Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-06-20
CHAPTER xVIl-continued.
(copyright, By Irving Bachellerl

~
My heart beat fast when saw the
house and my uncle and Purvis 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 Teller by the name o. Bart
Saynes" he demanded.
"Have you?" 1 asked.
mo, sir, / amt. Gosh almighty
Sayl what have ye done with that boy
of our'n?"
what have you done to our house?'
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 roof" he exclaimed as he
grabbed my satchel. Dressed like a
statesman an bigger'n a bullmoose.
I can't 'rastle with you no more. But,
say, I'll run We a race. 1 can beat We
an carry the satchel, too"
We ran pell-mell up the lane to the
steps like a 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
silencel Off in the edge Of the wood
aand heard the fairy flute of a wood
thrush,
''Purvis, you drive that load on the
door an put up the hosses," Uncle
Peabody shouted in a moment. IF
you don't like it you can hire mother
man. I won't do no more till after
dinner. This slave business is played
out"
"All right" Purvis answered.
"You bet it's all right. I'm fer abo-
iition an I've stood your domineerin',
nigger-driver ways long enough fer
one mornin'. If you don't like it you
can look for another man."
Aunt Deel and I began to laugh at
this good-natured, make-believe scold-
ing of Uncle Peabody and the emo
tional strain was over They led me
into the house, where a delightful sur
prise awaited me, for the rooms had
been decorated with balsam boughs
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass of
violets, framed in moss, occupied the
center of the table. The house was
filed with the odors of the forest,
which, as they knew, were dear to me.
had written that they might expect
me some time before noon, but I
begged them not to meet me in Can
ton, as I wished to walk home after
my long ride. So they were ready for
me.
/ remember how they felt the cloth
on my back and how proudly they sur
yeyed 1t.
Couldn't buy them goods round
these parts" said Uncle Peabody.
@'Nor nothin' like 'em-no. sir"
"Feels a leetle bit like the butternut
trousers" said Aunt Deel as she felt
my coat.
"Ayes, but them butternut trousers
amt what they used to be when they
was young and limber," Uncle Peabody
remarked. Seems so they was get
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheaded-
like, specially where 1 set down."
"AyesI Wal 1 guess a man can't
grow old without his pants CROWN
old, too-ayes - said Aunt Deel.
"If yer legs are in 'em ev'ry Sunday
of INV 11naio on
swered. Long sermons are hard on
pants, seems to me-"
AN the longer the legs the harder
the sermons-in them little seats over
t the schoolhouse-ayes !" Aunt Deel
added by way of justifying his COM
plant. There wouldn't be s0S much
wear In ten-mile walk-no~
The chicken pie was baking and the
strawberries were ready for the short
cake.
1--WE been wallerin' since the dew
was off gittin' them berries an VII
aets-ayes said Aunt Deel, now busy
with her work at the stove.
"Aunt, you look as young as ever" I
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said with
mock severity:
"Stop thatl W'yl You know better
-ayesi"
How vigorously she stirred the fire
then.
81 can't return the complimentary
soul ! how you've changed-ayesi" she
remarked.
81 hope you amt fit no more, Bart.
i can't bear to think o. you flynn at
folks an poundin' of 'em. Don't seem
right-no. 1t don'tp
"Why, Aunt Deel. what in the world
do you mean?" I asked.
"It's Purvis' brain that does the
poundin', / guess" said my uncle.
ats kind o. got the habit. It's reg
aar beetle brain. To hear him talk
ye'd think he an you could clean out
the hull Mexican nation-barrin' acci-
dents. Why. anybody would suppose
chat yer enemies 20 to cliInbin' trees