The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-02-25
The House Of the Black
> !. ! ~. Ring e...s..... 90
1905

Bill! Whoal Behave there! Say, N
or you fellows, come and help Rose out,
won't yeh? Don't stand there with
your mouths wide open. Whoa, / tell
Iyehi" Half a dozen sprang forward
eagerly.
Il don't want any help" She arose
impulsiyely and vaulted from the bug
gy I k a boy, alighting with grace and
spring as IL h always got out that
way. Then a ripple of laughter at the
discounted SWANS, and a girlish firt,
sne disappeared into the house.
TOO slowl" burst out the old squire
with q great, gurgling laugh. you
fellersH have to wake up IL you want
10 help her out. Ho, no, no! Say, Dan,
have SON body take this boss and
stand by him. He's full OF ginger this
morning. How're yeh getting along7'
GOOD. Here, sam, you and Jakey
take the squire's boss. Come out and
see EN-, squire; they're neat ones, / tell
yeh." The old man ai,ghted briskly
and went with Dan.
wal, wal, wal. boys, you have done
we'll. That's a good Job. How're they
dressing up, Dan? Good?"
Prime, squire. Never had a better
lot OF hogs up by the heels, never. Jest
you look EN- over, squire, wunst."
The old man examined them with
critical eye, and found nothing to crit
cize. Dan expanded volubly on the
merits and history of each In turn, and
swallowed greedily the p%atronizing
words which the great man deigned to
let fall. The squire was indeed a man
OF commanding presence, a man to in
Espire awe and even fear in the peasant
mind. There was that in his every
tone and attitude which suggested
mystery-the stamp Of the man who is
often called upon to decide, and who
Is accustomed to be looked up to and
obeyed without murmur. He turned
from the hogs and threw a quick
glance over the men in the yard.
Instantly his brow ~darkened.
Say, Dan"-he turned sharply-"is
here?" ...
Il invited him" There was a logged
tone in the answer. '
"Humph! You did, did, yeh? Get
ting popler, amt he" No answer
from Dan. .... .. "#
The group was preparing for dinner,
which Is served w at a butchering
at IL. Four OF the boys had gone into
the house to help the women extern
porlze the seats M tables from planks
and boards. The others had been
watching furtively the progress of the
great mar Many Of them feared him
beyond expression, and they had cause.
Some were in debt to him beyond all
hope; others were his tenants without
power to- release themselves even IL
they would; still others were dependent
upon him for work.. Few there were
who could oppose him with IMMUNITY.
He walked straight up to Allen Far
thing, the jealousy and hate which had
been gathering for weeks written on
every feature. As he grew older his
power Of s~elf-control, never large, grew
feebler. So accustomed had he been
all his life to u~ndisputed supremacy
that the slightest o~~osition angered
him unreasonably. He found his man
sitting by the corner OF the overshot
and clearing the ashes from his corn
cob. The others looked on with rising
excitement. They knew the man; the
fire and tow which had been so long
preparing had at last come together.
Changed yeh business, so I hear.
They tell me vo"'ve set up in produce
and groceries," The sheer in the mans
voice and the cur of his lip made the
speech positively m~addening. l.
you've been misinformed, squire"
He calmly knocked his pipe against
the barn to free 1t from ashes, and pro-
ceeded with elaboration to find his
like a red rag on the choleric old man.
"Hain't ordered a carload o. -four?
Oh, no.! Hain't bought two carloads o.
corn and n o. wheat? Oh, mol Think
1 don't see what's going on, heigh?"
You cont in this case, 1t seems. It's
three OF corn and two OF wheat, per-
haps three" He pressed the tobacco
into the pipe bowl with his thumb, and
began to search his pockets for a
match. .... ...
Who's selling yeh this grain, I want
to know? Who n this valleys selling
1t to yeh?"
who's selling it?" He echoed the
question in mild surprise, looking UP
curlouly through the first white puffs
of smoke.
"Yessuh, who's selling 1t. There's
some here that can't afford to sell you
their wheat. They'll find mighty quick
that they can't afford it." He turned
and cast a elowering look over the
men. And -four" he continued with
rising passion, his face fairly purple.
The mans GOODNESS was like a whip
cut. You think you can cut under me
in flour and make money? Flour! Co
ing to add dry goods and millinery and
scent counter STUFF" The sneer in
his voice vas changing to a hard, mem
acing tone.
why, it's possible, squire; it's possi-
ble," admitted the man meditatively.
Folks here seem to be paying big
prices and getting small returns for
their produce. I may get a carload of
ldI lllIlk lOOto AAOAL jill i IIlu TIC
price lists very interesting"
ITO hell with your interest! Think
you're going to run me GU of business,
do yeh?" .
II don't intend to injure a living soul,
Squire Hartswick. haven't the
slightest intention of interfering with
anybody's honest business, not in the
slightest"
"Honest! You call me dishonest to
my head, do yeh? You stand there and
insult me, do yeh? Heigh? You be
mighty careful, young man. He
swung his hand angrily within a foot
of Fathing's nose.
IT haven't called any man dishonest,
as you know very well, squire, but IL
you want to wear the oat 1 can't help
II. You are doubtless aware Of your
own. failings." He was as serene as If
the conversation had been about the
weather. 1879
Look here, AL Farthing." Realizing
suddenly that he had gone to far, he
made a great effort to control himself.
1T has taken me 40 years to work up a
business in this valley, and nobody
amt going to take it away from me
II - -. LI--n.k a Il, kNA., A,ya- 80