The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-03


by going back to his work. Snackiett came
over in few minutes and sat down by the
deputy, who was a young man with
pinched expression and nervous movements.
Shacklett threw one leg upon the table in
way that interfered with the deputys
work and said
George. 1 don't like to talk to any man
about his personal affairs. and you've kept
very quiet about yours to me. But want
to talk to you now a little"
The deputy's pen trembled in his hand.
for there were debts and threats of using
a pull on Shacklett against him if they
were not paid. Shacklett went on evenly
without a break in the sequence Of his
words or the low monotony Of his tone:
1--WE noticed your mother lately"-the
deputy swallowed something-"and she's
having too hard a life out there on the
farm, with 1t and the hand to manage, es-
pecially as it's not paying cent. Get her
buggy and let her bring you in every
morning and take you out every evening;
It'll do her good. If Doc gets sassy about
that balance on the hundred-dollar note
you've not been able to pay call me into
the conversation. He doesn't know It's
loaded, but IL Is. You've kept up the work
first-rate while I've been gone. AS soon
as the tax books are finished make II
point to go TO all the sales and picnics-I
can get along here-and take your mother
along. Do lot of talking for me all over
the county for next term and my re-elec-
ton. I want about twenty more delegates
than need next time, and 1 want 'em
solid. You aren't as cute as some of the
fellows around here, and you don't know
that I've kept close tab on you for the last
year and more that you've been here, but
I have, and I know all you've said and
pretty near all you've thought You have
been straight as a ruler with me, George,
and I know It, because I don't trust any
man so much that don't watch him when
he's In a confidential position with me.
This deputyship isn't enough motive for
being so straigh. as you are, but it
enough for you, Ii seems. Now you help
me get big lot of delegates to the next
convention. I'll name them myself, for 1
want men I can bank on sure. 1 want to
swing them when the time comes. I'm go
ing to make the biggest stir you ever saw
for the nomination, and in the morning be-
fore the convention meets I'm going TO
throw a good majority of the whole thing
TO you. You'll be the next clerk, and then
you can pay off Doc, move your mother to
town, and eat three meals day when you
ought to have them. Now I'm going up
to Docs Office for little Decent limit with
the judge and sheriff before everybody
knows I'm back" He took down his leg
from the table and brushed off a bit of
| dust from his trousers. "And you'd better
stop work on that book and just loaf
g. 30 In
When Shacklett sauntered into the office
| of his friend. the doctor, a woman waiting
there arose at once with great interest in
her face as she asked:
"How's your mother? The doctor told me
I'd have to wait till he got back from your
| house, for he had to go there right away.
| she's so bad"
"why-I just got back from st. Louis-I
| didn't know she was sick-she was well
when I left
He was well down the stairs again by the
time he had finished this reply TO the wom-
an, with his eyes wide open with amaze
| ment and his face drawn with new anxi-
ETY.. 1t had never occurred to him that his
| mother would some time become danger
ously i'll. He hurried home, and. after
talking with the doctor. whom he met at
the gate, went into the house with almost
/ a stagger.
There was a week of energetic fighting
| against heavy odds, and then a week of
that absolutely paralyzing but singing
| despair known only to strong men who for
| the first time meet an onslaught of fate
that cannot be stemmed, fianked or turned
| aside. When his mother died Shacklett
held her hand and counted the stitches in
the faded. blue-and-white quilt she had
| laboriously ornamented with intricate nee
dlework designs about the time he was
| born. He sat motionless until his deputy
came In and with an arm over his Shout
der silently led him away. He met the
| minister in the street the day after the flu
neral and stopped him with a gesture that
| he repeated twice before he controlled his
voice to say:
They say your sermon over mother was
the best that's ever been heard here, ever.
didn't hear word of it. Nobody knew
| her like did, and nobody else can tell me
| anything about her. She held father level
as long as he lived and she furnished all
the good there is In me. I'm glad she's in
heaven, and, while ! don't believe she can
see what I'm doing, I know she furnished
part of me, and that part will keep me from
being as bad as would be If 1 had differ
ent kind of mother. There's something
about serpents and doves. and she was a
dove that kept the serpent down as much
as possible"
The minister looked a little mystifed as
he went on. and the nearest he could get
to the exegesis OF Shackletts sermon was
the wisdom of righteousness.