The Princeton union., 1900-04-26

walk in the barn, a dance, a barbecued
on, glorious feast, a Christmas tree.
The Fanshaws were not going to in
had remembered his hands by pres
cnts oi money, but they were going
to spend it in town. Something, how
ever, did happen to mark the day as
an eventful one. Old Jade Fanshaw
was brought home in Bud Tarbell's
| dump cart, on a pile of wheat straw,
! covered by an old quilt. This oc-
Cured about 12 o'clock in the day.
| Ronald remembered that it took place
just as the dinner bell rang at Carn-
| leigh Bud Tarbell told the little
group in the front yard that Jade
wasn't dead an they needn't be
skeerd" He explained that he was
driving along a. mountain road looking
for sticks Of lightwood when he saw
sound as a dollar as far as he was
| able to see. He looked away for
minute and then he saw Fanshaw
down on his all-fours, crawling along
with head down like grazing COW.
''At fust I was afeerd of i'm, fur he
was actin mighty curis,'' observed
Tarbell, ''but terrectly his knee j'ints
seemed to flicker an he come down
kerplunll in the mud on his stomach
Then I drive up an put i'm in my
cart"
Mrs. Fanshaw was always a calm
woman; she went out at the gate,
waddled up to the cart, and shook the
human heap on the straw.
"Looky heer, what's a-ailin' of you,
Jade?" she asked, seeing his eyes open.
| Fanshaw sat up slowly, but he
looked like man with only shadow
of a soul in him; his eyes glared in
ghastly sockets and their whites had
turned red. As he looked round at
the group he seemed to recognize
them, but a. shifting look of terror
was in his glance. He began to work
mis- lips, to the edge of which his
stubbly beard grew, but only unin-
telligible sounds issued.
His tongue is paralyzed," COM
mented his wife; "loolx how that side
is drawed down to his neck. 1 de-
clare he's got a wad O. tobacco be-
twiNt his jaws clamped thar as tight
as cider press. Jade, spit that thar
truck out! Spit it out, I tell you'll
And as he paid no heed to her COM
mands, she thrust her forefnger be-
tween his almost toothless gums as if
lie were a child and pried out the
brown mass. ''Well!" she said. re
signedly, "we'll have to git i'm in the
house, Bud will want his cart. Come
you boys" Ito Ronald and DAVID
"help lift i'm out
Dave sprang into the cart, and Ron.
aid was about to do the same, when
Fanshaw's distended eyes fell on him
The old man raised his hands as if, tc
ward off blow and cried in words
now easily understood: "Take in
away: he wants to kill me!''
Ronald paused, but Fanshaw's ter
ror did not abate. He got to his fee
quickly and springing from the car
he ran. his knees knocking together
across the road towards the woods
stop i'm, he's tryin' to kill me! H,
wants me to tell i'm who he is, an
whar t'otber is buried!"
A remarkable change came over Mrs
:. Fanshav; she turned quickly to Ron
aid, and with an uneasy smirk, said
Don't you go gh i'm, Ron; he'
4 clean out'n his senses, an thar aim
no tellin' what guar notion might strik
" i'm"
, Ronald stood wondering, as Tarbel
and Dave ran after the old man. The,
I caught him by his arms and began t
half carry, half drag him towards tn
house. But Fanshaw's distended eye
:, were stillfixed on Ronald in alright an
/ he struggled and fought his captors lik
n wild man.
- "I'm not agoin' to have i'm put me j.
1 JAIL he snorted. He's done reported
k to Reddin', an together they are agoir
to have me swing for what I neve
. done!"
l. Again Mrs. Fanshaw faced Ronald
q this time she stood between him an
q his father. A frightened look of cur
d ming lay in her heavy-browed eye.
I. ''If was you, Ron," she said, hurried
+ ly, I'D go upstairs; he's tuck qua
Il notion somehow that you are ag'in in
T an wouldn't aggravate i'm"
% Glad Of an excuse to get away frol
the narrowing scene our hero went II
e. to his room. Presently he heard th
e clatter of hob-nailed boots on the porc]
,r The old man, low pacifed, was being lie
like dumb animal to his room. The
p all was quiet below. The silence Taste
Is till he heard Dawes voice outsit
o speaking through Il. broken windov
pane to his mother.
d ''I'm a-goin' to ride fur DOCTOR"
D. was saying.
D. The floor complained of it's burde
S as Mrs. Fanshaw went out on the pore
h. "Well," she replied, "you might
IN well, I reckon; but wouldn't git Sloa1
he'll charge two prices, an dun US
death. 1t hain't nothin' but a strol
nohow, an his drugs nor nobody else
r. can reach it. It's jest question
10 time. DR.. Wade will do as we'll as an
- body" t>
os Later in the afternoon Ronald hi
- come down and was sitting before t.