Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-17
.CHAPTED XIV.
(Continued.)

I knew, or thought l knew, why
they had not mentioned my Uncle
Peabody, and was very thoughtful
about It. Suddenly the giant Rod
ney Barnes strobe up to the bar
rel. | remember the lionlike dig
nifty of his face as he turned and
said:
Now, boys. come up here an
stand right right before me, every
one o. YOU"
He ranged them in circle
around the barrel. He stood at the
spigot and filled every cup. Then
he raised his own and said:
II want We to drink TO Peabody
Baynes-one o. the squarest men
that every stood in cowhlde."
They drank the toast-not one of
them would have dared refuse.
Now three cheers for the new
home and every one that lives in it, y
he demanded.
They cheered Justify and went
away.
Uncle Peabody and l put in the
floors and stairway and partitions.
More than once in the days we were
working together l tried TO tell
him what Sally had told me, but my
courage failed.
We moved our furniture. l re-
member that Uncle Peabody called
it "the houseltree." We had creased
paper on the windows for a time
after we moved until the sash came.
, Aunt Deel had made rag carpets
for the parlor and the bedroom
which opened off it. Our windows
looked down into the great valley of
the ST. Lawrence, stretching north
ward thirty miles or more from our
hilltop. A beautiful grove of sugar
naples stood within a stones throw
of the back door.
What a rustic charm in the long
slant of the green hill below us
with it's gray, messy boulders and
lovely thorn trees! 1t was, think,
a brighter, pleasanter home than
that we had left. 1t was built on
the cellar of one burned a few
years before. The old barn was
still there and a little repairing
had made 1t do.
The day came, shortly, when I
had to speak out, and / took the
straight way of my duty as the
needle of the compass pointed 1t
was the end of summer day and
we had watched the dusk fill the
valley and come creeping up the
slant, sinking the boulders and
thorn tops in it's flood, one by one.
AS we sat looking out of the open
door that evening I told them what
Sally had told me of the evil report
which had travelled through the two
towns. Uncle Peabody sat silent
and perfectly motionless for a mo-
ment, looking out into the dusk.
wy of-ell thingsi Amt that an
awful burnin' shame ayes" said
Aunt Deel as she covered her face
with her hand.
Damn, little souled, narrer con-
tracted-" Uncle Peabody, speaking
in a low, sad tone, but with deep
feeling, cut off this highly promis-
ing opinioh before it was half ex-
pressed, and rose and went to the
water pail and drank.
"As long as we're honest we
don't care what they say" he re-
marked as he returned to his
chair.
IF they won't believe us we
ought to show 'em the papers
ayes" said Aunt Deel.
Thunder an Jehu! I wouldn't 60
round the town tryin' to prove
that l amt a thief" said Uncle
Peabody. "It wouldn't make no diff
fer'nce. They've got to nave some-
thin to play with. If they want to
use my name for bean bag let 'em
as long as they do it wheR l amt
iookin'. I wouldn't wonder if they
got sore hands by an by"
I never heard him speak of it
again. Indeed, although 1 knew the
topic was often in our thoughts It
was never mentioned in our home
but once after that, to my knowl-
edge
We sat for a long time thinking
as the night came on. By and by
Uncle Peabody began the hymn in
which we Joined:
ooh, keep my heart from sadness,
God;
Let not its SORROWS Stay