The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-04-08
The House Of the Black
-. 81 ! Pate. Ring e.sze..s. 100.

+. ...#.... s ."|N. .. 4... -... 4 . ..n.
go home with our rig, and you take
his horse here. See? You'll rub him
down dry when you get him to the
stable, won't you, and look him all over
for cuts, and blanket him warm? He's
l had a pretty hard time Of it,
/. But who In time nation was he rae
ing with?"
"Jim F~arthing's little mare"
"Sho! You don't mean It'll And Jim
run yeh into the bridge?"
mo, sir; he didn't. But you must
hurry, Uncle Amos. Quivk. I'll be
down to the barn getting ready"
but say, how did yeh-"
had disappeared o the corner OF
the house. He dressed with all haste,
but when he arrived at the barn she
had the horse nearly harnessed.
Look here, you don't mean to say
that hat little rum o. Jip's beat out
that old slasher of Karl's, do yeh?"
He began to talk the moment he got
within sight of her. Say, tell US
about 1t, dew" 90. 49,. y
II was driving the mare myself, so
she naturally couldn't do anything but
win. Seer" h laughed up into his
face m~ischievously. His pe~rplexity was
really grotesQue. rI.
'The mare? was you driving against
Karl? Say, tell a Teller. 'Tain't fair;
I'm Jest dying to know"
II can't stop, really, Uncle Amos.
You must go. Quick. They're coming
right along. I'll tell you in the morn
ing. Now hurry" She waved her
hand n darted toward the house, and
after q wtstful look toward the shad-
owe where she had disappeared, he
buttoned UP his coal and drove out into
the still radiance of the night.
1t was 10 o'clock the next morning
when Rose saw her father. She was
making apple pies, busily rolling out
the top lids" and fitting them on,
The old mans wrath gathered easily,
and IL made no distinctions.
Tive heard all abou It," he burst
out before he was fairly In the room.
Every mans that struck the store this
mornings beer full OF It! It's towns
talk. And now Karl's phoned UP. raw
ing mad. I never knew him so mad.
It's damnable. damnable!" His face
was fairly livid.
why, Ira, what do you meant
what's happened" Mrs. Hartswick
dropped her dish IND spoon and fiut-
tered over to him In a tremor.
"oh, It's nothing; Come, Pap. 1t isn't
looked up at him with a twinkle In her
eyes. There wouldn't have been a bit
of trouble IL Karl hadn't lost his head.
Really, that man gets ratified as easy
as an old woman" She laughed up
into his face. but the old man, when he
was angry, was wholly animal In his
rage.
"Stopi" he roared. Don't YOU talk
to me like that! Don't-you-do-it!'
oh, don't, Ira, dont-please.". The
mother came p~leadingly between the
two as IL to avert a tragedy.
You don't know anything about #?
Stand GU OF the way!" he beloved.
sSRnt Tro .a pnua #ltI-pk -.
thing. She meant II all right, Ira
There was a tired, pleading tone in
i the woman'B voice that was almost like
a whine. She was a gentle, Laughing
little body, but her husband had dom
mated her until she was cowed and
shrinking. or all things she detested
controversy. She bent helplessly be-
fore the sources frequent storms OF
wrath; they depressed and worried
her; n now she was a mere creature
OF whining protest, never STANDING
against him for a moment, but advis-
ing ever the line OF least resistance
Forty years with the choleric old man
had changed her into a mere helpless
voice of protest.
Il tell you it's s~candalous!' he
stormed, paying no heed to his wife's
entreaties. It's the towns talk! Here
you go with a man who's invited you
to ride, and then you sneak off home
u q pVAAVSl bNLdnk6T, ana race MIN
against the nan who took yeh!'
And beat him. Rose laughed VI
saucily. Beat his great crack racer
with q little 800 mare, and handicapped
at h a Oh, 1 take after my dad
never could ride after q slow horse
She wrinkled up her nose at him play
fully, but he was implacable.
stop, Rose! Stop right where you
are" he ordered.
Don't anger you father, Rosie. He
knows best" Mrs. Hartswick Joined In
with soothing tone.
TITS an outrage to Karl and me and
all Of u.s." he roared, drawing nearer
to- Rose and swinging his arm up and
down a pump handle.
But 1t was a clean race. Pap she
went on serenely. 1T was fair and
square, and the best horse won. Say
I'd give ten dollars in a minute, Pap, II
you could have seen IT. 1t was
thriller, That little mare certainly
beats anything thai ever stepped IN
this valley. Say, / want you to buy hel
for me. Will you. Pap?" Somehow the
old mans wrath began to wilt a little
1t was impossible to Withstand her sun
ny enthusiasm.
But that's not the question at all
Rose. 1t was a disgraceful thing
You'd no business riding with thai
F%arthing. You'd promised Karl"
"Oh, pshaw, Pap! WHAT had | prom
: Used him? He asked me IL / would &c
with him, and I did, didn't I?' She
laughed up at him again, then turned
lightly to her pie making.
"'Twas q contemplate trick: YOU
know it. 1t was damnable! He
planned it deliberately; he united thai
boss on purpose; and it's prison Of
Tense" ..,.
HE didn't unite the tcrse, father
There was confidence In her voice
THE horse wasn't tied right, and it got
loose" The reply seemed to come tC
the man like a blow across the eyes.
$50 you stand up for him. do yeh?'
He wheeled upon her instantly. "Thinh
he's about right, do yeh? And Karls
all wrong? So that's the way things
are runningI-so that's 1t, IN 1t
Heigh? Well-well--see! Wen find
what the law is on that point; wei
put him where he belongs mighty
quick, and his whole damned family
with him!" ... ....
"Oh, Ira. don't" protested Mrs
Hartswick in a half frightened voice.
But how are you going to prove