The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-05-02


poundln'. guess" said my uncle.
ITS kind o. got the habit. It's reg
lar beetle brain. To hear him talk
ye'd think he an you could clean out
the hull Mexican nation--barrin' acct
dents. Why. anybody would suppose
that yer enemies 60 to climbin' trees
as soon as they see We comm an that
you pull the trees up by the roots to
git at EN-"
"A certain amount of such deviltry
Is necessary to the comfort of Mr..
Purvis," ! remarked. "If there is no.
body else to take the responsibility
for 1t he assumes II himself. His mag
ination has an intense craving for
blood and violence. It's that type of
American who, egged on by the slave
power, is hurrying us into trouble
with Mexico"
Purvis came In presently with a
look In his face which betrayed his
knowledge Of the fact that all the cob
webs spun by his fancy were now to
be brushed away. Still he enjoyed
them while they lasted and there was
a kind Of tacit claim In his manner
that they were subjects regarding
which no honest man could be expect.
ed to tell the truth.
AS We ate our dinner they told me
that an escaped slave had come into
a neighboriing county and excited the
people with stories of the auction
block and of negroes driven like yoked
oxen on plantations in South Carolina,
whence he had escaped on a steam
boat.
Il b'lieve I'm goin' to vote for abo.
lition," said Uncle Peabody. 81 Won
der what Sile Wright will say to that"
Hell probably advise against it; the
time isn't ripe for so great a change"
was my answer. "He thinks that the
whole matter should be left to the gla.
cial action Of times forces"
Indeed l had spoken the view of
the sOunder men of the North. The
subject filed them with dread alarm,
But the attitude Of Uncle Peabody
was significant. The sentiment In ia.
vor of change was growing. 1t was
now to be reckoned with, for the abo.
lition party was said to hold the bal.
ance of power in New York and New
England and was behaving itself like
bull in q china shop.
After dinner I tried to put on some
Of my old clothes, but found that my
nakedness had so expanded that they
would not cover 1t, so I hitched my
white mare on the spring wagon and
drove to the village for my trunk.
Every week day after that l worked
In the fields until the senator arrived
in Canton about the middle of August.
On one Of those happy days I received
a letter from old Kate, dated, to my
surprise, In Saratoga. 1t said:
"Dear Barton Baynes: I thought
would let you know that my father is
dead. / have come here to rest and
have found some work to do. I am bet.
ter now. Have seen Sally. She is very
beautiful and kind. She does not know
that am the old witch, have changed
so. The others d. not know-it is
better that way. I think 1t was the
Lord that brought me here. He has
way of taking care Of some people
my boy. Do you remember when be
gan to call you my boy-you were very
little. 1t Is long. long ago since first
saw you in your fathers dooryard-
you said you were going to mill on q
butterfly's back. You looked just as
thought my boy would look. You gave
me a kiss. What wonderful gift II
was to me then began to love you.
I have no one else to think of now. ]
hope you won't mind my thinking SO
much Of you.
"God bless you,
KATE FULLERTON"
understood now why the stronq
will and singular insight Of this won.
an had so often exercised themselves
In my behalf. I could not remember
the far day and the happy circum.
stance of which she spoke, but wrote
her letter which must have warmed
her heart am sure.
Silas Wright arrived In Canton and
drove up to our home. He reached
our door at eight In the morning with
his hound and rifle. He had aged rap.
idly since had seen him last. His
hair was almost white. There were
many new lines In his face. He
seemed more grave and dignified. he
did not lapse into the dialect of his
fathers when he spoke Of the ancient
pestimes of hunting and fishing as he
had been wont to do.
"Bart." he said when the greetings
were over, "let's you and me 60 and
spend day In the woods. I'll leave
my man here to help your uncle while
you're gone"
We went by driving south a few
miles and tramping in to the foot of
the saltwater on our rivera trail
long familiar to me. The dog left us
soon after we took 1t and began to
range over thick wooded hills. We sa.
down among small, spirelike spruces
at the rivers edge with long stretch
Of water in sight while the music of
the hounds voice came family to our
ears from the distant forest.
ooh, I've been dreaming of this for
n long time," said the senator as he
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