The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-03-11
TIL I'LL I'M

tentions. and his sin, though sure to
be found out, was worthy OF a lasting
place among the virtues.
To be sure, In his enthusiasm, he
overdid II, but why hold that up
against him? He made Philip Mid
thorne out to be q hero, the III of
whom " walked through the mos
exalted tale of chivalry. His descrip-
ton of that well imagined combat ON
the lonely duelAng ground, and the cir
cumstances that led up to II, merited
distinction In the choicest yellow back
fiction of any age. l leave his story 20
your Imagination. / have my own to
tell. The effect Ii had on the boy Is all
that / care to record.
When the lengthy, involved and high
lily c0lored narrative came to an end
which was when the old man reached a
stage where he realized that he was
beginning to contradict himself because
he couldn't remember just what had
gone b~efore-the boy was fairly
squirming with excitement. and bride.
and glory in his heroic father. Jabez
left nothing to the Imagination, albeit
he uttered not q single word OF the
truth.
Later on, the old man watched his
young friend scudding up the hill to-
ward the gate In the road wall sur
grounding the Blagden garden and stable
yard. He was very thoughtful m ne
shook his grizzled head In deep per-
Hell find out the truth some day,
poor lad" unused he, "and all my lynn
win go for 'naught. Mebby 'twopld
been better to have told him the truth.
What a fine little chap he is"
Eric encountered Chetwynd In the
snugly ensconced in a remote nook,
where he spent much OF his leisure time
reading, far from the questioning eyes
of his parents, and quite out OF view
from any Of the windows In the house
itself. He chose this spot because Il
was secluded, and he denied either or
his cousins the right to approach with
in 20 PAGES OF his lair. Two or three
kickings had convinced Erie that
| discretion was better than valor. He
kept his distance thereafter, but down
In his heart he cherished the hope that
there would come a time when he
would be big enough to drive the proud
sure that Chetwynd's nook was the
shadiest. the coolest and altogether the
most desirable In the garden. He chose
1t with considerable perception. It was
there that ~ostensibly he pursued the
course in reading his father had laid
cautiously from behind. you would have
observed that a flashy, blood stirring
paper back library" OF the s and 10
cent variety reposed atop the obscured
pages Of Virgil. Chetwynd managed, in
some way to read at least one OF these
d~emoralizing pamphlets every day. His
mind was soaked with the vicious per-
agents, detectives, and h more ex-
allied but scarcely less approvable viz
tues Of youthful heroes.
His doting parents would have beer
shocked beyond measure ould they
have known OF this unexampled stray
ing,
Eric usually gave the sacred spot a
wide berth. Today, full OF exaltation.
he boldly invaded the nook.
Get out Of this!" reared Chetwynd,
scarcely believing his eyes. He lowered
his feet from their perch on h trellis,
and was almost prepared to rise from
the small Of his back, on which he was
sitting.
The ugly scowl did not daunt the
trespasser. He came up quite close to
his cousin.
you can kick me II you want to. but
I mean to tell he began. O.
Chetwynd interrupted him with a
mild oath. A moment later he was
standing over the smaller boy, his arm
drawn back threateningly.
IF you tell father what I've bcen
reading, I'll break your neck" he
Kissed. He was pale, not with anger,
but at the thought Of the information
going TO his father.
"Oh I'm not q tattletale," cried Eric.
you know better than that. You're a
telltale yourself, but I'm not. You"
Don't you call me q telltaiel"
| well, you are. You tell on me to
aunt every time I do anything, and you
tell her lots Of times that I did the
things that you did yourself, SOS III
IA ~,E-AaA Ghn h0lIayao NynNT ava Il
get Il good and hard, too. Butt never
sQueal on you. You know I don't"
"You don't dare to-" proclaimed
Chetwynd. "You know what I'd do to
you" ..aa -,
calf or Roy Gray? You're afraid of 'sm.
They're as big as you are. and they'd
] Just lick you-' '
TN give you a smash IN the eye.
first thing you know" growled Chef
wynd. Still his arm vas withheld"
"Go on and do It'll Go n cried the
RECKLESS Eric. You're q coward, that's
what you are. You won't fight fair.
You know I can't Hex You"
For two cents, I'd rs.,.
I'm fight with 'dornicks at 20 PAGES"
said Eric. ~
Chetwynd laughed d~erisiveIy as he
| showed the boy away from him.
Next thing you'll be challenging me
to q duel" he guffawed meaningly.
Eric was qutvertng with the news
that was to be his justification.
aunt Rena said my father was a
murderer" he gulped. well, 1t was a
lie." ..'
Chetwynd stared.
"pm going to tell her you called her
q liar" he said. Then you'll catch
hell" -
"oh, If Uncle Horace heard you use
that word" cried Eric, forgetting his
purpose IN the delight OF anticipation.
He'd tan you--gee, but he'd tan you"
ira show him IL he tried It," blus-
tered Chetwynd. II won't let any man
lick me, I don't care who he is
Eric returned to his original attack.
II don't care IL you do tell Aunt Rena.
She knows II ain't true. He killed hts
man in a duel, a fair and square duel.
1t was according to the code. all good
and proper. She has no business say
| ing II was q murder" %
"Well, Il was MURDER" cried Chef
wynd Rngrtly. You don't know what
you're talking about"
Eric went on rashiy. "Td like to see
what your father'd do II he had to fight
a duel. He'd run, he'd back out. He
wouldn't stand up to anybody with pis-
tolls. My father was q brave man. He
his man and
Met him." sneered Chetwynd, catch
ing his breath. Yes, he did, He met
him In the dark and he hot him In the
/ hack That's the kind of a man he