Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-23
The Light IN
the CLEARING
BY IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs-M Merrill Co.

: Eyes" / answered with M
thought Of my imprudence.
Say, young man, by hockey net
tie l advise you 70 turn right
around and go back"
Why"
Cause If ye try to serve any
writs ven git into trouble"
That's interesting" 7 answered
II am not seeking a quarrel, but
do want to see how the people feel
about the payment of their rents"
Say, mister. look down into that
valley there" the stranger began.
See all them houses they're the
little houses o. the poor. See how
smooth the land is2 Who built
them houses? Who cleaned that
land? Was it Mr.. Livingston? By
hockey nettie! l guess not The
men who live there built the houses
an cleaned the land. We amt got
nothin' else-not dollar. It's all
gone to the landlord. l am for the
men who made every rod o. that
land an who own not a single rod
of tiff Years an years ago a king
gave it to a man who never cut one
tree or laid one stone oa another.
The deeds say that we must pay a
rent o so many bushels o wheat a
year but the land is no good for
wheat, an amt been for a hundred
years. Why, We see, mister, a good
many things have happened In
three hundred years. The land was
willin' to. give wheat then an q
good many folks was willin' to be
slaves. BY hockey nettiei they had
got used to it. Kings an magis-
trates an slavery didn't look so bad
to 'em as they do now. Our brains
have changed that's what's the
changed. We want to be free like
other folks in this country. Amer
lea has growed up around us but
here we are livin' back in old Hol-
land three hundred years ago. II
don't set good. We see lots o. peo-
pie that don't have to be slaves.
They own their land an they amt
worked any harder than we have or
been any more savin' That's why
| say we cant pay the rents no
more an We mustn't try TO make
us. BY hockey nettie. You'll have
trouble if We do"
The truth had flashed upon me
out of the words of this simple
man; Until then l had heard only
one side of the case. If | were to
be the servant of justice, as Mr..
Wright had advised, what was I to
do? These tenants had been Grim
shaved and were being Grimshawed
out of the just fruits of their toll
by the feudal chief whose remote
ancestor had been a kings favorite.
For half a moment I watched the
wavering needle OF my compass
and then:
IF what you say is true I think
you are right" l said.
Il don't agree with you" said
young Latour. "The PATRONS have
a clear title to this land. II the
tenants don't want to pay the rents
they ought to get out and make way
for others"
Look here, young man, my
name is Josiah Curtis" said the
stranger. Il live in the first house
on the right-hand side O. the road.
You may tell the Judge that I won't
pay rent no more-not as long as
I live-and l won't git out either"
"Mr. Latour, you and Purvis may
go on slowly-Ill overtake you
soon," l said.
They went on and left me alone
with Curtis. He was getting eXcit-
ed and l wished to allay his fears.
Don't let him try 10 serve no
writs or therell be hell to pay in
this valley" said Curtis.
In that case / shall not try to
serve the writs. ! don't want to
stir up the neighborhOod, but
want to know the facts. | shall
try to see other tenants and report
what they say. II may lead to
settlement"
We went on together TO the top
of the hill near which We had been
standing. Far ahead | saw a cloud
of dust but no other sign Of La
tour and Purvis. They must have
spurred their horses into a run.
The fear came to me that Latour
would try to serve the writs in
spite of me. They were in his
pocket. What fool I had been not
to call for them My companion
saw the look OF concern ~ my face.