Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-08
CHAPTER LIZ

Out in the open he saw David stand
ing before the horses and trap of the
fishing party, holding his gun across
the back of his brawny neck, like the
yoke of water-carrier
well, I'll be dumswiveled, he said.
as Ronald approached, IAN may make
the biggest cracklin' in eternal fire, ef
ever I'd believed brother o mine
could be seen in confidential confab
with daughter of old Hasbrooke., If
I'd a-had bottle along, I'd a=swore it
was delusion, but hain't fetched
drop sence ten o'clock this mornin'."
Ronald hated himself for being
She simply happened along where I
was fishing, Dave. hope you won't
talk about it, and cause any miscon-
struction to be put on it,"
You don't mean you an her could
git acquainted like that, in'sech short,
time remarked David. as they walked
along the sandy road side by side.
Il have met her once before-a year.
ago. She was in Regan's meadow. and
got frightened at his bull. drove the
bull away, and she-she stopped to
speak to me again to-day. That was
ALL"
But David's fancy for the novelty of
the situation from his standpoint was
not easily cooled. 1t was plain to Rom
aid that he was still turning it over in
his mind by the low grunts and ex-
CARNATIONS Of wonder that seemed Jolt
ed from his lips by his heavy strides.
We'll, I'm shore glad of one thing"
he said, finally, "and that is that the
colonel didn't happen along just like
I did"
His brother knew what was coming,
and yet he asked: why, Dave?"
Because the old codger'd "a raised
more sand n a Texas tornado, that's
all. Why, Ron, are you blamed fool,
with no more sense than last yeer's
bird nest? Don't you know nobody by
the name O. Fanshaw never stood on
level with them sort o. folks? Eff i
went up thar on business. or ma, or pa
or either of the gals went to sell 'em
eggs or socks, wouldn't we go to the
back door, like all the rest of our sort?
Why, Ron, jest now you was a settin'
cross-legged on the. colonel's piazza a.
smokin' one of his seegars like priv
LEGGED character. Ha, ha, don't know
how it Knocked the wind out of mel"
Ronald, his face dark and his brow
lowering, found himself reduced to say
ing:
II hope you won t mention it at home,
Dave"
His brother stared at him curiously.
you know l can hold my tongue"
he said. II wouldn't go round shootin'
off my mouth about a thing like that
for anything. The colonel would shoot
the top O. my head off; he's wheel boss,
I tell you"
Ronald brought him to stop in the
center of the road.
Dave, do you really think we are SO
degraded as that?'
The burly fellow shrugged his shoul-
ders.
I'VE are as good, 1 reckon, as the gen
eral run of our own sort" was his an
swer, and he smiled so broadly that
brown tobacco guild showed, between
his big yellow teeth, ''but, as the fellow
said: Dang the sort I reckon the
Almighty made us out o scraps when
He was too tired to watch what He
was doin'. reckon we are some bet
tern cornfeld niger, but we'd Jest
be blind to our own imperfections eff
we didn't admit that thar is folks as
much higher'n us as 1--WE are higher'n
tadpoles.'
That is a dangerous philosophy.
David" protested Ronald. deeply stung
by his brothers words. IF you ever ex-
pect to rise in the world, you must re-
member-keep the idea always before
you-that man is what he makes HIM
SELF
"Shucks, thar hain't word O. that
So" grunted David. Col. Hasbrooke is
our big man, an he hahn what he
made hissef. His father owned 600
l'slayes, an land enough to start re-
public on, an government bonds, an;
J stogehousss in Atlanta, an what .nota