Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-12-10
CHAPTER I.


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 feld-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
Dabney, stood a little 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 a goodly sprinlding of I'M
hitched teams In the grove. the horses
champing their feed noisily in the wag-
n-boxes, and the people gathering In
little neighborhood knots to discuss
gravely the one topic uppermost in all
minds-the present outpouring of grace
on Paradise Valley and the region
roundabout.
"D'ye reckon the Elder'll make II this
time with his brother-in-la asked a
tall, fiat chested mountaineer from the
Pine Knob uplands.
Samantha Parlxins, she allows that
Caleb has done sinned away his day
o. grace" said another Pine Knobber,
hut l amt goin' that far. Caleb'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 IL 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.
at looks to me like Caleb done sot his
stakes where he's goin' to run the fur
row. If Twin a dozen years and mo-
with such a sancterfied woman as Mar
tina Gordon won't make out to toll n
man up to the pearly gates, I allow
the amt no preacher goin'ito 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 Pettigrassl
allow tn amt no dyed-in-th the wool
hawss- trader like you goin' to stand
up and say anything aginst Marthy
Gordon while I'm a-listenin'. 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 a score to go forward for
prayers the night before. So 1t hap
pened that he overheard the fiat-chest-
ed mountaineers tribute to his moth
err 1t warmed him generously; but
there was boyish scowl for Japheth
Pettigrass. What had the horse trad der
been saying to make 1t needful for Bill
Layne to speak up as his mothers de-
fender? Thomas Jefferson recorded a
black mark against Pettigrass' name,
and went on to search for Scrap.
what you hiding for?" he demand
ed, when the newly made' convert was
discovered skulking In the dusky shad-
ows of the pines beyond the farthest
outlying wagon.
Il amt hidin'," was the half defiant
answer.
''Come on out where the folks are"
urged Thomas Jefferson. Sim Can.
trell and the other fellows are allowin'
you're afeard."
Il amt afeard." denied the convert
NO; but you're sort O. ishamed, and
that's about the same thing. reckon.
Come on out; I'll go long with you
Then spake the newborn love In the
heart OF the big. rough. country boy.
Il cayn't understand how you can hold
out Tom-Jefr. I've cobe thoo', praise
The Lordi but I Jest natchelly got 10