Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-03
CHAPTER II.
soME PEOPLE AND EyENra

lars to make an app'intment to preach
at the Coon Run meetin house."
Pap Sampson, you have said that,
an you can Jest keep on a-sayin 1t till
the COWS come home. but l tell you
right now You ain't a-gwine to change
my mind none. The words spoke at
first l speak ag'in, an them words Il
that that Teller amt no more preach
er than q rabbit is-nary speck more. y
Jason Roberts, II that Teller amt no
preacher. an you air 30 dead shore Of
1t. maybe you'll Jest be good enough to
tell us what under the sun he may be-"
Pap Sampson thumped his cane
down on the ground and Strengthened
himself up with the air Of one who has
thrown down the gauntlet and 10 watt
ing to see II anybody 10 going 10 be
foolhardy enough TO take It up.
The young stranger. having quieted
the fears Of the people at Becketts Mn,
had departed on his way giving no ac-
count Of himself further than TO state
that his name was James Melvin. He
said nothing Of whence he came nor
whittier he was going nor how be hap
pened to be among them.
Very naturally the people were Gu
rious about him and equally rs natural
" they fell to discussing him as soon
as he was gone.
Pap Sampson being recognized Is the
village oracle very properly resented
the audacity Of Jason Roberts In dar-
ing to dissent from his conJectures, and
In uttering his last speech he felt that
he had certainly put Jason down for
good and all.
But Jason was more tenaei0u. than
Pap supposed. and after ponde1ins ths
matter a bit be said:
II may be mistaken, Of COURSE an 90
may yon. Pap. but mistaken or not my
notion 10 that that Teller 10 rich an that
he has come here from somewhas 70
buy somethin"
Pap gave contemptuous sni6 and
INDUCED In 4 little incredulous laugh.
You have said that. Jason Roberts, =
he remarked, fan mebhy you have said
true words an mebby you amt. But
II you thinks they are true words meb-
by you can 90 fudder an say what that
Teller is figurin on buyin."
"Oh, l don't know" Jason replied.
Most anything. reckon"
"That won't do, Jason. Il won't nigh
do. You can't edge out of box In
that sort of way.a The fact Is you amt
no notion under the sun what that felleI
is here for, an you mought jest ~ well
say 81"
"An you amt no notion neither, Pap.
no more than l have"
"I've said what he's here for, Jason,
an I've said 1t boldly, an, as remark
ed. the words what have spoke l stick
to. IN I'll spntiner TO stick to 'em as
long as GabePs got ! button left on his
coat. That Teller o breaches. an
hog
"You have said that pnp. an thas
amt no use In you chawin your hash
over more than three hmes. But I
know that Teller ain't NO preacher,
cause when he come up hero he cuss-
ed. He cussed Sim Banks, an he cuss-
ed him out plain. He said these words.
Damn you. you makes another squeak
or try to move hother inch, an I'll
blow your head on Them was the
identical words he said TO Sim, for
heard him With my own ears an I
guess you heard HIM too. Pap"
II did, Jason. heard him speak
them very words. But what Of III
Strictly speakin, damn amt no cuss
word. an I low preacher mougt,t use
1t In case Of emergency though II
amt Jest proper"
Jim Thorn, who had remained silent
all this time. suddenly broke into the
conversation by remarking with the
air of one who has convictions and
who is positive Of their correctness.
"You all have had your say about
that man. an now It's time was hay.
in mine. Some Of you have reckoned
one thing an some Of you have reck-
oned another, but none Of you amt
reckoned right. know what that fel.
Ter is, an, stand ready to bet hosa
on 1t"
what are the word you lows t.
speak, Jim Thorn" Pap Sampson ask.
ed contemptuously. II you knows 70
much about itY'
1.-THE word Tow to speak n FEST
this, Pap Sampson, an you ali will sec
1t are true word II you live long
enough: That man Amt nothin more
nor less than rascal hidin out from
the law. That's the word speak, an
It's word III stand TO IL Il kills me-"
There was ni6menA q bfeathlesa
silence while the people looked from
one to another. and nobody noticed
that one Of the company eoloeed and
after shooting . contemptuous glance
at Jim Thorn turned her face away.
That one person was Louise, the youns
and beautiful wife Of Sim Banks, the
man who had fled before The advance
Of herd Of cattle
The people Of Beckett's Mil wers
like the rest Of humanity in that they
were more ready to believe nj Of q fel
low creature than they were to belieys
good Of him. For this reason the ma
jority Of those present fell at once II
with Jim Thorn's idea and proceeded
to announce their belief that he wal
right.
To be sure, Pap Sampson shook hill
head and thumped the earth with hil
cane and stoutly maintained that hi
was correct. SO did Jason Robert,
contend that he was right Those twt
men had taken positions, and they fell,
that 1t was incumbent on them to main
tain them. and nothing short OF abso