The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-07-04
A KENITE'S WIFE

BY 5. E. Bealt.

NFAVERICK'S sail came slipping
Nl down the creek in the hour be-
fore dawn. There was an arc of
growing light in the east with Jupi-
ter Shining white above.
He had been to the county town to
try to raise money on his last bit of
land, of which the waves were maxi
ing an island before blotting it out
altogether.
When estates were to be had for
the asking, the first Maverick could
go 20 miles on his own domain. He
built the church of St. Deny's, B &
NJ, that is still standing, and gave
the glebe lands; he abhorred a
Puritan. upheld the authority of the
king and the lord proprietary, signed
his name with a cross, and left to his
articled servant, Haines, such unman-
ly employment as reading and writ
ing. Master and man lived in 164O,
before the men from Nansemond
made trouble in camp and state.
After 1776, a Maverick of the fourth
generation was loyalist impover-
ished by a patriotic Haines, who
through cleverness at statecraft
had come to a responsible position,
and who had married the daughter of
colonial dignitary. In marriage a
Haines had ever taste for alliance
with his betters; several spinster
brides had aided their rising fortunes
with the influence of name.
The matrimonial ventures of q
Maverick were brought about by the
attraction of the moment. A milk
maid, or a girl from a wayside inn
made charming bride, providing she
had the beauty and brilliance of
youth. L-p~
Haines' craftsmanship of the pres
ent day had narrowed to county polf.
tics and controlling hand over lucra-
tive offices; while Maverick earned a
scant living from the water and from
the few acres he had left. Something
more by inheritance still remained to
him-a contempt for books, two tank.
ards with well-worn thumb pieces, a
superstitious reverence for the hos
pitality of his poor house, and an un-
impaired hatred of Haines.
He kept careless hand on the till
er, and went over the news he had
heard in town: Haines, who was
county treasurer, had defaulted. His
political opponents were in power,
even the judges on the bench were
against him; he was a fugitive. with
the certainty of vigorous justice be-
fore him. He might have got out OF
the country if he had not risked his
freedom for the sake of a sick child,
a son whom he dearly loved.
Maverick recalled the tax gather.
er's petty prosecutions over his own
insignificant tithe. He summed up an
account of generations, and laughed
at the result.
As his keel dragged the sand. his
wife ran down through the half light
to the edge of the water. She was
small and very young. and she ran
on tiptoe, beating the air with heI
hands as II buoying her movements
Eagerness shone in her eyes and IN
the trembling of her compressed lips
He had married after the custom Of
his people, and in her he worshipet
youth and beauty in the concrete.
She pushed him away and turned
from his kiss to ask:
"Did the man let you have th'
money"
"No."
She skipped from one foot to th'
other:
"Ive got It. can do better'n yo'
by staying home"
WHAT"
1--WE got the money. Hurry up"
Maverick made the boat fast. ant
rumaged in the locker for his pur
| chases.
"What difference does It max
about the old boat? Hurry, hurry"
He awkwardly united a packag
and held a red ribbon and some min
sticks above her head.
"WhatIl you give for them?"
Here" she said, impatiently, an,
lifted her face to kiss him. "Don't yov
see the sunIl be up in less than a
hour? Come up to the house. There
the money for the mortgage ON tn
room Aoor."
He followed her up the path. Sh
signed to him to walk softly and b
initiated her light motions. The inne
door was ajar, and - he peered int
the dusky place he saw. first. familia
things that bad been associated wit
him for 50 years, picture. an oake
settee and the two old tankards, whic
the girl beside him had kept bright
polished to while away her time. At
erward, in the lane of light. he saw
bowl and q plate with some crumh
of bread upon It. The shadow scros
the hearth was the fugitive treasurer
His clothes were torn and hiQ Ilpe
Were broken. HI marrow ~, 1T
the growth Of 4 wetkS beafl n
hidden on his Attn, snd IA ~ y
hands lay out ON the hoor where b
| had stretched tksm n the sxpeetatio
| Of sleep H SlePt sseenrely, tAei
voices did not disturb him.
DO you know who he is7~
Nancy Garry rowed over last nig1
an told ne shout ; man that had bee
steaiin' money: he'd been tsaske