps he counted me small game; for
he turned on his heel and went out.
Many mountain schoolhouses have
no glass windows, but this one had,
and at one L soon saw the hideous,
grinning, angry, drunken face of the
| desperate. There are few faces that
lock we'll through a window at night,
but [ am willing to affirm that no face
ever looked less attractive than his
did to me, 1t was plain that he was
undecided what to do, for could read
| his thought in his drunken features.
| At times he seemed tempted to shoot
me through the glass and again, he
remembered apparently that was a
boy, and that to kill mo would be n
little ouj of his line, and could do him
little good.
As before, kept my eyes on him,
and every eye in the schoolhouse was
fixed with mine on that pane of glass.
His curiosity soon overcame him, and
he came in again, apparently little
more sober, and partly restored to
good nature by the fresh air. And L
found means about that time to draw
my lecture to n close.
In that part of Kentucky the min
listers descend after a service, and the
people come forward and shake hands
with them. L was sort of brevet
minister, and the preacher and 1
stepped down. The first man to come
up and extend his hand, which he did
| <