The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-01

EFF you don't mind I'll talk to your
husband a little about Howard Alb
ner continued. ct don't know that it
will help matters, but thar may be no
harm in tryin'.''
ct wish you would" Mrs. TinsIey
said. Leaving him at the door, she
entered the house. Her husband had
not noticed their approach and now
walked to a bench at the side of the
house, which held a washtub and a
battling stick. He had taken his Bible,
and seemed about to open it. His
brow was puckered thoughtfully, the
lids of his blue eyes were drawn so
close together that only narrow slfts
appeared.
Hello! How are you, old stick in
the n-ud?'' Abner called out in his
usual joculGr tone. 81 seed you lookin'
at your bees jest now. Expectin' them
little flynn bugs to give you lot O.
honey next time you bust into Their
humble domicyle, eh? Looks like a
man that walks with God as frequent
ly as you do would take pity on his
most industrious creatures. The longer
live the binder you shoutin' Chris
tians seem to git. Do you know, be-
do, an the time is shore to come when
bees an silkworms won't be made to
work hard to fill mems bellies an kiver
gals legs"
"Humphr' Hiram snorted, with a
contemptuous jerk Of his fringed bald
head. 81 wonder why you never say
a thing that has a bit O. common sense
in it,
81 can't talk common sense to an IN
common man, an that's what you are,
Hiram. If the Lord had made you
fust he'd "a made an army o. ordi-
nary men out O. yore spare ribs. But
no jokin', l stopped to talk to you
about Howard. I'm sorry to hear the
boy has concluded to go away. He's
young an quick tempered, an right
now it looks to me like home is the
best place fer Teller like him.
This home ain'tY' Hiram waved
his hand in the direction Of the house
81 raised i'm an educated i'm to see
i'm git too big fer his br1tches. He
has the cheek to argue with me an dis
pute what's laid down in this book
He's wtser'n the Almighty hisse'f, who
gave his word to live by. The young
fool denies it all, 1 tell you, an why
he amt struck dead in his tracks fer
blasphemy 1 don't know
maybe he is more pleasin' to the
Lord than you imagine.'' Abner sat
down on the end of the wash bench,
and, crossing his long legs, swung his
right foot Up and down.
Hiram jerked the Bible from be-
meath his arm, and, raising his foot to
the bench he opened the book on his
knee.N Rapidly he turned the pages, a
fanaticaI CLEAN in his eyes. GIVE got
authority for my stand,'' he cried.
''This book tells me my duty plain
enough. I don't have to go to puny
man like you, who is even now. sayin'
exactly what the devil prompts. Lis
ten close to this an see eff anything
could possibly be palmer. Matthew
XII, 35: For I'm come'-that's our Saw
ior speaking, remember-'I'm come to
set man at variance against his IA
ther'- No, that amt it; wait! For
mains foes shall be of his own house
hold That amt it nuther. Here it
is, verse 81: He that 1oveth father or
mother more than me is not worthy
of me, an he that loveth son'-hear
that-'he that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me.'''
81 ketch yore pint" Abner smiled
"an' all got to say is that I |
crusty old duck like you interpret my
scriptur' fer me. Now, I've always
thought that Jesus meant some'n' like |
this, for instance: Eff a man had a |
son, we'n say, that wanted to go into |
boss stealin' fer a regular business an |
invited his pa to help m out, why, the |
man was advised to part company |
with i'm, eff reform was impossible |
But yore boy hain't done nothin' but |
read a little on fresh lines an think |
fer ITSELF. 1t is all in the way you f
look at it, you see. I don't want to be
rough, Hiram, but I believe ef<Jesus
was to come upon us at this minute
he'd tell you that in yore lack o. Lowell
an kindness, both to yore wife an
son, you are whole generation o. vi
pers an hypocrites stuffed in one pair
o. pants He said, Judge not that We
be not Judged an you are judgin'
that's boys heart without SEEM even
the outside wrappin's o. it. Jesus
would say you was tryin' to git a
mote out o. the boys eye when you
have a beam in yore own as big as
my piece o. timber that ever left
sawmill."
Tinsley was white with rage. Clos
ng the Bible, he pushed it back under
lis arm. eth attend to my business
IN you attend to your'n," he painted.
The next morning Abner drove to the
yiIlage of barley. He had. a bale of
lotion on his wagon. He unloaded
he cotton at the main warehouse,
where he embarrassed his horses and
ethered them to a hitching post in a
-acant lot near by. In grocery store
cross, the street he secured two small
'oxes into which he put some oats. At
he same store he borrowed a pail and
the horses from a well in the
middle of the street. After this was
lone Abner went into the Johnston
House, built long before the civil war. Il
Abner sauntered into the hotel Office,
nd, approaching the clerks counter in I
corner of the room, he leaned on