The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-04-03
CHAPTER xIv-continued.
IL
30 saying he handed me this letter /:
Canterbury, VT,

"Dear Sir.-I am interested in the
boy Barton Baynes. Good words about
him have been flying around like
pigeons. When school is out l would
like to hear from you, what is the rec
ord? What do you think of the soul
him? What kind Of work is best
tor it? If you will let me maybe /
'an help the plans of God little. That
my business and yours. Thanking
YOU for reading this, am, as ever.
Goods humble servant,
KATE FULLERTON"
"Why, this is the writing of the ST.
lent Woman l said before had read
the letter half through.
"ROvin' Kate?"
Rowing Kate; never knew her 9TH
er name, but l saw her handwriting
long ago"
But lOok-this is neatly written,
well-worded letter an the sheet is as
white and clean as the new snow. Un-
canny woman! They say she carries
the power o. God in her right hand.
So do all the wronged."
81 wonder why Kate is asking about
me-" l said.
"Never mind the reason. She Is your
friend and let us thank God for 1t.
Think how she came to yer help in the
old barn an say a thousand prayers,
my lad"
Having come to the first flight of
the uplands, he left me with many q
kind word-how much they mean to
boy who is choosing his way with q
growing sense Of loneliness
l reached the warm welcome of our
little home just in time for dinner.
They were expecting me and 1t was a
regular company dinner-chicken pie
and strawberry shortcake.
How well l remember that hour with
the doors open and the sun shining
brightly on the blossOming fields and
The Joy of man and bird and beast in
the return OF summer and the talk
about the late visit of Alma Jones and
Mr.. and Mrs. Lincoln!
While we were eating l told them
about the letter of old Kate.
"Fullerton!" Aunt Deel exclaimed.
Are We sure that was the name, Bart?"
Eyes"
Goodness gracious sakes alive y
She and Uncle Peabody gave each
other looks of surprised inquiry.
"Do you know anybody by that
nameY l asked.
"We used to-" said Aunt Deel as she
resumed her eating. Cant be she's
uhe o. the Sam Fullertons, can it?"
body. Back East thcy's more Fuller
tons than we could shake stick at
! A week later we had our raising.
Uncle Peabody did not want public
raising. but Aunt Deel had had her
way. We had hewed and mOrtised and
bored the timbers for our new home.
The neighbors came with pixies and
helped to raise and stay and cover
them. A great amount of human kind
ness went into the beams and rafters
Of that home and of others like it. l
knew that The Thing was still alive
In the neighborhoOd, but even that
coVid not paralyze the helpful hands of
thNse people. Indeed, what was said
OF my Uncle Peabody was nothing
inpre or less than kind Of conversa-
tiOnal frewOod. / cannot think that
any one really believed it.
We had cheerful day. A barrel Of
hard cider had been set up in the door
yard. and remember that some drank
Ii too freely. The he-o-hee of the men
as they lifted on the pixies and the
| sound OF the hammer and beetle rang
in the air from morning until night.
Mrs. Rodney Barnes and Mrs. Dorothy
came to help Aunt Deel with the cook
ing and great dinner was served on
an improvised table in the dooryard,
where the stove was set up. The
shingles and sheathes and clapbCard
were on before the day ended.
Uncle Peabody and / put In the
floors and stairway and partitions.
More than once in the days we were
working together tried to tell him
what Sally had told me, but my cour-
age failed.
Tho day came. shortly, when / 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
np the slant, sinking the powders and
thorn tops In its flood, one by one. AS
we sat looking out of the open door
that evening / told them what Sally
had told me of the evil report which
had travelled through the two towns.
Damn, little souled, narrer con-
tracted-" Uncle Peabody, speaking In
q low. sad tone, but with deep feeling.
cut off this highly promising opinion
before It was half expressed, and rose
and went to the water pail and drank.
"As long as we're honest we don't
care what they say" he remarked as
he returned to his chair.
"If they won't believe us, we ought
to show 'em the papers-ayes." said
Amt 'l.eI.