Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-31
The Light in
the CLEARING
Bv IRVING BA CHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-MerrIn Co.

, enough fer one mornin'. II you
don't like it you can look for an
other man"
Aunt Deel and / began IN laugh
at this good Datured, make-beIieve
scolding Of Uncle Peabody and the
emotional strain was over They
led me into the house where a de-
lightful surprise awaited me for
the rooms had been decorated with
balsam boughs and sweet ferns. A
glowing mass Of yiolets, framed In
moss, occupied the center Of the ia
BILE. The house was filed with the
odors of the forest, which, as they
knew, we're dear TO me. I had
written that they might expect me
some time before noon. but I had
begged them not to meet me In
Canton, as / wished 10 walk home
after my long ride. So they were
ready for me.
l remember how they felt the
cloth on my back and how proudly
they surveyed it.
Couldn't buy them goods round
these parts, said Uncle Peabody.
Nor nothin' like 'em-no, sir
Feels a leetle bit like the but
ternut trousers" said Aunt Deel as
she felt my coat.
AYE, but them butternut trous-
ers amt what they used 70 be when
they was young an timber" Uncle
Peabody remarked. Seems so they
was gettin' kind o. wrinkled an
haldheaded like. specially where I
set down"
Ayes! Wal l guess a man can't
grow old without his pants CROWN
old, too-ayes said Aunt Deel.
IF yer legs are in EN- ev'ry Sun
day they ketch it of we, my uncle
answered. Long sermons are hard
ON pants, seems TO me-"
An the longer the legs the hard
er the sermons-in them little seats
over 7 the schoolhouse - ayes"
Aunt Deel addeded by way Of justi-
flying his complaint. There
wouldn't be so much weaf in a ten
mile walk-noi'
I've been wallerin' since the
dew was off gittin' them berries an
vi'lets-ayes," said Aunt Deel. now
busy with her work ar the stove.
Aunt you look as young as ever.
l remarked.
She slapped my arm and said
with mock severity:
stop that! Wy! You know
better-ayes,"
Il can't return the compliment
my soul, how you've changed -
ayes!" she remarked. q hope YOU
amt fit no more, Bart. | can't bear
TO think o you film at folks an
poundin' of EN- Don't seem right
no, it DON'T"
why, Aunt Deel, what in the
world do you mean" I asked.
It's Purvis's brain that does the
poundin', l guess" said my uncle
It's kind o. got the habit. rs q
regular beetle brain. To hear him
talk, ye'd think he an you could
clean out the hull Mexican nation
barrin' accidents. Why, anybody
would suppose that yer enemies go
to climbin' trees as soon as they see
ye comm an that you pull the
trees up by the roots to git at
EN-"
"A certain amount OF such devil
try is necessary TO the comfort OF
Mr.. PurVis," | remarked. IF there
il nobody else TO take the respOnA-
bility for il he assumes it himself
His imagination has an intense
craving for blood and violence. It's
that type OF American who. eEged
on by the slave power, is hurrying
US into trouble with Mexico
Puryis came in presently with a
look on his face which betrayed his
knowledge of the fact that all the
cobwebs spun by his fancy were
now TO be brushed away Still he
enjoyed them while they lasted
and there was kind OF tacit claim
in his manner that there were sub
jects regarding which no honest
man could be expected to tell the
truth.
AS we ate our dinner they told
me that an escaped slave had
come into a neighborinE county and
excited the people with stories Of
the auction block and OF negroes
driven like yoked oxen on p'anta-
tions in South Carolina, whence he
had escaped on a steamboat
CONTINUED Tomorrow