The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-02-27

one O. the Sam Fullertons, can it7''
"Oh, prob1y not" said Uncle Pea
body. "Back East they's more Fuller
tons than ye could shake a stick at"
A week later we had our raising.
Uncle Peabody did not want a public
raising, but Aunt Deel had had her
way. We had hewed and mortised and
bored the timbers for our new home.
The n%eighbors 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. |
knew that The Thing was still alive
In the neighborhOOd, but even that
could not paralyZe the helpful hands Of
those people. Indeed. what was said
or my Uncle Peabody was nothing
more Or less then a kind Of conversa-
tonal irewood. ! cannot think that
any one really believed 1t.
We had d cheerful day. A barrel of
hard cider had Seen set up In the door
yard. and | remember that some drank
IL too freely. The he-o-hee Of the men
as they lifted on the pixies and the
s0und 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 a great dinner was served on
all ~improvlsed table In the dOoryard
where the stove was set up. The
shingles and sheathes and ~clapboard
were on before the day ended.
Uncle Peabody and l 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.
The day came. shortly, when | haze
to speak out, and / took the straight
way Of my duty as the needle OF the
compass pointed. 1t was the end Of
a summer day and we had watched the
dusk fill the valley and come creeping
up the slant, sinking the powders and
thorn tops in It's food, 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
a low, sad tone, but with deep feeling.
cut Off this highly promising opinion
before 1t was half expressed, and rose
n 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 EN- the papers-ayes," said
Aunt Deel.
Thunder an Jehul l wouldn't go
round the town tryin' to prove that ]
amt a thief" said Uncle Peabody. 1T
wouldn't make nc Difference. They've
got to have somethin' to play with.
II they want to use my name for a
bean bag let 'em as long as they do II
when ! amt loOkin'. / wouldn't won.
der II they got sore hands by an by"
I never heard hin speak Of 1t again.
Indeed, although I knew the topic was
often In III thoughts 1t was never
mentioned In u home but once after
that. to my knowledge.
We sat for a long time thinking as
the night came on.
That week a letter came to me from
the senator, announcing the day of
Mrs. Wright's arrival in Canton and
asking me to meet and assist her In
getting the house to rights. l did so.
She was a pleasant-faced, amiable
woman and a most e%nterprising house