Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-07-08

man on tile watch out fer rail soft
snaps, an when Perkins whispered the
big secret in his yeer, like he did to
you, lie started out on still hunt fer
timbercd land on the line of the pro-
posed trunk line due west vy-ah Lick
skillet to barley, with stop over priyi-
leges at BuzZard Roost an fifteen min
utes fer hash mt Dog Trot Springs
Then, somehow or other, by hook or
crook-mostly crook-Abe Tompkins
wasn't dodgin' anybody about that
time. Peter Mosely could "a run agin
i'm with his eyes shut on dark night.
4 II was at Neil Filmore's store when
the two met, an eff n trade was ever
made quicker betwiXt two folks it was
done by telegraph an the paper was
signed by lightnin'. Abe said he had
the land an wouldn't part with 1t at
any price OF he hadn't been bad In need
o. money, fer he believed 1t was chuck
full o. iron ore. soapstone. black marble
| an water power to say nothin' o. tim
Der; but he'd been troubled so much
about cash, he said, that he'd made up
his mind to let or slide an the devil
take the contents. never seed two
parties to Il deal better satisfied. They
both left the store with u strut. Nose
ly's strut was the biggest, fer he wasn't
afeerd o. nothin'. Tonpkins looked like
he was afeerd Moscly nd call i'm baek
an want to rue"
"You mean to say But old Bishop
seemed unable to put his growing fear
into words.
oh don't know nothin fer GER
tain" said Abner Daniel sympa-
thetically, but eff l was you I'd 80
down to Atlanta an see Perkins. You
kin tell by the way he acts whether
thars anything in his railroad story or
not But by gum, you ort to know
whar you stand. You've loaded yore-
ser from hind to fore quarters, an eff
you don't plant yore feet on some'n
you'il 90 down"
Bishop clutchcd this proposition as a
pApShAiAs Aihttii Sfls.to stEtW.F w ell.
will SO sec I'M" he snfd. "Ill go Jest
to satisfy you. AS fer us I'm concerned
kIsow ba wasn't teuin' me NO lie but
reckon you all soyer II rest till you
are satisfied.
i BE descended the steps and crossed
the yard to the barn. They saw him
lean over the rail fence for moment
rs If in troubled thought.
Poor father" said Alan to his uncle.
MS his mother retired slowly into the
house. .'IIc seems troubled, and 1t may
mean our rnin-absolute ruin"
1T Amt no triflin' matter" admitted
Daniel. ''Thar's no tellin' how many
thousand acres he may have bought.
He's .keepin' somethin' to hisse'f. re-
member jest when that durn skunk of
II lawyer put that flea in his yeer. They
was at Hanson's mill am talked con-
fidential together mighty nigh all morn
In. But lets not cross bridge tell we
git to it. Let's talk about some'n else.
1 l hain't never had chance to tell you,
but seed that gal in town yesterday
nm talked to 'er."
Did you, Uncle ABB" The face of
the young man frightened His tone
was eager and eXpcctant
Yes. I'd hitclied IN the wagon yard
an run into Hazen's drugstore to git
box o axle grease an was comm out
with the durn stuff under my arm
when run upon 'er a-settin' in n bug
gy waitin' to git a clerk to fetch Ter
Inrf rrJnc ~
nized me, an fer no other earthly rea-
son than that I'm yore uncle She spoke
to me as pleasin' as Il basket o. chips.
What was l to do? never was in
such plight in my life. I'd been un-
loadin, side meat at Bartow's ware
house an was kiyered from head to
foot with salt and grease. didn't
i have on no coat. an the seat o. my
pants was non est don't think thar
was any est about 'cm, to tell the
truth. But knowed ii wouldn't be the
part of a gentleman to let 'er set thar
stretchin' 'er neck out O. socket to call
q clerk when was handy, SO wheel
ed about, lopin an prayin' eff she did
look ut me she'd take Il fancy to- the
back o. my head, an went in the store
an told 'em to git a hustle on Their
selves. When come out, she hauled
me up to aX some questions about
when camp meetin' was goin' to set in
this yeer an when Adele was comm,
home. let my box O axle grease
drap, an 1t rolled like a wagon wheel
off duty an me after 1t, bendin'-
bendin' of all positfons-heer an yam
In the most ridiculous way. l tell you,
ia never play croquet ur leapfrog in
them pants. All the way home
thought how I'd disgrnced YOU"
'sOh. you are all right, Uncle Alb"
laughed Alan. "shes told me several
times that she likes you very much.
She says. you are genuine genuine
through and through, and she's right
I'D ruther have her say 1t than any
other gal know" said .Abner. "She's
purity as red shoes, an eff I'm any
Judge she's genuwine too. I've got an
other idee about 'er, but amt a-giyin'
it away Jest now"
you mean that She
mo" aud the old man smiled mis-
chieyously. ~ didn't mean nothin' O
the sort wonder how on earth you
could "a got sech notion in yore
head. Pm goin' to sec how that black
scamp has left my cotton land. I'll
bet he hain't scratched it any deeper
IN old hen would "a done lookin' fer
worms"
CHAPTER III.
II =