The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-06-23
CHAPTER V.


On rare occasions the Major, riding
TO or from the crossroads post-offiee
liz Hargis' store, would rein in his horse
at the Gordon gate and ask for drink
OF water from the Gordon well. Al
such times Thomas Jefferson remarked
that his mother always fastened 10
serve the Major with her own hands;
this Notwithstanding her own and Un-
Gle Silas' oft-repeated asseveration
touching the Majors unenviable pre-
eminence as a Man of Sin. Also he re-
marked that the Majors manner at
such moments was a thing to dazzle
the eye. like the reflection of the sum-
mer sun on the surface OF FURNISHED
metal But beneath the polished ex-
terror the cropping perceptions of the
boy would touch a thing repellant:
thing to stir slow current Of resent
ment in his blood.
1t was Thomas Jefferson's first coll
lision with the law Of caste; a law
Draeonian in the Old South. Before
the war, when Deer Trace Manor had
been seigniory with its six score
black thralls, there had been 20 visit
ing between the great house on the
inner knoll and the overgrown log
homestead at the iron furnace. Quar-
rel there was none, nor any shadow OF
enmity: but the Dabneys were lorQs OF
the soil, and the Gordons were crafts
men
Even in war the distinction was
maintained The Dabneys, father and
son, were officers, having their COM
missions at the enrolment: while Ca
leb Gordon, hose name headed the list
of the PARADISE volunteers, began and
ended a private in the ranks.
In the years of Merchandising
which followed, breach was opened,
narrow at first. and never very deep,
but wide enough to serve. Caleb Cor
don had accepted defeat openly and
honestly, and for this the unrecon-
structed Major had never fully forsiv-
On him. 1t was an added proof that
there was no redeeming drop in the
Gordon veins-and Major Caspar was
as scrupulously polite to Caleb Cor
don't wife as he would have been. and
was, to the helpmate of like Bryerson.
mountaineer and distiller OF Illicit
whisky.
Thomas Jefferson was vaguely indig-
rant when Pettigrass came to ask his
father to go forthwith to the manor
house. In the mouth Of the foreman
he invitation took on something Of the
flavor of a command. None the less. he
was eager for news when his father
came back, and though he got 1t only
from overhearing the answer to his
mothers question, it was satisfyingly
thrilling.
TITS mighty near as we talked, Mar
tina The Major Jumps the railroad In
with all the other Improvements, calls
'en Yankees, and h'ists his battle flag
The engineer, that smart young fellow
with the peaked whiskers and the eye
glasses, went to see him this evenin'
about the right of way down the val
ley. and got himself slung off the porch
OF the great house into a posy bed"
There Is going to be trouble, Caleb;
now you mark my words. You mustn't
mix up In It"
Il don't allow to, IL I can hep It,
The railroads goin' 10 be a mighty
good thing for US If l can get Mr..
Downing to put In a side-track for the
furnace"
Following this there were other con-
ferences the Major unbending suffi-
GENTLY to come and sit on the Gordon
porch IN the cool of the evening. The
iron-master. as one still in touch with
the moving world. gave good advice.
Failing to buy, the railroad company
might possibly seek to bully right of
way through the valley. But in that
case, there would certainly be redress
in the courts for the property owners
In the meantime, nothing would be
gained by making the contest a per-
sonal fight on individuals.
So counseled Caleb Gordon, sure. al
Ways, of his own standings ground in
any conflict But from the last OF the
conferences the Major had ridden home
through the fields: and Thomas Jeffer
son. with an alert eye for windstraws
of conduct, had seen him dismount
now and then to pull up and fling away
the locating stakes driven by the rail-
road engineers.
Giving the Major a second and n
third chance to refuse to grant An
easement, the railroad company push
ed tts grading and ck-laying around
tho mountain and up to the stone wall
marking the Dabney boundary. quietly
Accumulated the necessary material,
and on a summer Sunday morning
Sunday by preference because no re-
etraining writ could be served for at
least twenty-four hours-a construc-
ton train, black with laborers, whisked
around the nose of the mountain and
dropped gently down the grade to the
temporary end Of track.
1t was Thomas Jefferson who gave
the alarm. Little Zoar. unable to sup
mort q settled pastor. was closed for
the summer, bat Martha Gordon kept
the fire spiritual alight by teaching her
son at home. One of the boys Sunday
privileges, earned by a faultless recf-
fation of a prescribed number OF Bible
verses. was forest freedom for the re-
mainder of the forenoon. He heard
the low rumble OF the coming train,
and it was only by resolutely ignoring
the sense of hearing that he was ena-
bled to get through. letter perfect.
Blessed are ye, when men shall re-
vile you and prosecute you,'" he chant
ed monotonously, with rowing eyes bent
on finding his cap with the loss of The
fewest possible seconds" and shall
say all manner of evil against you
falsely. for my sake'-and that's all"
And he was off like shot
Mind, now, Thomas Jefferson; you
are not to go near that railroadl" his
mother called to him as he raced down
the path to the gate.
On, no. ne WOuld not go near the
railroad! He would only run Up the
pike and cut across through the Dab
ney pasture to see il the train were
really there.
1t was there, as he could tell by the
noise Of kissing steam when the cross
cut was reached. But the parked
wooding Of the pasture still scre encd
It How near could he go without be
A.
of the word? There was only one way
of finding QUITO keep on going until
his conscience pricked sharply enough
to stop him. 1t was a great convent
ence, Thomas Jefferson's conscience.
AS long as it kept quiet he could be
reasonably sure there was no sin i'm
sight. Yet he had to confess that it
was not always above playing mean
tricks: as that of sleeping like a log
till after the fact, and then rising up
to stab him till the blood ran.