Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-04-19


fish, myself; but Maxwell has o per
fsct right to look for the honest ful-
fillment Of q contract made between
you and him. Didn't I hear you tell
that farmer that he was q dunn fool
n he thought that q contract made b.
tween two parties is not legally bind.
ing, and that II you fulfilled your part
he must pay for your services or you
would sue himI Do you suppose that
. contract with carpenter or .
plumber or q mason is binding, while
. contract with a clergyman is noti
What is the matter with you anyway"
Bascom made NO reply. but turned
his back towards Hepsey and started
to write. She resumed:
"Donald Maxwell's salary IL going
TO be paid him in fall within the next
two weeks or"
Mrs. Burke came to a sudden silence
I'D after q moment or two Bascom
l5M., -ound and inquired sarcas-
NraHr.
aDr sip
~, continued to knit In silence
for while, her face working in her
effort to gain control Of herself and
speak calmly.
"Now see here, Sylvester Bascom:
I didn't come here to have . scene
with you, and II knit like was fuss
cd, you must excuse me-"
Her needles had been flashing light
ming, and truth to tell, Bascom, for
all he dreaded Hepsey's sharp tongue
as nothing else in Durford, had been
unable to keep his eyes off those an.
cry bits of sparkling steel. Suddenly
they stopped-dead. The knittins
fell into Hepsey's lap, and she sat for
ward-a pair Of kindly, moist eyer
searching the depths of Bascom's, as
he looked up at her. Her voice drop
ped to lower tone as she continued:
"There's been just one person, and
one person only, that's ever been able
to keep the best of you on top and
she was my best friend, your wife.
She kept you human, and turned even
the worst side Of you to some account.
II you did scrape and grub, most night
day, to make your pile, and was
on those that crossed your path
doin' of it, it was she that show
yu )u there was pleasure IN usin' II
for others as well as for yourself, and
while she lived you did it. But since
to keep his face firm and his glance
steady but in vain-he winced,-"sinco
she's been gone, the human in you's
dried up like sun baked apple. And
IT'S you, Sylvester Bascom, that's been
made the most miserable, spite of all
little carks you've put on many an
other"
His face hardened again, and Hep
sey paused.
What has all this to do with Mr.
Maxwell, may / ask?"
I'm comm to that" continued Hep
sey, patiently. "If Mary Bascom wert
alive today, would the rector of Dur
ford be livin' in tent instead of il
the rectory-the house she though
she had given over, without mortgage
or anything else, to the church? AnC
would you be holdin' back your sub
scription to the church, and seein' tht
others held back too? / never though
you'd have done, when she was dead
'Ibat'd have broken her heart if she
been liyin'. The church was her on,
great interest in life, after her hus
band and her daughter; and 1t wa
her good work that brought The paris
y make you Senior Warden. Afte,
Ia nd %
NV house, just before she died, sh,
Avs the old house, that was herr
um her father. to the church, ant
Du were to make the legal transfeI
It. Then she died suddenly, ant
ou delayed and claimin,
he house as yours, and at last solt
y to us subject to the mortgage"
The old man stirred uneasily in hi
shair.
"This is all quite beside the mark
What might have been proper to do Il
my wife's life time became a differ
ent matter altogether after her death
had my daughters welfare to thin
Of: besides"
'Im not talkin' about your lega
right. But you know II you q wanted t
have it. you could have got your II
terest on the mortgage quick enough
II you hadn't held back on his salary
others wouldn't have; or IL they hat
you could have got after 'em. What
the use of tryin' to mix each other up
You couldn't keep Maxwell In you
,ocket. and because he didn't come {
you every day for orders you reckone
- turn him out of the parish. You'y
not one thing against him. and @
know 1t, Sylvester Bascom. He's s.,g
you every kind OF respect as r
Tor Warden, and more PATTI ,na
you deserved, He let him sr'f 30.
had himself-bled. save
But instead ofomakingy him
young friend you could have tu ge
maxim yourself of real use you
town and your neighbors through hH
and his work. you've let the d "f
into you; and when your tfr4r
come, you'd got to where you