The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-05-31
CHAPTER 1.
CHAPTER 1.
n DRY snow had fallen steadily
IA throughout the still night. 80
~ that when a cold. upper wind
a n cleared the sky giOriOusly In


a n cleared the sky gtoriOusly In
the morning the lncongru0us Indiana
town shone in a white harmony-roof,
ledge and earth as evenly covered e.
by moonlight. There was no thaw.
Only where the line of factories fol-
lowed the big bend of the frozen river.
their distant chimneys like exclama-
don points on a blank page, was there
FIRST threat against the supreme
whItenesE. The wind passed quickly
and on high. the shouting Of the school
children had ceased at 8 O'Clock with
DIffm suddenness, no sleigh bells
laughed out on the air, and the muir
fling of the thOroughfares wrought an
unaccustomed peace like that Of Sun
day. This was the phenomenon which
afforded the opening Of the morning
debate of the sages in the wide win
dows of the National House.
Only such unfortunates as have so
far failed to visit Canaan do not know
that the National House is ON the
Main street side of the Courthouse
square and has the advantage of being
within two minutes walk Of the rail-
road station, which is In plain sight of
the windows, an inestimable benefit to
the conversation of the aged men who
occupied these windows on this white
morning even as they were wont in
summer to hold against all corners the
cane seated chairs on the pavement
outside.
Mail time had come to mean that
bright hour when they all got their
feet on the brass rod which protected
the stills of the two big windows, with
the steam radiators sizzling like kettles
against the side wall. Mr.. Jonas Tabor,
who had sold his hardware business
magnifcently mot magniticently for
his nephew, the purchaser some ten
years before, was usually, in spite OF
the fact that he remained a bachelor at
seventy mine the last to settle down
with the others, though often the first
to reach the hotel. which he always en-
tered by a side door, because he did
not believe in the treating system. And
it was Mr. Eskew Arp, only seventy-tve,
but already a thoroughly capable Gym
ic. who almost invariably opened the
argument" and it was he who discov-
cred the sinister intention behind the
weather of this particular morning.
The malevolence of his voice and
manner when he shook his finger at the
town beyond the windows and exclaim-
ed. with a bitter laugh, Look at it!'
was no surprise to his companions.
"Jest look at it! I tell you the devil
is mighty smart! Ha, ha! Mighty
SMART
Through custom it was the duty of
Squire Buckalew Justice of the peace
In 1850 to be the first to take up Mr..
Arp. The others looked to him for It,
Therefore he asked sharply:
whats the devil got to do with
snow?"
Everything to do with 1t, sir" Mr..
Arp retorted. Its plain as day to
anybody with eyes and sense"
"Then l wish you'd pint 1t out"
said Buckalew, 'if you've got either"
'By the Almighty, squire"-Mr. Arp
turned in his chair with sudden heat
"if I'd lived as long as YOU
"You have" interrupted the other,
stung. Twelve years ago"
IF I'd lived as long as you" Mr. Arp
repeated unwinclngly in louder voice,
land had folIered Satan's trail as long
as you have and yet couldn't recogniF"
It when l see 1t I'd git converted ana
vote Prohibitionist."
'I don't see It," interjected Uncle
Joe Davey in his querulous voice. (He
was the patriarch OF them ALL II can't
find no cloven hoof prints In the
snow"
"All over 1t, sirr' cried the cynic.
Gan over It! Old Satan loves tricks
like this. Here's town that's jest one
souirmin' mass of lies and envy and
vice and wickedness and corruption
Hold ont" exclaimed Colonel FIT
croft "That's Islander upon our
hearths and our government. Wny'
when was in the eouncif'-
at wasn't a bit worse then" Mr.
Arp returned unreasonably. Jest you
look how the devil fools us. He drops
down this here virgin mantle on Ca
naan and makes It look as good as yot
pretend you think IT is-as good as
the Sunday school room Of countr'
church. though that''-he went off on a
tangent venomously - as generally
only another whitel sepulcher. and the
superntendent's mlGhty apt to have q
bottle of whisky HE behind the organ
and
"Lool here Eskew," said Jonas IT.
Dor, 'thet's rot nothln' to do with
"Why aln't 1t? Answer ne"' erie
Mr. Arp CONTINUING without pause
'Ivhy amt it? Can't You wait till
git through? You listen to me. and
when Tn ready III listen to-
"See here" began the colonel, max. |
ing himself heard over three others. "l
want to ask YOU
"No, SIR Mr.. Arp pounded the
floor irascibly with his hickory stick.
Don't you ask me anything How can
Won tell that I'm not going to answer /