Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-06-14

nave Cdileu OuClo ADneT mean
and peculiar. but that description is
insipid. It is about as adequate as
describing Satan as not being pleas
ant person. OF all the cold-blooded
men | ever met, Abner Halliday had
the most Srog-like temperature. once
had a dream which will illustrate my
lifelong impression Of him. II hap
pened when was spending a year at
a, technical school learning practical
mechanics prior to entering college,
and it VAS brought about by partic-
ularly heartless and thoroughly I'M
called for letter which he had written
me. dreamed that | had seen him
dissected at a clinic and that his
veins were filled with liquid air In
stead Of warm red corpuscles. And
when IL csze to the region Of his
heart they found its place occupied
by a toadsteo!. He was long. lean,
misery and rich. As to the amount
Of his wealth, had little knowledge
except frem boast he once made to
me and which was inclined to be-
lieve at the time
| happened incidentally to remark
that be muSt be pretty wealthy man.
and he turned to me with that cum
ming leer of his-a leer that had the
cunning Of a fox and the relentless
ness Of a wolf. Il suppose you know
how far it is from here to the heart
OF the city," he grinned. told him
that II was eight miles as the crow
/ flies.
And about so rods. Now. you listen
to me. young gadabout. II should
turn all my money into American dol
lars and put them side by side, edges
touching. remember, they'd reach from
here to the city hall"
Which is a long ways" l assented
meekly. He grinned again.
"And I'll tell you where else they
would reach. They'd reach to the
chambers of the judges; they'd reach
to the private office Of the assessor,
and they'd reach to the heart Of any
public official l wanted. then to-
which is the reason l desire them.
Understand, now, young jackanapesT
YES" returned YEARLY, disguised
by his contempt for all human hon
esty. Then l went away and left him,
feeling more resentful than ever that
l must toll day in and out as the
cashier of a soulless corporation for
$1,000 a year. and then out of it pay
my uncle pretty near first-class hotel
rates for my board and lodgings. Al
times his browbeating and insults fair
ly sickened me Of life; yet | swallowed
them with the resignation of school
boy who takes quinine asa condition
to his being allowed to go fishing. Oh
dead mems shoes! How we will dance
until we fall for the prospect Of wear
ing them.
Now a few words about the house
we lived In.
II was a rookery. Large and ram
bling, it had degenerated from a hand
some, well-groomed suburban home u
hulking. tatterdemalion outcas
amidst responsibility. 1t was bruises
and battered The spine of its roo
already had q curvature; the pain
hung from 1t in shreds. and ragweed
surrounded It. Internally It wa
nearly hollow. Year by year Uncl
Abner, elutching his dollars. sat b.
and watched It run down as steadil,
as clock that Is never rewound
priceless of himself aud Of all be
longing to him save his money. AM
whenever he did spend a few dollar
upon repairs his cheerfulness wa
that of one who gives a surgeon hi
: fee for extracting his vermiform ar
pendix. Necessity, so grinding ant
imperative that further neglect woui
prove fatal, was the only condition
that could loosen the Gordian kno
which bound his money bags.
I never opened the heavy door tina
led from the group of magnificent Ger
fury old oaks, the branch ends Q
which stroked the gray house like CT
ressing hands. without feeling @
disgust and hot shame. The lowe
: floors were unfinished save for tn
} kitchen, the dining room and tn
room for the housekeeper. Barrin
, those portions It was as barren as
ships empty hold. For years Mr.
! Tebbets had been the housekeeper c
{ the place. doing all the househol
work and never to our knowledge n
: ceiving company, and almost neve
I leaving the premises. The upstair
t portion of the house was also bar
J of furniture save for my uncle's an
r my apartments. His quarters col
/ sisted of a large, sparsely furnishe
, room running the length Of the fror
: of the house, with an alcove in col
, nection, my own sleeping room an
. den being adjacent thereto. Ths
|. Uncle Abner continued to live amidt
0 this shameful waste Of handsomel
: designed rooms and broad naturi
: grounds. was about the only piece {
+ extravagauce l ever knew him to Il
e dulge himself In. However, coul
| partially account for 1t in two way
= In the FIRST place he had come int
s possession Of the premises throug
some sort of hocus-pocus swap; ha
+ secured them for song. won the +
: cutting lawsuit, and then left th
/ former owner to whistle for the sons
r and in the second be had real an
| abiding fondness for trees and gras
9 Trees and grass, however. do not r
/ quire repairs.
g Now as to his associates. TheI
). were only three people in the worl
/ 80