The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-06-19
BY
IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright, by Irving Bachellerl
CHAPTER xViI-continued.

IL
My heart beat fast when I saw the
house and my uncle and Purv,s coming
In from the twenty-acre lot with a
load Of hay. Aunt Deel stood on the
front steps looking down the road.
Now and then her waving handker-
chief went to her eyes. Uncle Pea
body came down the standard Off his
load and walked toward me.
"Say. stranger. have you seen any
thing of n feller by the name O. Bart
Baynes2" he demanded.
"Have your asked.
"No, sir, amt. Gosh Almighty
6ayi what have ye done with that boy
Of our'n2"
"what have you done to our housef"
! asked again.
Built on an addition"
"That's what I've done to your boy"
] answered.
"Thunder an lightnin'i How you've
raised the roofl" he exclaimed rs he
grabbed my satchel. Dressed like n
statesman an bigger'n a bullmoose.
can't 'rastle with you no more. But,
say, I'll run ye race. / can beat ye
an carry the satchel, toO."
We ran pell-mell up the lane to the
steps like pair Of children.
Aunt Deel did not speak. She Just
put her arms around me and laid her
Gear old head upon my breast. Uncle
Peabody turned away. Then what a
silencei on In the edge Of the wood
land heard the fairy flute Of wood.
thrush.
"Purvis, you drive that load on the
floor an put up the hosses." Uncle
Peabody shouted in a moment. III
you don't like 1t you can hire mother
man. won't do no more till after
dinner. This slave business Is played
out"
IAN right" Purvis answered.
"You bet it's all right. I'm fer abo
lition an I've stood your domineerin'
nigger-driver ways long enough fel
one rnornin'. II you don't like 1t yol
can look for another man."
Aunt Deel and began to laugh a
this goOd-natured. make-believe scold
ing Of Uncle Peabody and the emo
tional strain was over. They led M
into the house, where delightful sur
prise awaited me, for the rooms ha,
been decorated with balsam b0ugh
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass o
violets, framed In moss. occupied tn
center Of the table. The house wa
filled with the odors of the forest
which. as they knew, were dear to me
I had written that they might expec
me some time before noon. but
begged them not to meet me In Car
ton, as I wished to walk home afte
my long ride. So they were ready 70
me.
remember how they felt the clot
on my back and how proudly they sui
veyed It.
Couldn't buy them goods 'roun
these parts" said Uncle Peabod!
~Nor nothin' like 'em--no. sir"
'Feels leetle bit like the butternu
trousers" said Aunt Deel as she fe
my coat
"Ayes, but them butternut trousel
amt what they used to be when the
was young and limber," Uncle Peabod
remarked. "Seems SO they was ge
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheadet
like, specially where set down."
"Ayesl Wal / guess a man can
grow old without his pants, growil
old, too-ayes I" said Aunt Deel.
'If yer legs are In 'em ev'ry Sunda
they ketch 1t Of ye." my uncle al
swered. "Long sermons nre hard G
pants, seems to me-"
"An' the longer the legs the hard,
the sermons-ln them little seats ov,
I the choolhouse-ayesl" Aunt De
added by way of justifying his cor
pIaint. "There wouldn't be SO mut
wear In ten-mile walk--nol"
The chicken pie was baking and Il
strawberries were ready for the shor
cake.
"Ive been wallerln' since the de
was on gittin' them berries an "
Iets--ayes |" said Aunt Deel. now bui
with her work at the stove.
"Aunt. you look as young as ever"
remarked.
She Slapped my arm and said vii
mock severity:
"Stop thatl W'yl You know bett
--ayesw
How vigorously she stirred the a
then. :.
II can't return the cempliment-n
souli how you've changed-ayes!" 81
remarked.
= II hope you aIn't at no more. Bal
can't bear to think o. you fiyin'
folks an poundin' of 'em. Don't see
right-no, 1t dOn'tw
"why. Aunt Deel. what In the wor
do you meanT asked.
"It's Purvls' brain that does Z
pOundin'. I guess" said my unc
"Its kind O. got the habit. It's re-
lar beetle brain. To hear him to
ye'd think he an you could. clean 0
the hull Mexican nation-barrin' &C
denta Why. anybody would suppo
ehnt vap onomlea 10 tO cliInhlns tire