The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-02-18
tf1at. Folks shoe. bear tfat are load.d

that: Folks shoot bear that are loaded
for bear" 8saE
You ook ahere, Amos Hardin.
morning? Hen. The company GATH
cred nearer. When I como yer this
morning I went up clost, and, SUM- hi9
voice breaking, there Want no tarck
In the SNOW anywhere round it-nOth-
ing but hat black, lead mans ring
Already. All round the house that
ful black ring, but there hadn't been
no track"
..Han't been no track in there al
winter, yetst," spoke up o voice. They
all fell to work again in silence. There
was a look of horror on all faces.
Wonder if AL Farthing has saw
anything?" Lem Fisher was the first
to speak. Wonder what he thinks Of
this devlishness?"
"Bet you won't never know. Az
the most ciosest-mouthed mar I ever
seen still. II he'd saw old, Heller with
his own eyes Already, he wouldn't say
a word about 1t. No. subj"
be something strange about it?" Lem
Fisher half closed his eyes looked
knowingly at the group.
Now, don't you go to hintin' about
Al. Don't o do 1t. He's square 8 9
die. Yessuh." Dan Tressler hustled in
sonai thrust AIS a square man, and
the best friend ew-uns have got In this
valley still. Yessuh. He sayes as how
he'll pay s cents a bushet more for our
corn than the squire will, and he's go
ing to have a big load OF -four come
for SO cents q barrel less than what
We-uns are a%-paying. Yessuh. He sayes
1t is a Tnean shame the way Ira Harris
wick's been bleedin' us. He's been out
and say things, AL has, and he knows
what prices is Already. Yessuh. +
invited him over to the butcherin' to-
day n he's coming until 8"
"Youinwited him? 2" They all straight
ened up and looked at the man.
"Yessuh, ! did," doggedly. TITS q
mean shame to leave him out every
time Jest because he amt relation and
the squire's kreIseled at him. / invited
him, and his boys too"
"But you Know Squire Hartswick@.
81 don't care a chincaptn. No sir.
There was a note of bravado in the
voice. 1t was the tone OF the small boy
at monday Dragging about ghosts. IL
Squire Hartswick don't like AL Earth
ing, L a help it. AIS done the fair
thing by me, and I'm going to do 1t by
him wlast."
al may be all right, blu 1T amt safte
in this valley to butt up against the
old squire. III tell yeh that. You'd
better go slow, Dam"
There's going to be a tarnation big
explosion in this here valley If AL
Farthing keeps on Punt that down In
your awnnick already Their cant be
two kings In this Bottom still. You
mind waht I tell yeh."
Dan started to retort, thought better
of it., and re1apsed into silence.
Allen Farthing had moved into the
valley the preceding April, coming from
nc one knew just where. He had
bought the old Heller farm from a real
estate agency in whose hands 1t had
been placed by Squire Hartswick, I'M
had started in with energy to bring up
the place from it's forlorn condition. He
had found the fences fat, the buildings
in a ruinous state, and the land Vast
running to cookie weed and bushes. In
one season, however, he had got the
old place into q fairly respectable way.
But the advent of the new family had
troubled the valley. Allen FarthinR
was a ~singularly silent man, and his
Boys were like him. There was an ele-
ment Of mystery in the affair that was
maddening to the little community, ac-
customed as it was to know all the
minutest details of neighbors' lives.
The Farthings, In spite Of many sub
terfuges, and of sly traps set to learn
whispers rapidly grew into open gossip.
VINO were these people? why had they
moved to this secluded little nookT
Why had they bought, of all places in
the world, the notorious Heller farm
that for years had kept a tenant only
for a few months at most? Why had
they not complained of the ghostIy
reve1s in the deserted cabin not q
quarter of a mile away? There was
something mysterious and even un-
canny about these people.
(Contipued Eeas Weekly