South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-29

LN1rH II ~ kANIll Main ana EehIe
rSJ E9f1 streets. Pennington.
WS1 ESH Morning Count y
9---tSy1Y Missouri in the
the last Saturday OF
that September. and drank. standing IN
his stirrups. was Marty carewe.
Despite his forty years. Carewe was at
this hour a handsome man, with face
as thin and battered as a nicked blade
but aristocratic IN it's tapering sharpness.
its weak refinement suggesting what ms
forefathers had done for him as evident
Is as what he had done for himself. His
clothes we're shabby. but there was
peculiar sinking grace in his way OF
wearing them. AS he raised his eyes
from his libation in front OF Tandy's. he
caught sight of the crowd OF farmers
moving into Court House square. block
down the street. On some vagabond I'M
pulse. more insolent than social. he dis
mounted where he was. tied his horse at
Tandy's rail. and moved toward the
square.
II was a stock-sale day and almost all
90 the farmers who were hitching in the
square had a young horse. or steer.
O.. a COW tethered 10 the rear OF the
great farm wagons. The farmers women
we're standing up in the wagons. smooth
ing down their dresses, which had
punched around their waists in awk-
ward looking rolls The stockmen and
farm hands who had come In on horse
back were dismOunting with a outlaw
ing raiIlery. through which rang note
OF nervous concern lest they show some
susceptibility 10 town sights and sounds.
Some wealthy people were climbing down
from surreys and rOckaways Now and
then a steer beloved COW lowed. a
horse shinnied. a child insisted that his
shoes pirched.
BY the time Marty Carewe had reached
the lamp post il front OF Sneed's grocery
store. the exodus from the square had
begun. Marty propped himself against
the post and waited. There was a SUI
percilious sheer in his heart, but his lips
smiled at the people And the people.
as though they could not help It, at once
pressed toward him with outstretched
hands and hearty words of welcome.
''Marly?-Ef 'tain't!--Could-a told you
any p'ace-Look jest same as when you
wuz a bOy-Have a chaw?-Mighty glad 10
see you-Huccome you TO come ?-Have
chaw me-wheu-why-" Through
all the comment and question that surged
about Carewe ran current of peculiar
uneasiness. but Carewe. borne along on
the impulse TO be affable for the minute.
kept skllfully out of the reach of the
undertow answering ever so pleasantly,
L
every movement. every infection olsen
gaging the old compulsory. Carewe
charm OF manner Oh, yes. he had been
away nearly half his Iife-Oh. yes. Pen
augton was home to him after all; the
home pla, was still down there on the
Bluff his sister was there: naturally. he
had come back-Oh. yes. He did not use
much better language than the inlet
tered people who cluttered up the side
walk about him; he was not better than
they: in integrity of character he was
not nearly their equal: but that manner
of his-caressing. cavalier. fascinating
in some sly way made OF HI a manor
lord toying with his yeomen. He grew
tired Of the people however. almost
Immediately Locking arms with one Of
the stockmen ne drew off down the
street. back toward Tandys.
Free from the Carewe charm Of man
ner. the farm people. watching Marty. be-
gan 10 talk among one another. haltingly,
looking into one another's wide. honest
eyes. shaking their heads. as though they
felt afraid ,hat they had been duped.
They broke up. little by little. into
groups that were at once added TO
by town people who saw friends and Gus
toners ir the groups and mingled with
them cordially. Just outside Sneed's
quite a throng fingered. All the talk. up
and down the street was about Carewe.
The first thing after he got back.
said Sneed. was 10 prance in and make
as all speak 20 him. same as he's just
done with YOU fellers-make us speak
TO him. us men no chased him out OF
town nineteen years ago! Gosh! He's got
them old Carewe ways. Said he'd re-
formed Well then. next thing, Sam
Slave came down I'm Kan City on a tenn
perance campaign this week and here.
last night Marty marched up and signed
the pledge"
Aw. wall ol he's signed the pledge
ef he's reformed" began a teetotaIer
icaton from Pretty Plain Church be-
tween PENNINGTON and Weaver but Sneed
lldnt let him go en-
Pledge. your cows bind foot! It's just
his way of wheedliug more money out Of
Miss Kate Look up yonder at Tandy's!
Before this days done he'll be raisin'
samuel Hill as bad as ever he did in
his life.
Sneed's words forthwith swung his Wis
itors up toward a subiec, that ripened IN
Pennington at regular intervals like nuts
Oli total abstinence arguments. pro and
con began TO be thrashed out. Farmers
and PeuangtOnians who didn't drink ar
rayci themselves on one side; those
who didn't drink. but occasionally took.
a drink. IEed up on the other Two
OF the town drunkards lounged by blink
INK over the shoulders OF the crowd.