Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-07-06
CHAPTER xIII.-fC opt,nuedJl

striding side by side and each busy
with his own thoughts. AS they were
passing the Deer Trace gates loose
1ointed figure doomed black against tho
paiings and the voice Of Japheth Pet
tigrass said: tl34 "a
Why, howdy. Brother silas!
Thought ye'd gone back to South Tre-
degar When are We comm out to LIZ
tie Ioar ag'ln to give us another o.
tnep old-fashioned. spiritual times O.
\ refreshin' from the presence of the
& Lord z"
Why do you ask that. Japheth Pet
ttgrass? The Lord will deal with you.
one day"
Yes. reckon SO; that's what makes
me say what ] does. There's heap .
sinners left round here yit, Brother
sNas. There's the Major, for one. and
3 know you're always countin. me In
for another. I dunno but you might
Z snatch me as d brand from the burn
in, II You could make out to try 1t one
more lap around the cou'se. been
thinkin' right p'intedly about = s.
But the preacher had cut In with a
curt Good might" and was gone. with
his broad-shouldered nephew At his
heels: and the horse trader went on.
with the stars for his audience
Pettigrass was cropping for the gate
latch when hand fell ON his shoulder.
and clutch that was more than half
!: 2 blow twirled him about to face the
roadway. He was doubling his nsts
Tor defense when he saw who his as
sailsnt was. q # b ss u
why. Tom-Jef.! what's ailin' yer"
ne began; but Tom broke In with gasp
z lngs OF rage.
Japhe Pettigrass. what did you
think you saw last Wednesday fore
noon up; yonder at Big Rock Spring on
the mountain? Tell 1t straight, this
time; or TIL dig the truth out Of you
with my bare hands!''
HSho, now. Tomb eff: don't you gilt
80 servigrous over nothin. / didn't
see nothin' but q couple 0. young fy-
aways playin' postum In hole In the
big rock. And I'll leave 1t to you II I
didn't call Caesar of and 60 my ways,
les like I'd like to be done by.y
Yes; and then you came straight
down here and told my uncle!" The
hand he had been holding behind him
came to the front. clutching stone
matched up from the metaling Of the
pike as he ran. II i should break your
face in with this. Japhe Pettigrass, ii
/ wouldn't be any more than you've
earned!"
tell Brother Silas on you. Tom
Jem? You show me the man 'at says
y done any such low down thing as
that. and I'll frazzle a Atty dollar
hawsswhip out on his ornery hide /
will, So Say. boy; you don't certainly
believe that o. me, do We p"
4 don't want to believe IL Of YOU,
Japhea quavered Tom, as near to tears
I as the pride Of his eighteen years
I would sanction, ..But somebody "a &
and told. and made 1t 4 heap worse
! than 1t was
WHO do you reckon It, was told IN
youf Was, there anybody else In the
big woods that, raornin' u, y s..' 4 q
Yes; there were three men testing
the pipe line. We both saw them. and
4 Nan was scared stiff at sight 81 ono 81
them; that's why I put her up In that
! hole" y. S. a .sii
hen you dnd out who that Teller
- that Mans skeered Of. you can clay
your hand on the man that told Broth
4 er Silas on YOU. But I wouldn't trou-
bic about It none, II 4 was you. \ 4 4
The dinner at Woodlawn that night
was stiff and comfortless meal. as 1t
had come to be with the taking or,
Of four-tined forks and the other con-
ventions for which an oak -paneled dir.
Ing room in an ornate brick mansion
sets the pace. Caleb Gordon was faith
oms deep, In the mechanical problems
OF the days work. as was his wont.
Silas Crafts was abstracteds and silent.
Toms food chaked him. as 1t had need
under the sharp stress OF things: and
the convalescent housemother remain
ed at table only long. enough to po,r
the coffee. Is
Tom excused himself a few n,in,,t.s
later. and followed his mother "a her
room: climbing the, stair to her door
leaden footed and with his heart ready
u to burst.
Il us that you, Thomas p. said the gen.
tie voice within. answering his tan IN
the ponel Come in, son: come IN ana
sit by my fire. It's right chilly 10
night"
Thomas Jefferson entered ana 4. Il !,
his chair SO that she could not 1870 80 =
without turning. and for many :, ;,.s ~.
the silence was sunbroken. Than 81.
began. a. begin he must. .or.s III Z Z
and ii, some way. a Il. ~ = z
NANNY" he said. feeling nroan
sciously for the childish mira 90 -, 80
my. has Uncle Silas been teii,n !, se ~.
anything about me. ~ : ~
.Something. Thomaa. hut ~, - .
deal. You have had some itromhIa ,,,th
Doctor Toliivar." 4 esl' -. -
yes, 5j
Il have known that for .or. ,,,.,.
time, Your uncle might have.,o,d ~,
more, but wouldn't lei him. m .s
has. never been anything betwasn ~ =
break confidence, Tom. knew yan n
came
II have come to tell you to .n,pht
NANNY. You must hear II ali. from
beginning TO end. It goes back 4 Ion,
way-back to. the time when Won n.nS
ito let me kneel with my head in yo,,r
lap to, say my prayers; when You nsed
to think was good. .n q ~
The IRE had died down 10 few,
glowing masses OF coke on the graf
bars when he had finished the story Of
his wanderings In the valley OF drv
sbOnes Through N all M rkt. A. .