Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-01
CHAPTER XVIII.
(Continued.)

81 bIfeve I'm goin' to vote Tor
abolition" said Uncle Peabody.
wonder what Sile Wright will say
to that" =.
Hell probably advise against It,
the time isn't ripe for so great a
change" was my answer. ne
thinks that, the whole matter should
be left to the glacial action OF
times forces"
Indeed / had spoken the view OF
the sounder men of the north. III
subject filled them with dread
alarm. But the attitude or Uncle
Peabody was significant. The sent
iment in favor of a change was
growing. 1t was now to be recK-
oned with, for the abolition party
was said to hold the balance OF
mower in New York and New Eng
land and was behaving itself IKE
bull in a china shop.
After dinner l tried to put on
some of my old clothes, but found
that nv nakedness had so expand
ed that they would not cover 1t, so
i hitched my white mare on the
spring wagon and drove to the VII
Iage for my trunk.
Every day after that | worked in
the fields until the senator arrived
in Canton about the middle OF Au-
gust. On one of those happy days
l received a letter from old Kate,
dated, to my surprise, in Saratoga.
1t said:
Dear Barton Baynes: I thought
I would let you know that my Ia
Their is dead. | have come here 10
rest and have found some work TO
do. / am better. now. Have seen
Sally. She is very beautiful and
kind. She does not know that | am
the old witch, | have changed SO.
The others do not know-it is bet
ter that way. 1 think it was the
Lord that brought me here. He has
way of taking care of some peo-
pie, my boy. Do you remember
when l began to call you my boy
you were very little. 1t is long,
long ago since I first saw you IN
your fathers dooryard-you said
YOU were going to mill on a butter
fly's back. You looked just as l
thought my boy would look. You
gave me a kiss. What a wonder
full gift it was to me then. I be-
gan to love you. l have no one
else to think of now. 1 hope you
won't mind my thinking so much of
you. God bless you,
yKATE FULLERTON"
understood now why the strong
will and singular insight of this
woman had so often exercised
themselves in my behalf. 1 could
not remember the far day and the
happy circumstance of which she
spoke, but / wrote her a letter
which must have warmed her heart
l am sure.
Silas Wright arrived in Canton
and drove up to our home. He
reached our door at in the morning
with his hound and rife. He had
aged rapidly since l had seen him
last. His hair was almost white.
There were many new lines in his
face. He seemed more grave and
dignifed. He did not lapse into the
dialect of his fathers when he
spoke of the ancient pastimes of
hunting and fishing as he had been
wont to do.
Bart" he said, when the greet
ings were over, lets you and me
go and spend day in the woods.
I'll leave my man here to help your
uncle while you're gone"
We went by driving south a few
miles and tramping in to the foot
of the saltwater on our rivera
trail long familiar to me. The dog
left us soon afte we took it and be-
gan to range over thick wooded
hills. We sat down among small,
spire-like spruces at the rivers
edge with a long stretch of water
in sight while the music of the
hounds voice came family to our
ears from the distant forest.
"Oh, I've been dreaming of this
for a long time" said the senator
as he leaned back against a tree
and filled his lungs and looked out
upon the awter. green with lily
pads along the edge and flecked
with the last of the white blossoms.
81 believe you want to leave this
lovely country"
81 am waiting for the call to CO."
1 said.