The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-07-22
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER 1.
The revival in Paradise Valley. con-
Quoted by the Reverand Silas Crafts,
of South Tredegar, was in the middle
of it's second week. and the field-to
use Brother Crafts own word-Was
white to the harvest.
Little Zoar, the square, weather
tinged wooden church at the head OF
the valley, built upon land donated TO
the denomination in times long past
by an impenitent but generous MAJOR
L,1auney, srous. axttle way back from
the pike in a grove of young pines.
BY half-past six of the June evening
the revivalist's congregation had begun
to assemble.
Those who came farthest were first
on the ground; and by the time IL
year-old Thomas Jefferson, spatting
barefooted up the dusty pike, had
reached the church house with the kew,
there was goodly sprinkling OF UNI
titched teams in the grove. the horses
ychamping their feed noisily in the wag-
on boxes, and the people gathering In
little neighborhood knots to discuss
gravely the one topic uppermost In al
mipds-the present outpouring of grace
on Paradise Valley and the region
roundabout
Dye reckon the Elder'll make it this
time with his brother-in-law?" asked
tall, fiat-chested mountaineer from the
Pine Knob uplands.
Samantha Parlkins, she allows that
Caleb has done sinned away his day
o. grace" said another Pine Knobber.
"but amt goin' that far. Caieb's a
sight like the iron he makes in that
old furnace o. his'n-honest and even
grained. and just as good for plow-
points and the like as 1t is for soap
kittles. But hot r cold, it's just the
same, We cayn,t change hit. and We
cayn't change him."
That's about right" said third.
sIt looks to me like Caleb done sot his
stakes where he's goin' to run the fur
row. If Twin dozen years and mo
with such a sancterfied woman as Mar
tina Gordon won't make out to toll a
man up to the pearly gates. allow
the amt no preacher goin' to do it"
well, now; maybe that's the rea-
son." drawled Japheth Pettigrass, the
only unmarried man in the small cir
Gle of listeners; but he was promptly
put down by the tall mountaineer.
Hold on thar, Japhe Pettigrass!
allow tn amt no dyed-in- the wool
hawss- trader like you goin' to stand
up and say anything ag'inst Martty
Gordon while I'm a-listepin. I'm rec
ollectin. right now the time when she
sot up day and night for more N a
week with my Malviny."
Thomas Jefferson had opened the
church house doors and windows and
was out among the unhitched teams
looking for Scrap Pendry, who had
been one of score to go forward FOL
prayers the night before. So 1t hap
pened that he overheard the flat-chest-
ed mountaineer,s tribute to his moth.
er. 1t warmed him generouslyt but
there was a boyish scowl for Japhetf
Pettigrass. What had the horse trade,
been saying to make it needful for BIZ
Layne to speak up as his mothers de-
fender? Thomas Jefferson recorded 1
black mark against Pettigrass' name
and went on to search for Scrap.
What you hiding for?" he demand.
ed. when the newly made convert va,
discovered skuIkfng In the duslky shad
ows Of the pines beyond the farthes
outlying wagon.
answer.
Come on out where the folks are.
urged Thomas Jefferson .Sim Can
trell and the other fellows are aiiowi1
you're afeard" f
Il amt afeard." denied the convert.
No; but you're sort o. sshamed. an
that's about the same thing. reckor
Come on out; I'll go long with you.
Then spake the newborn love a th
heart OF the big. rough. country boz
caynst Onderxtand Inv svx,a, - !, h0I