The Delta independent., 1915-06-04

of affairs. Judged by their heads, the
clansmen were rougher and more illit-
crate on Misery, and in closer touch
with civilization on Crippleshin. A
deeper scrutiny showed this seeming
to be one of the strange anomalies of
the mountains.
Micah HOLMAN had established him
self at Hixon, that shack town which
had passed of late years from feudal
county seat to the sections one point
of contact with the outside world;
town where the ancient and modern
orders brushed shoulders; where the
new was tolerated, but dared not be-
come aggressive. Directly across the
! street from the courthouse stood an
ample frame building, on whose side
wall was emblazoned the legend,
"Hollman's Mammoth Department
Store" That was the secret strong
hold Of HOLMAN power. He had al
ways spoken deploringly of that spirit
of lawlessness which had given the
mountains a bad name.
When the railroad came to Hixon
1t found in Judge Holman a public
spirited citizen" Incidentally, the tim
Der that it hauled and the coal that
its fiat cars carried down to the Blue
grass went largely to his consignees
He had SO astutely anticipated coming
events that, when the first scouts of
capital sought options they found
themselves constantly referred to
Judge Holman. No wheel, it seemed,
could turn without his nod. 1t was
natural that the genial storekeeper
should become the big man of the
community and inevitable that the one
big man should become the dictator.
His inherited place as leader of the
Hollmans in the feud he had SEEM
ingly passed on as an obsolete pre-
rogative.
Yet, in business matters, he was
found to drive a hard bargain, and
men came to regard it the part of
good policy to meet rather than COM
bat his requirements. 1t was essen
tial to his purposes that the officers
of the law in his country should be in
sympathy with him. Sympathy soon
became abject subservience. When a
| South had opposed Jesse Purvy in the
primary as candidate for high sheriff
he was found one day lying on his
face with a bullet-riddled body. It
may have been a coincidence which
pointed to Jim Asberry, the judges
nephew. as the assassin. At all events,
the judges nephew was a poor boy,
and a charitable grand jury declined
to indict him.
In the course of FIVE years several
South adherents, who had crossed
Holman's path, became victims OF the
laurel ambuscade. The theory of CO.
incidence was strained. Slowly the
rumor grew and persistently spread,
though no man would admit having
fathered 1t, that before each of these
executions star-chamber conferences
had been held in the rooms above
Micah Hollman's Mammoth Depart
ment Store" 1t was said that these
exclusive sessions were attended by
Judge Holman. Sheriff Purvy and GER
tain other gentlemen selected by rea-
son of their craftsmanship. When
one Of these victims fell John South
had just returned from law school
down below" wearing "fotched-on"
clothing and thinking "fotched-on"
thoughts. He had amazed the COM
munity by demanding the right to as
sist in probing and prosecuting the
affair. He had then shocked the COM
munity into complete paralysis by re-
questing the grand jury to indict not
alone the alleged assassin, but also
his employers. whom he named as
Judge Holman and Sheriff Purvy.
Then he too, fell under a bolt from
the laurel.
That was the first public accusation
against the bland capitalist, and 1t car.
ried it's own prompt warning against
repetition. The judges high sheriff
and chief ally retired from office and
went abroad only with a bodyguard.
Jesse Purvy had built his store at a
crossroads 25 miles from the rail.
road Like Holman. he had won
reputation for open-handed charity.
was nked-and hated. His rrIenos
were legion. His enemies were so nu-
merous that he apprehended violence
not only from the Souths but also
from others who nursed grudges in
no way related to the line of feud
cleavage. The Hollman-Purvy combi-
nation had retained enough of its old
power to escape the laws retribution
and to hold its dictatorship. but the
efforts of John South had not been
altogether bootless. He had ripped
away two masks, and their erstwhile
wearers could no longer hold their old
semblance of law-abiding philanthro-
pists. Jesse Purvy's home was the
show place OF the countryside. Com.
modious verandas looked out over
pleasant orchards. and in the same
inclosure stood the two frame build
ings OF his store-for he, too, COM
bined merchandise with baronial