American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-25
CHAPTER xvII-cOntlnued.
(copyrlght, BY Irving BachelIerl

Ny heart beat fast when | saw the
house and my uncle and Purvls coming
I'm 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 Pen
body came down the standard off his
Ioad and walked toward me.
"Say, stranger, have you seen any
thing of a Teller by the name o Bart
Baynes2" he demanded.
slave your" | asked.
"No, sir, / amt. Gosh almighty
Say what have ye done with that boy
of our'n2"
"whnt hive you done to our houseH"
l asked again.
HBullt on an addition"
THAT'S what I've done to your boy"
l answered.
"Thunder an llghtnln'i How you've
raised the roof r. he exclaimed rs he
grabbed my satchel. Dressed like II
statesman an bigger'n n bullm0ose.
| cant 'rnstle with you no more. But,
say, I'll run ye n rnce. | can beat ye
an curry 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 q
~silencel or In the edge of the wood
land | heard the fairy flute of u wood
thrush,
"purvls, you drive that load on tho
floor nm put up the hosses," Uncle
Peabody shouted In n moment. 81
you don't like il you can hire 'notheI
man. / won't do no more till nfte
dinner. This slave business Is playe'
out"
'All right" Purvls answered.
"You bet It's all right. Pm fer abe
lltlon an I've stood Your domlneerln
nigger-drlver ways long enough fe
one mornln'. If you don't like It 20
can look for another man."
Aunt Deel and | began to laugh Il
this good-natured, mnke-believe scolC
Ing of Uncle Peabody and the enc
tlonal strain was over. They led m
into the house, where II delightful SUI
prise awaited me, for the rooms In
been decorated with bnlsnm bougl
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass
v%lolets, framed In moss, occupied III
center of the table. The house WI
filled with the odors of the fores
which, as they knew, were dear TO m,
] had written that they might cSpct
mo some time before noon, but
begged them not to meet me In CnI
ton, as l wished to walk home nft,
my long ride. SO they We're ready Il
me.
l remember how they felt the eliot
on my back and how proudly they su
yeyed Il.
"Couldn't buy them goods 'rour
these parts" said Uncle Peubod
"Nor nuthln' like 'em-no, sir"
"Feels a leetle bit like the butternl
trousers" said Aunt Deel rs she fc
my coat.
"Ayes, but them butternut trousc
aln't what they used to be when til,
was young and Timber" Uncle penboI
remarked. "Seems so they was 80
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheadc
like, specially where / set down."
"Ayesl Wa l guess n n car
grow old without his pants growl
old, too-ayesl' said Aunt Deel.
III yer legs are IN EN- ev'ry Sundi
they ketch It of ye," my uncle Il
swered. "Long sermons are hard
pants, seems to me-"
"An' the longer the legs the hard
the sermons-ln them little seats oy
I the schoolhouse-ayes l" Aunt ID,
added by way OF justlfylng his co
plant. ''rhero wouldn't be so mu
wear In n ten-mlle walk-nol'
The chicken pie was baking and {
strawberries were ready for the sho
cake.
'Tye been wallerln' since the d
wGs off glttln' them berries an
lets-ayesr said Aunt Deel, now br
with her work at the stove.
"Aunt. you look us young NJ ever,
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said W
mock severity:
"stop thatl w'yl You know bet
ayes"
How vigorously she stirred the
then.
II can't return the compliment
soul how you've chaLgcd-ayes |"
remarked.
II hope you aln't At no more, II;
! can't bear to think o. you lyln'
folks an poundln' OF 'em. Don't sc
rIght-no. II don'tl"
"Why, Aunt Deel, what In the VIC
do you meanT" l asked.
"It's Puryis' brain that does
poundln'. | guess" said my un
"It's kind o. got the habit. It's a r
lar beetle brain. To hear him I
ye'd think he an you could clean
the hull Mexican natlon-barrin' a
dents. Why, anybody would supp
that yer enemies so to cllmbln' II