Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-05-05
Copyright. 1910. by Winchell Smith
and Louis Joseph Vance

have been anonymous but for my long
acquaintance with the voices Of the
townspeople. | write these pages at
my desk at home and. if truths to be
told. somewhat surreptitiously. But
with these voices ringing in my mem
ory's ear | seemed still to be sitting at
my erStwhiIe desk by the window.
looking out over Courthouse square.
chewing the rubber heel Of my pencil
the while listen
Immediately opposite. on the far
side of the square. the courthouse
rises proudly in all the majesty of its
columned front and clapboarded sides.
Farther along there's the Methodist
church, very severe. with its rows Of
sheds on one side for the teams Of the
more rural members. Behind them all
bulk our hills. dim and purple against
the overwhelming blue Of the sky. It's
very quiet There are few sounds and
those few most familiar-the raucous
warcry of a rooster somewhere on the
outskirts of town. an intermittent
thudding Of hoofS in the inch deep
dust Of the roadway. Miles Stetson
wringing faint but genuine shrieks OF
agony from his cornet in Il room be-
bind the opera house on the next
street, periodically Il shuttle Of feet on
the sidewalk below. less frequently the
whine of the swinging doors at
Schwartz's place and above it all per-
haps the shrill but not unpleasant &C.
cents of Angie Tuthll as she pauses
on the threshold downstairs and In.
jects surprising information into the
nothing reluctant ears Of Name Gar.
rison:
Hes got six suits of clothes. three
for summer and three for winter. and
two others to wear H. parties. one reg
ular full dress suit and another with
out any tails on the cnat that he told
Miss Carpenter WAS II dinner coat. but
Roland Rarnctte says he must We
meant tuxedo. because nobody
wears that kind Of clothes except at
night. so how could it be Il dinner
coat? And Miss Carpenter told ma
he's got twelve striped shirts and eight
white ones and dozens Of silk socks
and two dozen neckties and handker-
chiefs till you can't count and
Name punctuateS this monologue
with regular and excuSable MY
landw and the young voices fade
away into the midsummer afternoon
quiet. am free to resume my inter-
rupted fight of fancy. but | refrain.
The atmosphere is soporiferous. hardly
conducive to editorial inspiration. and
I find the commingled aavors Of red
cedar, glue and rubber quite nourish-
ing.
Presently Dr. Mortimer. the minis
ter, comes down the street In COM
pany with his deacon. Rinky Lock
wood. They are discussing some one
in subdued tones. but catch refer
ences to a worthy young man and the
vacancy in the choir.
Josie Lock wood rustles into hearing
with Bessie Gabriel in tow. Josie is
rafting volubly. but with hint OF
the confidential in her tone. She in
sists that "of course | never let on.
but every time we meet can just feel
him looking and
Bessie interposes. why. Tracey Tan
ner's just crazy for fear he'll take or
with Angie"
can see Josie's head toss at this
'I bet he don't know what Angie Tut.
bill looks like. That's too absurd
Absurd" is Josies newest word. It's
a very good word, too, but sometimes
I fear she will wear it threadbare. 1t
closes her remarks as the two girls
dart into the postoffice. and there is
peace for a time; then they emerge,
giggling, and I hear Josie declare: I'D
get Roland Barnette to do 1t, but he's
SO jealous. He makes me tired"
Bessie's response is inaudible.
"Well," Josie continues. Pm simply
not going to send them out until |
meet him. Father said l could give
1t week from Saturday, but | won't
unless
Bessie Interrupts again inaudibly.
"Of course / could do that. but If
just said Miss Carpenter and guests
that nosey old Homer I.ittlejohn d
think | meant him. too. and If | only
said guest it'd look too Pointed. Don't
you think SOP"
To my relief they pass from hearing.
and feel for my pipe for comfort.
Anyway, | never did like Josie Lock
wood Smoking. mediate on the
astonishing power Of personality. Here
Is Mr.. Nathaniel Duncan no more than
a fortnight in our midst the phrase Is
used callously as something sacred to
country journalisml, and, behold. not
yet has the town ceased to discuss him.
The control he has over the local mind
and Imagination is certainly wonder
full, the more so since he has appar-
emily made no effort to attract atten-
tion-rather, should say, to the con-
trary. Quiet and unassuming he
goes his way minding his own bust
ness as carefully as we would mind
it for him, with all the good will in the
world. if only we could find out what
it Is But we can't leave him alone.
Tracey Tanner interrupts my mus
ings.
"Hellor' he twangs. like tuGeless
banjo.
"'Lo, Tracey" This lofty and blase
greeting can come from none other
than Roland Barnette.
k"Where you goin'?"
"Over to the railway station"