The Caucasian., 1909-08-01
..r >, ;
"Pdrdn0rS"
BY :
ELLSWORTH KELLEY.
Copyrieh; by s. s. Mcclure Company. :
ELLSWORTH KELLEY.
,pYrIsht by S. s. Mcclure Company.

WA ing III June!
49, Two old men sat under the
shade of the maple trees In
the front yard while the Church bells
tangled and Jared and doomed over
the housetops and out across the val.
ley.
"'pears to me like church Dalls sOun'
purties' when you's away OF from
'em, two or three miles, say" volun
teered the old man with the billygoat
beard, be whom the boys affectionately
called "Uncle Joe"
Same way with brass band" OBJ
served Uncle Billy, he Of the smooth
shaven face. You git up close an 1t
sort o. rasps your nerves an breShes
your fur all the wrong way. But git
away of, say 'lNkit half miIe of a
still evenin', an / kin shet my eyes
an imagine hear the heavenly hosts
a-twangin' on their harps an poundin'
their cymbals."
Yes, I've noticed the same thing.
Bill Say, do you remember when we
|
to go pardners, an heerd church bell
the fust time? We imagined 1t said,
Come, oh come Jest as plain a.
speakin'f'
"Shorely, shorelyi An that reminds
me! It's gittin mighty near church
time. an must be polSin' along. Joe,
| wisht- old as you air, tool wislt
you'd go 10 church-oftener."
Old Uncle Joe nodded.
II spose you do, Bill, spose you do.
I'd like to, real well, but not today
/ can't go today. Fact is, Bill, don't
want you to do anything ag'in your
conscience, but I've laid off to take a
walk today, little walk out in the
country. AS / said, | don't want you
to do anything ag'in your conscience,
but I'd kind o. set my mind on havin
you go with me-"
Much obleeged, Joseph, much
obleeged! But ! couldn't think of 1t.
1 haven't missed church for nigh on
twenty years. An'-do you think it is
right to go a-wanderin' off that way
on Sunday? DO you. now7'
Right Shucksl OF course II Is!
Look here, Bill! Fer the sake of argy-
ment. say we take walk. We go out
along the green hedgerows. We see
the wild roses bloomin' an the CROWN
corn. We hear the mockin' birds
a-singin' fit to kill. We take great, biz,
full breaths of country air-same a.
we used to when we were pardners.
Don't you remember how we used to
see who could make bis chist swell
the biggest? Healthy. wasn't It? All
them things is innocent, an all them
things Is good. Who made 'en? God.
What fer did he make 'emf Fer you
an me to enjoy How can we enjey
EN- here in town? We jest can't.
Which Is worst, now2 You go to
church, an you sit there on a hard
seat. an, by an by, Std o. listenin to
the preacher the fust thing you know
you feel the soft air stealth through
the winder. an then a bird song floats
in OH the air, an It makes you feel
good all over. An then the fust thing
you know you don't know a blessed
thing the preacher is sayin' Ain't that
SO, now. william7 Amt that SOP
81 don't know but that 1t is--some-
timas," feebly admitted Uncle Billy.
''Of course It's sop' triumphantly ex.
claimed Uncle Joe. Now, let me tell
you what, Bill! You go with me today
Let's take walk. Let's take cur din.
ner along. Let's go out fer an old fash.
Ioned good day OF enjoyin' ourselves,
an when we git back-an' I'll leave II
TO you. Riil--if you say we haven't had
good time-a ra1e old fashioned en-.
joyable time. like we used to have
when we was boys-an' pardners- y
I'll go to meetin' with you reglar ev.
cry Sunday fer six months Uncle
Billy paused, hesitated, and the mar
who hesitates- you know the rest OF
the proverb. Uncle Joe was once again
the dominant power In the partnership
that had begun when they were boys
years and years and years ago.
While the second bell was calling
'Come. oh, Gomez two bent forms
crept stealfhily out through the sub
urban orchard, climbed the fence very
carefully and stole down the inside oi
the hedgerow along turning row.
toward the river.
Joseph" when Uncle Billy said
Joseph In the way he said It then
IL meant he was going 10 cay some
thing not quite commonplace) Joseph
. II was jest sech day as this wher
my first wife when Mary and Twas
waikin' home from meetsn' ir
the old neighborhood-whe mus
tered up courage to ask her II she't
have me. The brown tbrushes wa:
singin'. an the wild roses was II
bloom. / remember. cause she asked
me to getber a bokay of 'em. | bat
no jackknife, an pullin' EN- off
tore my hand on big prickly briar
She tied up my scratched hand will
her handkerchief, an when felt th'
touch Of her soft fingers as she did II
/ up an asst her to let me take hel
hand until death should part us. An
she did until death parted us
A strange light burned dinly III Un
Gle Joe's eyes as he listened-a iigh
T 1 satA a -