Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-03

spoonful o land up heer an that he's
jest hc'pin' the Toinpkins folks on the
sly to unload some o. Their land, so
they kin move west, whar they've al
ways wanted to go. Peter Mosely is a
man on the watch out fer rail soft
snaps, an when Perkins whispered the
big secret in his yeer, like he did to
you, he started out on a still hunt fer
timbered land on the line of the pro-
posed trunk line due west vy-ah Lick
skillet to barley, with stop over privi.
legcs at Buzzard Roost an fifteen min
utes fer hash at Dog Trot Springs.
Then, somehow or other, by hook or
crOok-mostly crook-Abe Tompkins
wasn't dodgin' anybody about that
time. Peter Moscly could "a run agin
i'm with his eyes shut on n dark night.
Il was at Neil Filmore's store when
the two met, an cf n trade was ever
made quicker betwixt two folks it was
lone by telegraph an the paper was
signed by lightnin'. Abe said he had
the land an wouldn't part with it Mt
any price eff he hadn't been bad in need
o. money, fer he believed it was chuck
full o iron ore, soapstone, black marble
an water power. to say nothin' o. tim
her: but he'd been troubled so much
about cash, he said, that he'd made up
his mind to let 'cr slide an the devil
take the contents. | never seed two
parties to n deal better satisfied. They
both left the store with IL strut. Nose
ly's strut was the biggest, fer he wasn't
npo,,J -, .o.Ii.r v4o,,.l.it.. io1I.oJ MI.
he was afeerd Mosely 'ud call i'm back
an want to rue"
you mean to say But old Bishop
seemed unable to put his growing fear
into words.
ooh. l don't know nothin' fer GER
tain" said Abner Daniel svmpa-
thctically, but Of l was you I'd 20
down to Atlanta an see Perkins. You
kin tell by the way he acts whether
thar's anything in his railroad story or
not. But, by gum. you ort to know
whar you stand. You've loaded yore-
SET from hind to fore quarters, an eff
you don't plant yore feet on some'n
you'll 20 down."
Bishop clutched this proposition as n
drowning man would a straw. "Well,
l will 90 see i'm" he said. III go jest
to satisfy you. AS fer as I'm concerned
know he wasn't tellin' me NJ lie, but
l reckon you all never III rest till you
are satisfied"
He descended the steps and crossed
the yard to the barn. They saw him
lean over the rail fence for q moment
as if in troubled thought.
Poor father" said Alan to his uncle
as his mother retired slowly into the
house. He seems troubled, and it may
mean our ruin-absolute ruin"
at amt no trifiin' matter" admitted
Daniel. "Thar's no tellin' how many
thousand acres he may have bought.
He's keepin' somethin' to nisse'f. / re-
member jest when that durn skunk Of
a lawyer put that flea in mis- yeer. They
was at H%anson's mill an talked con-
fidcntial together mighty nigh all morn
in. But let's not cross a bridge tell we
git to it. Let's talk about some'n else.
l hain't never had q chance to tell you,
but I seed that gal in town yesterday
an talked to 'er."
Did you, Uncle Ab:' The face of
the young man frightened. Ills one
was eager and eXpectant.
Yes. I'd hitched in the wagon yard
an run into Hazen's drugstore 10 git a
box o axle grease an was comm out
with the durn stuff under my arm
when | run upon 'er a-settin' in a bug
gy waitin' to git a clerk to fetch 'er
out a glass q sody water. She recog-
niZcd me, an fer no other earthly rea-
son than that I'm wore uncle she spoke
to me as plcasin' as Il basket O chips.
What was | to do? | never was in
such a plight in my life. I'd been un-
loadin' side meat at BartOW'S ware
house an was kivercd from head 20
foot with salt and grease. | didn't
have on NJ coat, an the scat o my
pants was non est don't think thar
was any est about 'em, To tell the
truth. But | kuoWcd it wouldn't be the
part of IL gentleman to let 'er set thar
strctchin' 'er neck out o socket TO call
a clerk when | was handy, so | wheel
ed about, nopin' an prayin' ef she did
look at me she'd take n fancy TO the
back o. my head, an went in the store
an told EN- to git a hustle on Their
se'yes. When ! come out, she hauled
me up 10 AK 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 n wagon wheel
off duty an me after it, bendln-
bendin' of all po%sitions-heer an yam
in the most ridiculous way. | tell YOU,
I'd never play croquet UT ieapfrog in
them pants. All the way home l
thought how I'd disgraced YOU"
ooh, you are all right, Uncle ABB
laughed Alan. "Sle's told me several
times that she likes you very much.
She says YOU are gcnuine-genuine
through and through, and she's right"
I'D ruther have her say it than any
other gal Il know" said Abner. shes
purity as red shoes, an eff I'm any
Judge she's genuwinetoo. I've got an
other idce about 'er, but | amt a-givin'
it away jest now
lyon mean that She
mo" and the old man smiled mis-
c%hievously. Il didn't mean nothin' O
the sort. l wonder how on earth you
could "a got scch a notion in yore
head. I'm goin' to see how that black
scamp has left my cotton land. Ill