Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-12-27

ouu ucSuu W uillOuu lIlilStit
4 n of the packages which he had
brought from the trading post ten miles
away, IAN now l reckon the next tht!:s
will be for him to go. We amt waite1
five years for n meetin' house Jest to
carry it on as a nursery now we've got
it. | don't see what DR.. Brown WIS
thinkin' on"
us he very young?' asked Mrs. Hey
kamer, transferring the packages to Il
small cupboard fastened against the
logs of the cabin wall.
"Young..' and old Herkamer's grim
face seemed yet grimmer us it pcered
out through the small triangle formed
by his down drawn cap II big, UP
turned collar. Hes younger'n our
Seth, an he couldn't speak ten words
to folks lookin' at him to save his life.
man who knows our ways an can put
up with EN-. This feller's store made
an soft. l could see that soon's the
doctor introduced him. l wouldn't be
s'prised if he shaved every day, an
cleaned his nails an ba-th-ed," drawing
out the word derisively. Huh! What
can a Teller like that do with our young
men? S'pose he had to tramp ten miles
through a Dakota blizzard to say pra'rS
over a remains; s'pose he'd meet IA
ightin' grizzly in the forest; s'pose
some of our high speerited boys got to
chafin' him in their bar cub way! Say,
whatd he do them" And without wait
ing for what he thought an impossible
answer to his comments old Herkamer
turned back to care for his team and
to hasten his evening chores in antici-
patton of a gathering storm.
When he again appeared and had
emerged from the depths of his great
coat his mind still seemed to be bark
ing back to his days discomfort, for
he went on:
"Ain't ODDS our Seth, no; an amt
more'n five feet four an has hands
softs a baby. Huh! Our old minis
ter where we come from had hands
like the bark Of an old hick'ry an
could chaw terbaccy an wrestle with a
grizzly an pitch a man through a Win
der when he got sassed. That's the
sort we need here. Hoss sense ono
fore book sense, an hard hands fore
p'liteness. That's my idee."
He drew a stool to the fireplace and
spread his hands out over the blaze
with thawing satisfaction. One by one
the grim lines of his face softened and
mellowed under the fires influence, and
presently he turned half round toward
: his wife, who was preparing supper.
"Of course we needn't say anything
like this outside he observed, half
apologetically. 1.-The boy amt to blame
for what he is, an the doctor got him
here. An furder," still mellowing,
1--WE won't be hard on the doctor Ell
Their. He's our nearest %neighbor an
gener'ly does things pretty sensible.
We can pass over a slip now an then.
An that reminds me-" turning entirely
round, "the doctor said he'd bring him
I'VE this evenin' if it didn't storm too
hard, an if it did they'd likely be
round tomorrer. The boy seemed spry
an good natered an said he wanted
to visit everybody an get acquainted.
Well treat him rights we can, for he
won't be here many days. Poor little
Teller! He don't realize how soon the
boys'll run him out. You might save
the wild turkey I shot yesterday, Liza,
an thar's plenty of venison. Well
treat him right"
Outside they could hear the sounds
Of the approaching storm, and Her
kamer went to the windows and door
and fastened them more securely.
"The doctor won't bring him out to-
night" he said as he resumed his stool
by the fire, "an' I don't reckon Seth an
the half breed will come in either.
Leastway, l hope not. It'll be safer
in the gulch thar finding ones way
through this snow"
But he was mistaken, for presently
there came a tramping and stamping
outside. and as the cabin door was
thrown open a tall, white haired old
man stepped in, accompanied by a boy,
ish figure Of slight but compact build.
The old man was DR.. Brown. the neigh
borhoOd autocrat, and in his companion
Herkamer recognized the new minister
But he was no longer the fashionably
dressed figure which had alighted from
the train at Minot, but rather a trim
frontiersman in appropriate costume.
Old Herkamer's eyes darkened a little
as they rested upon him. He did not
approve Of ministers in masquerade.
II hardly thought you'd get over to.
night" he said rather shortly. 'the
storm
"That's just why we came,' the doe.
tor interrupted genially. The storm,
is likely to be a long one, and we can
get back before it becomes severe. BY
tomorrow even the mile between our
homes may be difficult to make. You
are one of Il prominent members"
frankly. ''and l wanted you to see moro
Of Mr.. Irwin before hearing him in the
pulpit. We are apt to be prejudicca
against strangers"
Herkamer's grimness increased. uo
was not prejudiced. he told himself
only conservative and steadfast. The
man was all right, of course, but he
was in the wrong place. 1t was a
manifest duty to discountcnanco the
mistake.