The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-29

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UNHAM GREER sat in the
office of the village hotel
and looked out through
the long windows. He
saw wide stretches Of
0 farming lands, criss-cross-
ed with rude fences, with
blue hills rising in the dis
tance, and over all the f1eecy sky.
White farmhouses dotted the landscape
here and there. and far away he caught
sight Of a sunlit steeple
1t was a quiet scene, with such a
Sabbath-like stiffness about 1t that
somehow Durham felt his spirits droop
and wave of sadness seemed to fill
his breast. He felt sorry for the grand
father he had never seen, the grand
father who had come here in his early
youth and lived here and died here.
and was laid beneath the humble stone
in the little hillside cemetery. No Won
der Dunhams father had escaped into
dhe bustling world beyond those hills
and no wonder he never cared to talk
about his early boyhood in Eaglevlle.
Durham looked around at the land
lord. who had drawn up IL chair beside
the stove, through mere force of habit
it was a warm springy day-and was
trying to be agreeable to his only out
of-tOwn guest
You never knew Abner Greer, did
you?" Durham presently asked.
''Abner Greer?' repeated the land
lord. mo. / never saw him myself. He
died when 1 was boy. Took Il cold
on his chest-they call it pneumony
now, ! s'pose, an went off in a twink
lin You've heard of him. eh?"
i've heard his name," replied Dun
ham.
He was quite fellow from all ac-
counts said the landlord. Rather
peculiar. but straight as a string. I've
heard my father tell good deal about
him. He used to like to fish an hunt,
an he knew somethin' about flowers.
and books, and he talked we'll. an faith
er says they thought once of runnin'
him for sheriff, but Abner said he
didn't care for it an wouldn't lift his
hand to get the nomination. He didn't
have any ambition. If he'd been sharp
he could have bought up lot of land
round here for most nothing, but all
ne owned was the hundred acres he
bought when he came. Mabbe his
'wife's dying so soon after they was
married kind of spoiled his life. He
didn't seem to take much int'rest in
anything after that, father said. He
had one son and he sent him away be-
fore he was full grown. Said Eagle
vile was no place for Il boy that want
ed to be somebody. Don't think the
boy ever came back but once, and that
was to tend his fathers funeral
Somebody's got it that he's grown to
he quite a fellow. Married into the
four hundred, or somethin, and had
more money than he could use. OF
course stories like that always grow
pretty fast"
A vision of his lonely grandfather
plodding about the fields or sitting in
the silent farmhouse, a forgotten book
on his knee, and his sad eyes turned
towards the distant hills, arose before
Dunham, and the chords about his
heart suddenly frightened.
"He was honest and clean and stood
well with his fellow men?" he presently
said.
"He did" replied the landlord. MY
Father used to say that everybody liked
Abner. And when he was quite IL
young man they were proud of him,
too"
why was that?" inquired Durham
buickly.
Fat used to say that he was the
best runner that ever footed 1t in this
bld county. Beat every fellow for miles
Around. N once chap came all the
way from Springfield to race him, an
Abner beat him, too. Guest he must
lave been wonder"
The door at the side of the office had
opened as the landlord spoke, and Dun
ham heard footsteps on the floor he
hind him. He looked about casually
bnd saw that several of the village
toung men had entered.
What you talkin' about Cy?" one of
lhem asked.
Somebody you never saw" replied
he landlord. This gentleman was
Isking me about Old Abner Greer, an
! was tellin' him what reputation he
had as runner"
One of the young fellows laughed
tontemptuously.
"They didn't know what runnin' was
b those days" he said. I'm bet Bob