The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-17

You knOwed | had 5000 with o.
stock in the Shoal River cotton mills.
didn't your asked Bishop defantly
and yet with the manner of a man
throwing a missile which he hoped
would fall lightly.
Yes. | knowed that. but The
wOman's eyes were two small fires
burning hunsrily for information be-
yOnd their reach.
"Well, it happens that Shoal stock is
jest the same on the market as ready
money, up little today an down to-
morrow. but never varyin' more'n a
fraction of cent on the dollar. an so
the TompGins heirs say they'd jest as
lieve have it. an as I'm itchin' TO re-
leve them of Their land it didn't take
us long to come together"
If he had struck the woman squarely
in the face, she could not have shown
more surprise. She became white to
the lips and with low cry turned to
her son. 'Oh, Alan, don't-don't let
i'm do It, It's all we have left that
we can depend on! 1t will ruin usy'
"Why. father. surely" protested
Alan as he put his arm around his
mother. surely you can't mean to let
go your mill investment which is pay
ing 10 per cent to put the money into
lands that may never advance in value
and always be a dead weight on your
hands! Think of the loss of interest
and the taxes to be kept up Father.
you must listen to-
Listen to nothin'." Numbered Bish-
op. half rising from his chair. No
body axed you two to put in. It's my
business. an I'm a-goin' to attend to
1t. l believe I'm dom the right thing
an that settles it,"
1.-THE right thing" moaned the old
woman as she sank into chair and
covered her face with her hands. "Mr.
Trabue." she went on fiercely, when
that factory stock leaves our hands we
won't have single thing to our names
that will bring In a cent of income
You kin see how bad 1t Is on a woman
who has worked as hard to do fer her
children as have. Mr.. Bishop always
said Adele. who is visitin' her uncle's
family in Atlanta. should have that
stock for a weddin' gift eff she ever
married, an Alan was to have the low
er half of this farm. Now, what would !.
we have to give the girl-nothin' but
thousands o. acres o. hills, mountains
an gulches full O bear wildcats an
catamounts-landt that it nd break any
young couple to hold on to, much less
put to any use. Oh, / feel perfectly
sick over itv'
There was heavy, dragging step in
the hall, and long. lank man of six
ty or sixty-tive years of age paused in
the doorway He had no beard except
a tuft of gray hair on his chin, and his
teeth, being few and far between, gave
to his cheeks hollow appearance. He
was Abner Daniel. Mrs. Bishops bach |
elor brother, who lived in the family.
'Hellow he exclaimed, shifting big |
quid of tobacco from one cheek to the |
other. "TIottin' agin the whites? Eff |
you are, I'll decamp. as the Teller said |
when the bull yeerlin' butted i'm in the
small O. the back. How are you. Mr. |
Trabue? Have they run you out O. !
town fer some O. yore legal rascality?'
Il reckon your sister thinks it's ras- I
cality that's brought me out today"
laughed the lawyer. I'VE are on lit
tie land deal"
"Oh, well, I'll move on" said Abner
Daniel. Il Jest wanted to tell Alan
that Riggs hogs got into his young
corn in the bottom jest now an rooted
up about as many acres as Pole Bak.
,r's plowed all day. Eff they'd a-rooted
n straight rows an not gone too nigh
The stalks. they mought "a done the
crap more good than harm. but Their
lim or intention. one or t'other. was
'ad. Folks is that away. Mighty few
# 'em root-when they root at all fer
anybody but the'rseves. Wen. III git
llong to my room"
Don't 80. Brother Alb" pleaded his
lister. Il want you to hep me stand
Up fer my rights. Alfred is about to
wap our cotton mill stock fer some
more wild mountain land
In spite of his natural tendency to
urn everything into a iest-even the
erious things of life-the sallow face
# the tall man heightened. He stared
nto the faces around him for a mo-
nent: then slow twinkle dawned in
lis eye.
1--WE never been knowed to take sides
n any connubial tussle yet" he said to
'rabue in a dry tone. "Alf may not
now what he's about right now, but
e-s solomon nrsseT compared to a
eller that will undertake to settle a
ispute betwixt man an his wife
lore especit, y the wife. Geewhilikins.
never shall forget the time old Jane
Iardeway ecme heer to spend a. week
n ALT thar an Betsy split over buyin'
hatrack fer the hall. Betsy had seed
ne over at Mason's at the campground
n determined she'd have one. Maybe
on noticed that fancy contraption in
he hall as you come In. Wei. ALI seed
niger unloadin' it from a wagon at
he door one mornin', an when Betsy.
! feer an tremblin', told i'm what it
,as fer he mighty nigh had a fit. He ,
aid his folks never had been above