The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-04-07
CHAPTER TX CONTINUED.

Dole. you kin often trace mans good !
zlr bad doins to his belief in Bible mat
tiers. Maybe you don't remember JADE
Lyman that stold Thad Wilson's stump /
.suckin' boss an was ketched an put J
ND. was at the courthouse in barley
when he received his sentence. His !
wife sent me to i'm to carry his pipe !
an one thirg or other-a pair O socks
an other necessary tricks, a little can
o. lye soap, fer one thing. She hadn't
the time to 60 as she said she had
match o. young corn to hoe out. found
sim as happy as eff he was goin' off on
a excursion. He laughed an lowed
1t nd be some time fore he got back,
an 1 wondered what could "a made
i'm so contented, so l made some In
.uuiries on that line. found that ne
was a firm believer In predestination
an that what was to be was foreor.
dained. He said that he firmly believed
he was predestinuted to go to the coal
mines fer boss stealin', an that life was
too short to be kickin' ag'in the Lords
way O. runnin' matters. Besides, he
said, he'd heerd that they issued plug
o. tobacco a week to chawin' prison
,ers. an he could prove that he was one
o. that sort eff they'd look how he'd
ground his jaw teeth down to the
gums"
Huh" grunted Dole again, his sharp
gray eyes on Abner's face as II he half
believed that some Of his own theories
were being sneered at. 1t was true
thai lie. being q Methodist, had not I'd
vocated a belief In predestination, but
Abner Daniel had on more than one
occasion shown decided tendency to
bunch all stringent religious opinions
together and cast them down as out OF
date When In doubt in conversation
with Abner. the preacher assumed
GOODNESS on the outside that was often
not consistent with the fires within
him. Il don't see what all that's got
90 do with Brother Bishops mistake"
he said frigidly as he leaned back In
mis- chair.
at sets me to wonderin' what de-
nomination Perkins belongs to. that's
all" said Abner with another smile.
az know in reason he's a big Ike In
some church in Atlanta. fer | never
AUOWCu II lawyer tLttb N0oAA 40 N--A~"s
In that wAy o. dom good. III bet
hoecake he belongs to some hifalutin'
crowd O worshipers that kneel down
on saft cushions an believe in scoopin'
in all they kin In the Lords name, an
shat charity begins at home. | think
N&at myse't, Brother Dole. fer thar
never was a plant as hard to git rooted
as charity is. an body ought to have
Z whar they KIN watch 1t close. tn
die heap O. times ,ef you jest look at
1t. an 1t mighty nigh always has bad
soil ur a drought to contend with"
Just then Pole Baker, who has al
ready been introduced to the reader,
rode up to the fence and hitched his
horse. He nodded to the two men on
the veranda and went around to the
smokehouse to get a piece Of bacon
Bishop had promised to sell him on
credit.
.--.Huhl' Dole grunted. and he crossed
his long legs and swung his foot up
and downsnervously. He had the look
.of man who was wondering why
ssuch insufferablc bores as Abner should
so often accompany free dinner. He
had never felt drawn to the man, ana
III irritatcd him to think that just when
his mental faculties needed rest Abner
always managed to Introduce the very
Eppics which made it necessary Tor
him to keep his wits about him.
"Take that Teller thar" Abner went
on. referring to Baker. "He's about the
hardest customer in this county, an yet
hes bein managed right now. He's got
a wife an seven children an is holy
terror when he gifts drunk. He used to
he the biggest daredevil moonshiner II
All these mountains, but Alan kept be-
Friandin, i'm fust one wax an another
tell he up one day an axed Alan what
he could do fer i'm Alan amt none Q
.yore shoutin kind o. Christians. Ht
shakes a nimble toe at shindig wher
he wants an knows the ace from .
fenspot, but he gifts thar with every
claw in the air when some'n' has to D'
done. So when Pole axed i'm tina
Alan lest said, as quiet as eff he wa
saxin' i'm fer a match to light a cigar
Omit yore moonshinin', Pole ina
was all he said Pole looked i'm straigh
in the eye fer minute an then said:
".Aian Bishop you don't mean that
ayes. l do. Pole said Alan Quit
Quit smack off"
".You ak that as favorr said Pole
~sYcs. as a favor. said Alan. All
you are a-goin' to do IT too 4
-.rhen Pole begun to contend VII
nm. You are a-axin that beca'se 70
think I'll be ketched up with he sait
.but tell you the amt no man on 20
face O. the earth that could ind N
still now. You could stand In two fet
of the door to 1t all day an not ma
if you looked fer IT with a spygiass-
Yin make bug juice all the rest o m
life an sell it without bein' ketched.
az want you to give 1t up, SAID Aial
an Pole did. 1t was like pullin' an ey
tooth, but Pole yanked it out Alan
workin' on i'm now to git Inn 60 gu
aiuuor, but that amt 90 easy he cou