Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1909-12-03
suppose you know pretty nearly

old families?"
The pale blue eyes half closed.
What you sellin'?"
Jim Atherton suddenly laughed.
Nothing that Winsted would buy"
he answered.
There was feller here writin' up
tn history of tn village once" said
the hired man. "You got your picter
an some stuff written bout you in tn
book for IS. Bill Quigg paid him, an
Rodney Gear, an Sile Barnes. an
mebby some others. Feller put up at
tn tavern fer a week, an then him
an tn money he'd collected, an Sam
Henderson's board bill. an Tod
Browns livery bill all went away to-
gether an never came back"
He laughed noiselessly, and Jim
Atherton laughed too.
81 don't write histories" he said
and laughed again. Perhaps I've
done a little something toward max
ing history Of a certain sort. but there
were no unpaid bills"
The owner of the blue eyes accepted
the statement with a tranquil air.
How'd you get over here% he
asked.
81 came in an automobile from Con-
way"
The straggly red whiskers suddenly
quivered.
81 want to know" said the owner.
"Anythin' give out?"
Nothing"
There was feller come through
here last September or mebby 1t was
later-an' somethin' give out with his
machine, and Tom Sturges-he's tn
blacksmith-was workin' on it four
hours. He charged the feller two-an-a-
half, and Dave Pitts says he paid
Tom from a roll O. bills as big as your
arm"
Jim Atherton nodded.
mo doubt he needed 1t all. Any
amusements in Winsted?"
"Nothin'. Jest Sunday school pic
mic in tn grove. an church fair in
the winter. Boys tried to org'nize a
brass band, but it fell through" His
blue eyes suddenly frightened.
There's goin' to be circus mex
week over TO Monticello an they say
it's a clipper"
"You are going. of course?"
"I guess I be. ! dunno. A lot O
tn boys are talkin' of goin' over TO-
Gcther."
Jim Atherton produced a silver dol
lar and passed It to the man on the
fence.
Get a good seat" he laughingly
said. "and don't forget the red lemon
adC."
The straggly red whiskers quivered
again and the pale blue eyes scruti'
nized the dollar closely.
"T1l be dummed," he muttered and
slid the coin into HIS trousers pocket.
You say you know all the old Win
sted families" Jim Atherton remark
ed. do you know a man named In
gram, John Ingram?"
yep. Know him well. John In
gram lives tn other side o tn village
on tn Ingram farm. He's pooty bad
" crippled up with rheumatic. Can't
do much of anythin' 'cept hobble
round. Old Doc Peasely says he won't
be no better here. Only hope for him
is 10 get out to Collyrado where it's
dryer than It is here-but | dunno as
he can afford to go-not, anyway, I'LL
he can sell his farm-an' nobody
wants it"
"ls he alone there"
Hes got his son Phil with him
Phips doin' tn work. He's a pooty
good boy. Phil is-mebby a mite stuck
! ND. but not so you'd notice 1t much
An he's mighty good to his old dad
The boys mother was determined
he should have a college education
an he got it-though how she man
aged It I can't understand. But IT
ANT dom him any good. He's jes'
tied down thar to the old man an tn
! farm"
| Jim Atherton stirred uneasily.
"And the boys motherT
"She died bout four years ago.
The man from the city put on his
! hat
Thank you," he said. "Goodby.
"Goodby," drawled the man on th'
fence. He looked after the retreat
ing figure. Then he drew the silver
coin from his pocket and bit on II
Evidently satisfied with the test n
slipped the dollar back and grinnet
until his blue eyes were almost closed
Jim Atherton went down the maii
, street to the old tavern and drank
glass of buttermilk and asked abou
his lunch and the means OF transpurta
! ton TO Monticello. the nearest rail
way town. And after he had sat OF
the porch awhile and half dozed in TIT
sleepy atmosphere, he ate the simpl
fare that the tavern provided am
started out for a walk.
The air was warm and he walke'
slowly. Somehow he turned towar
the Ingram farm. He remembers
that the old swimming hole in tn
Four-mile creek, a favorite resort II
that boyhood time was just on IN
road in the rayine and close to tn
line OF the old farm. He would visi
the ancient resort.
IL hadn't changed. II was still tn
same quiet, shaded spot He dippe
his fingers in the water. 1t was jus
of a proper coolness.
Jim Atherton was fond OF the water
He had been q clever swimmer whel
he was a boy. Il was an art he ha
practiced wherever opportunity o.
fered. At the seaside resorts he la
visited he always improved tn
chances for enjoying his fayorit
sport
/ A sudden desire to get into the W.
ter came to him. He looked around
The place was absolutely quiet an
| deserted.
He rapidly removed his clothes an
, laid them on the big fiat stone he ma
used for the same purpose seven-an'
twenty years before.
Then he slipped into the water.
"a - ht,, N ptaocouf gauSatiO1