Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-09-18
By 90.
WILL N.
HARDEN

'Aufbor Of
"dsSfe.feif''

heads up among the folks they mix
with, an SO reached out. Maybe it
was forbidden fruit belt out by snake
In the DEVILS service. I don't know
thou knowest. Anyways, steered my
course out O. the calm waters O. con-
tent an peace O soul into the whirl-
pool rapids O. avarice an greed. I
lowed was in safe haven an didn't
dream o. the stormclouds hangin' over
me till they bust in fury on my head.
Now, Lord, my Father, give them
hearts OF patience an forgiveness fer
the blunders Of thy servant. What I
done I done in the bullheaded way
that I've always done things, but I
meant good and not harm. These things
we ask in the name O. Jesus Christ,
our blessed Lord and Master. Amen"
During the latter part Of the prayer
Mrs. Bishop had been staring at her
husband through her parted fingers,
her face pale and agitated, and as she
fose her eyes were glued to his face.
"Now, Alfred" she said, what are
you goin' to tell US about the railroad?
Is it as bad as brother Alb thought it
would beT'
Bishop hesitated. 1t seemed as If
he had even then to tear himself from
the clutch Of his natural stubbornness.
He looked into all the anxious, waiting
faces before he spoke, and then he
gave in.
CAB made good guess. Eff I'd "a
had his sense or Alan's, I'd "a made a
better trader. It's like Alb said it was,
only a sight wuss, a powerful sight
wuss"
"Wuss?" gasped his wife in fresh
| alarm. "How could it be wuss? Why,
Brother Alb said"-
II never have told you the extent O.
my dealin's," went on Bishop in the
current of confession. II never even
told Perkins yesterday. Fust an last
I've managed to rake in fully twenty
thousand acres O. mountain land. I
was goin' on what lowed was dead
shore thing. secured all could lay
my hands on, an did it in secret.
was afeerd even to tell you about what
Perkins said, thinkin' it mought leak
out an Spite my chances"
"But, father" said Alan, "you didn't
have enough money to buy all that
land"
| II got it up"-Bishop's face was dog
gedly pale, almost defiant of his over
whelming disaster-"I mortgaged this
farm to get money to buy Maybry and
Morton's four thousand acres"
1.-THE farm you was going to deed to
Alan?" gasped his wife. You didn't
include that?"
"Not in that DEAL" groaned Bishop
Il swapped that to PIN Parsons rel
his poplar an cypress belt"
The words seemed to cut raspingly
into the silence of the big room. Abne1
Daniel was the only one who seemed
unmoved by the confession. He filled
his pipe from the bowl OH the mantel
piece and pressed the tobacco dowr
with his forefinger; then he kicked the
ashes in the chimney till he uncovered
a small live coal. He eyed it for o
moment, then dipped it up in the shov
ell, rolled 1t into his pipe and began tt
smoke.
$50 amt a-goin' to git no yeerlJ
pdoS oNei Tue new rOdu, ne SalQ, MS
object being to draw his brother-in
law back to Perkins action in the mat
ter.
Perkins was a-lyin' to me-" an
swered Bishop. HE hain't admitted
| it yet, but he was a-lyin'. His objec
was to hep the Tompkins sell out fe
decent price, but he can't be han
died. He's got me on the hip"
"No," said Abner. I'D ruther keel
on swappin' gold dollars fer mountain
land an lettin' it go fer taxes AN t,
try to beat lawyer at his own game
A courthouse is like the DEVILS abode
easy to git into, no outlet an nothin
but scorch while you are thar
Hush, fer the name O. goodnessl'
cried Mrs. Bishop, looking at her hus
band. Don't you see he's dyin' iron
it? Are you all a-goin' to kill i'm
What does few acres o. land u
debts amount to beside KILN mai
ats been tryin' to help us all? Alfred