Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26
CIlApIlrR LII.

CHAPTER III.
Out in the open he saw David stand
ing before the horses and trap Of the
fishing Marty. holding his gun across
the back of his brawny neck, like the
yoke of water-carrier.
well, I'll be DUN wivcled," he said.
MS Ronald approached. IAN NAV make
she biggest cracllin' in eternal fire, eff
over I'd believed a brother O. mine
Iouid be seen in confidential confab
with a daughter of old Hasbrooke. II
Id a-had bottle along, I'd a-swore it
was delusion, but haint fetched a
drop sercc ten o'clock this mornin'."
Ronald hated himself for being
obliged to make excuses for her.
she simply happened along where L
was fishing, Dave. hope you Won't
talk about it, and cause any miscon-
structon to be put on it,"
You don't mean you an her could
git acquainted like that. in sech short
time," remarked David, as they walked
siong the sandy road side by side.
IL have met her once before-a year
ego. She was in Rcgan's meadow. and
tOt ~ y Hitllcu Ut HIS DuIl. drove LAG
bull away, and she-she stopped to
speak to lac again to-day. That was
all"
But David's fancy for the novelty of
the situation from his standpoint was
rot easily cooled. 1t was plain to Ron
aid that lie was still turning it over in
lis mind by the low grunts and ex-
CARNATIONS of wonder that seemed Jolt
cd from his lips by his heavy strides.
well, I'm shore glad of one thing"
he said, finally, land that is that the
colonel didn't happen along just like
! did"
lis brother knew what was coming,
and yet he asked: "Why, Daye?"
because the old codger'd "a raised
more sand n Texas tornado, that's
all. Why, Ron, are you blamed fool,
with no more sense than last yeer's
bird nest? Don't you know nobody by
the name O. Fanshaw never stood on a
level with them sort O. folks? IF
went up thar on business, or ma, or pa
or either of the gals went to sell 'em
eggs or socks, wouldn't we 20 TO the
back door, like all the rest of our sort?
Why Ron, jest now you was a settin'
cross-legged on the colonel's piazza a
smokin' one of his seegars like priv
legged character. lIa, ha, don't know
how it knocked the wind out of me-"
Ronald, his face dark and his brow
lowering, found himself reduced to say
ing;
a hope you won't mention it at home,
Dave
His brother stared at him curiously.
"1ou know l can hold my tongue
he said. II wouldn't go round shuotin'
of my mouth about thing like that
for anything. The colonel would shoot
tie top o my head off; he's wheel boss,
l tell you
Ronald brought him to n stop in the
center of the road.
Dave, Go you really think we are so
degraded as that?"
The burly fellow shrugged his shout
ders.
I'VE are as good, reckon. as the gem
eral run of our own sort" was his an
sWer, and he smiled so broadly that u
brown tobacco qud showed between
his big yellow teeth. but, as the fellow
said: Dang the sort l reckon the
Almighty made us out O scraps when
He was too tired TO watch what lie
was dom. ! reckon we are some bet
tern cornflod niger. but we'd lest
he blind to our own impcrfcctous ef
We didn't admit that thar is folks as
much higher'n us as We are hi2her'n
tadpoles."
That is dangerous philosophy,
David protested Ronald. deeply Sung
Dy his brothers words. "If YOU ever eX-
poet to rise in the world, You must re-
member-keep the idea always before
you-that a man is what he makes him.
self"
"Shucks, thar hain't word o. that
So gruntcd David. Col. Has brooke is
our big man, an he hain't what he
made hissef. His father owned GOO
slaves, an land enough to start a re-
public on, an government bonds, an
storchouses in Atlanta, an what not.
NO, the colonel is sample o. what his
daddy done fur i'm; you can bet yore
sweet life on that! An as fur that mat
ter, men you is jest what Jade Fan
blood has got a lots to 90 with it. Col.
1iasbrooke's father fit in the Mexican
war, an the colonel stuck hisse'f up to
be shot at in defense o his niggcrs in
the civil war, but Jade Fanshaws daddy
before i'm was sent up fur house
breakin, an instead o shouldcrin' hi
musket 10 drive the yelpin' Ianks out
O. the south Jade hid in the mountains
up in Tennessee, an turned bush
whacker, an lived on what he could
rob from helpless women an Children,
i hope nobody round heer won't find
all that out. We've got black eye
enough, as it is"
81 always try 10 forget that" sighed
Ronald.
"Ah, my honey!" calculated the I'M
couth philosopher, in triumphant
tone. but Col. Hasbrooke don't try to
forget nothin' his daddy did. Not on
yore tin type. I've heerd lie has his
pas uniform in big glass case, an
picture of i'm on a boss in full tilt after
the enemy. They say the old Teller
fl like tiger cub with one yeer shot
OF as clean as baby's belly, an