The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
CHAPTER II CONTINUED.

Then. somehow or other. by hook or
(bok-mostly crook-Abe Tompkins
wasn't dodgin' anybody about that
time. Peter Mosely could "a run agin
i'm with his eyes shut on a dark night.
II was at Neil Filmore's store when
the two met. an eff a trade was ever
made quicker betwixt two folks 1t was
done by telegraph an the paper was
signed by ightnin'. abe said he had
the land an wouldn't part with it at
any price ef 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
Der; but he'd been troubled so much
about cash. he said. that he'd made up
his mind to let 'er slide an the devil
take the contents. ! never seed two
parties to deal better satisfied. They
both left the store with strut Nose
ly's strut was the biggest. fer he wasn't
afeerd o. nothin. Tompkins looked like
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.
"Oh, don't know nothin' fer GER
tain" said Abner Daniel sympa-
thetically. but eff was you I'd go
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-
se'f from hind to fore quarters, an eff
You don't plant yore feet on some'n
you'll go down."
Bishop clutched this proposition as a
drowning man would straw. We'll,
will go see 1m." he said. 'I'll go Jest
to satisfy you. AS fer as I'm concerned
know he wasn't tellin' me no lie, but
1 reckon you all never II rest till you
are satisfied"
He descended the steps and crossed
the J'aru 10 the barn. They saw MIN
lean over the rail fence for a 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
ut amt no trihin' matter" admitted
Daniel. ''Thar's no tellin' how many
thousand acres he may have bought
He's keepin' somethin' to hissef. | re-
member Jest when that durn skunk Of
a lawyer put that flea in his yeer They
was at Hanson's mill an talked con-
fidential together mighty nigh all morn
in'. But let's not cross a bridge tell we
git to 1t. Let's talk about some'n else.
] hain't never had chance to tell you,
but I seed that gal in town yesterday
an talked TO 'er."
did you, Uncle Abr The face Of
the young man frightened. His tone |
was eager and expectant.
Yes. I'd hitched 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 bug
gy waitin' to git a clerk to fetch 'er
out a glass o. sody water She recog
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 TO do? never was in
such a plight in my life. I'd been I'M
loadin' side meat at Bartow's ware
house an was kivered from head to
foot with salt and grease. l didn't
have on no coat, an the seat o. my
pants was non est-I don't think thar
was any est about 'em. to tell the
truth But knowed it wouldn't be the
part of gentleman to let 'er set thar
etretchin' 'er neck out O. socket to call
a clerk when ! was handy. so l wheel
ed about, hopin' an prayin' eff she did
look at me she'd take a fancy to the
back o. my head, an went In the store
an told 'em to git a hustle on Their
se'ves. When | come out she hauled
me up to ak some questions about
when camp meetin' was goin to set in
this yeer an when Adele was comm
home. l let my box o. axle grease
drap. an 1t rolled like wagon wheel
off duty an me after it. bendin'-
bendin' of all positions-heer an yam
in the most ridiculous way. tell you,
I'd never play croquet ur leapfrog in
them pants. All the way home l
thought how I'd disgraced yeu."
"Oh, you are all right, Uncle Alb"
laughed Alan. "She's told me several
times that she likes you very much.
SIC says you are genuine-genuine
Nnfough and through, and she's right"
I'D ruther have her say it than any
oyer 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-givin :
it away jest now" :
you mean that she''- ,
mo" and the old man smiled mis-
chievously. Il didn't mean nothin' o
the sort. wonder how on earth you =.
could "a got secb l notion In yore 4
head I'm goin to see how that black :
scamp has left my cotton land. I'll :
bet he hain't scratched it any deeper +
n a old hen would "a done lookin' fer <
CHAPTER III.