The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-08-12
THE DEACON'S
SHEEPSkN
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press

and Kills Il sheep. In removing the
pelt lie is very careful y cut in il
depreciates it's value. petS are gen
orally purchased by tin peidlers. and
they are generally looked over very
carefully beforehand. If there are two
or three cuts in the pelt il is Only half
price. Deacon Strong lived Oh farm
In the outskirts of the village of Raw
sonville. Tin peddiers hnd found him
truthful man. When the deacon
warranted Il Sheepskin free from cuts
it was no use spending time tn look
at it. On this particular morning when
a peddler called the deacon had petit
all rolled up to trade for tin pans
While he didn't exactly warrant it. he
didn't acknowledge to any damage
and it was three days later that the
peddler found he had been done for
The peddler could have gone back
and talked about graft and all that
and raised row. but he didn't He
returned TO the neighborhood after sew
eral weeks. but he didn't call on the
deacon. Neither did tie make any in
quiries about him. He just sawed
wood and listened to what people were
talking about. and what they were
| talking about just then was the fact
that the deacon had decided to send
his old mother to the lOorhouse.
| Deacon Strong realized that he
would be criticised. and SO he went
about telling what beautiful poor
| house IL was.
| The tin peddler got on to the talk
and the facts. and be was doing some
thinking as he drove from the neigh
borhood. He had a brother in town
twenty miles away. and the brother
was lawyer.
to go to the poorhouse when one OF
the neighbors brought In newspaper
to show the deacon an advertisement.
| Ii called for Information concerning
one Annu Strong. widow. and strongly
limited that 1t would he to her great
advantage to step out into the lime
light The poOrhouse trip WIS can
celed and II journey made to see
lawyer. Anna Strong. widow. was
Deacon Strong's mother. he could
prove II by fifty people. The lawyer
replied that 1t was all right so far. but
did she have cousin named Charles
| u
cousin who would be apt to remember
her In his viii to the extent Of $4,000?
The deacon's hair climbed up. He
sald that he hadn't the least doubt Of
the cousinship and would take the
cash home to the old lady. He went
too fast. The Widow Strong must APP
pear mnd make an affidavit. What her
son knew or guessed wouldn't cover
the ease. The deacon didn't say SHE,
had lost her voice He started for
home to see if he couldn't lind II for
her. Her fingers were SO crnInped
that she hadn't written line for
years. and all depended on the recov
cry of the voice. The old woman had
been tucked away in the poorest room
Of the house. She was ut once trans
ferred to the best. The scraps from
the table were thought good enough
for her. She was now fed ON the best.
Instead Of three regular meals per da =
she was cOaxed to eat much oftener.
The son hnd hardly spoken to her for
weeks. but now he sat with her and
even told her jokes and hoped she
would live for twenty years yet. He
ulso went among the neighbors and
said that he had heard the cellar of
shower. and he couldn't think of TAX
ing his dear mother there.
Mrs. Strong. widow. could hear very
well. She heard her son ask the name
Of all her male cousins. including
Charles BiXby of Boston, and she heard
herself addressed as dear mother
but she could make no Ineligible re-
plies. Not when the daughter-in-law
combed her hair for her and washed
her face and said she was saint ii
there ever was one could she talk.
When she was lifted in and out of the
buggy for Il ride she couldn't express
her gratitude in words. Once or twice
she happened to overhear her dutiful
son say TO his wife that he'd like to
build fire under the old woman to
make her talk. but she didn't lay it up
against him. She went right on hav-
ing the best in the house and wonder.
ing why other old women didn't lose
their voices.
Once month for two long years
Deacon Strong called upon or wrote to
the lawyer. He offered all sorts OF
terms and compromises, but it was nc
use He wrote to Boston. but his let
ter was unanswered. He consulted
other lawyers. but they said that moth
ing could be done until that voice came
back. Raw eggs and wine, pies. cake
and buildings .fattened the old woman
but the voice remained obdurate. She
winlled and she smiled and she nodded
but that wasn't enough to bring home
the Bixby legacy. Then at last she
died She went to sleep in her chail
one day and passed away without g
struggle. She was buried in a very de
cent manner. and next day the deacon
walked into the lawyers Office as next
of kin and heir to the Bixby legacy.
"And you mother didn't regain hel
voice?" asked the lawyer
|