The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-19
PROLOGUE.
PIVOTAL HEREDITY.

P4NOIAL HEREDlIE.
Hes a perfect devil-ain't he, Samuel?'
said man wearing an old. Ight-blue over
coat and a black, soft hat which seemed
almost as old as the coat.
yep" answered Sheriff ShackIett, 'and
the devil is ginerally thataway; he's purity
hard to put away from you and git rid Of.
III l hadn't mastered that devil he'd "A
done me UP. Gene purity nigh doin' it. too.
The devil comes nigh Citing me lots o
times. Joe. and I'm wonderin' whether
he won't git me yit; it's a close shave
plenty o times" And both men laughed.
sheriff Shacklett started home to supper.
after a desperate fight caused by his at
tempt TO put one of the Richards boys in
Jail against the viii Of the person whom
the warrant called 1.-The said T. r Rich
ards" The sheriff came of victor and the
devil was Gagged, but the sheriff was per-
fectly sure that there would be other devils
to put away securely coming into his life
frequently as long as his term should last
As he walked along he unused to himself:
That's fact; it's my business to keep
the devil on the other side of the bars from
me. but 1 wouldn't do il very often If 1
didn't call on mother fer help. It's kinder
queer. but / kin handle most any man and
lock him up without help. but I'm damned
If kin keep the devil from Citing me by
myself-an' I'm damned if he gifts me-
And the man laughed TO himself at his
witticism. There's not the least chance
but I'd be behind the bars myself fer
sompun er other if it warn't fer Martha.
It's in me, and how I've kept it from
comm out 1 low I don't see-reckon Z
haven't. for that matter; it's Martha that's
laid out the devil with a billy when he's
about TO git me. II US two are one low
her part keeps my part from dom devil
ment purity often. We make queer mix
UP. don't We? I'm bad as all hell, and
she's good as a preacher-better'n some
preachers. Now. If both O. US was actually
In one body an mind it 'ud make a queer
customer that ia ruther like to see"
1t was some years later that these war
ring elements for good and bad brought on
a conflict that had something to do with
the policy Of the United States in impor-
tant matters; by that time Sheriff Shack
lett and his wife both had entered upon
the mysteries Of the lethal life beyond the
unkempt graves with their white, rectangu-
lar headstones. Some people consider the
character they left behind on earth in their
son Noel about as great a mystery as the
unknown future could possibly contain.
When this son a middle-aged man a
notorious politician said Noel Shacklett
was the reincarnation of the devil, and a
minister of the orthodox faith said the son
of Samuel and Martha Shacklett had
proved his right TO eternal salvation. The
solution of such a conflict of opinion must
come to every man for himself; and leav-
ing the answer to ethical questions to those
who read the story to the end, the only
thing to be predicated here is that Noel
Shacklett came honestly by his character,
whether he did or did not ever come hon
estly by anything else. He the son
OF his father and his mother. and his father
always said that his mother prevented
many a fatal last step into deep hole re-
puted 10 be without bottom