The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-04-25

stopped an p'inted at my house
through the winder an KEEP p'intin'
Tom come over an said he ca'llated
the squire wanted to see me. So ]
went there. Kate met me at the door
Gosh How old an kind o. broke down
she looked! But knew her the min
ute / set my eyes on her-uh huh-an
she knew me-yis, sir-she smiled an
tears come to her eyes an she patted
my hand like she wanted to tell me
that she hadn't forgot, but she never
said word-not word. The oil
squire had the palsy, so t he couldn't
use his hands an his throat was para.
lyzed-cOuldn't speak nor nothin,
Where do We suppose he was when ]
found him?"
SIN bed?" asked.
mo, sir-nO, street He was In hell
that's where he was-reg'lar oil fash.
Toned, dOwn-east hell, burnin' with fire
an brimstun, that he'd had the agency
for an had recommended to every sin
ner in the neighborhood. He was set
tin in his room. God o. Isr'el! You
Orto "a seen the motions he made with
his hands an the way he tried to
speak when l went in there, but all
could hear was jest long yell an a
kind of rattle I'm his throat. Heavens
an airth how desperit he tried to
spit out the thing that was gnawin'
his vitals. Ag'in an ag'in he'd try to
hnx 1,
"All to once it come acrost me what
he wanted-quick as We could say scat.
lie wanted to have Rates headstun
took down an put away-that's what
he wanted. The stun was kind o. lay
in on his stummick an painin' of him
day an night. He couldn't STAN it.
He knew that he was goin' to die purity
soon an that Kate would come here
an see 1t an that everybody would
see her standin' here by her own grave,
an 1t worried him. 1t was kind o. like
Il fire in his belly.
~ guess, too he couldn't bear the
idee of layin' down fer his las sleep
beside that hell hole he'd dug fer Kate
no, sir!
"Wal, We know, mister, ies' shook
my head an never let on that I knew
what he meant an let him wiggle an
twist like a worm on a hot griddle, an
heller like cut bull It'll he fell back in
swOon.
damn him! 1t don't give him no
rest. He tries to tell everybody he
xx,ha 10 no
lers day an night an If you go down
there he'll heller to you an you'll know
what it's about but the others don't.
"You an me are the only ones that
knows the secret, guess. Some day,
fore he dies, I'm goin' to take up that
headstun an hide it, but he'll never
know it's done-nO. sir-not It'll ne
gifts to the judgment seat, anyway"
The old man rose and Strengthened
himself and blew out his breath and
brushed his hands upon his trousers
by way of stepping down into this
world again out of the close and dusty
loft of his memory. But l called him
back.
what has become of EnOch?" I
asked.
bout three year ago an we amt heard
word from him since that day-nary
word, mister. suppose we will some
time. He grew into a good man, but
there was kind of queer streak in
the blood, as We might say, on both
n, LOT nttt
to Wisconsin, where he was p'intin'
for, an to places on the way, but we
can't git no news bout him. Mebbe
he was killed by the Injuns."
We walked out of the graveyard to-
gether in silence.
I could see q glimmer of light in
the thicket Of pines down the valley.
unhitched and mounted my horse.
stake the first turn to the right"
said the old man as he picked up his
scythe.
"Fm very much obliged to you,"
said.
mo We amt, nuther," he answered
"Leastways there amt no reason why
We should be-"
My horse, impatient as ever to find
the end of the road, hurried me along
and in moment or two we were down
under the pine grove that surrounded
the house of old Squire Fullerton-a
big, stone house with a graveled road
around 1t. A great black dog came
barking and growing at me from the
front porch. rode around the house
and he followed. Beyond the windows
/ could see the CLEAN of candlelight
and moving figures. A man came out
of the back door as l neared it.
"Who's there?' he demanded.
"My name is Barton Baynes from
st. Lawrence county. Kate Fullerton
is my friend and wish to see her."
"Come up to the steps, sor. Don't
git off yer horse-'til I've chained the
dog. Kate'll be out in n minute"
He chained the dog to the hitching
post and as he did so a loud, long,
wailing cry broke the silence of the
house. 1t put me in mind of the com.