The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-10-11
CHAPTER XIV.
/ Use My Own Compass at Fork In
the Road.
49,

Va LAiC JOhh5 tAiO1N 4etJ -
Mr.. Wright came up for days fish,
ing in July. My uncle and took him
up the river.
While we ate our luncheon he de-
scribed Jackson and spoke Of the fai
nous cheese which he had kept on q
table in the vestibule of the White
House for his callers. He described
his fellow senators-Webster, Clay,
Rives, Calhoun and Benton. remem.
Der that Webster was, in his view, the
least Of them, although at his best the
greatest orator. We had a delightful
day, and when ! drove back to the VI
lage with him that night he told me
that could go into the Office of Wriglt
& Baldwin after harvesting.
"It will do for start" he said. -
little later shall try to find a BETTE
place for you"
My life went on with little in 4
worth recording until the letter camd
I speak of it as "the letter." because
Of it's effect upon my career. 1t wal
lEOlu kodllys anu ~ Sdlus tfsV
"Dear Bart: It's all over for I0ns
time, perhaps forever that will d@
pend on you. / shall be true to yo}
If you really love me, even IL I have y
wait many, many years. Mother am
father saw and read your letter. Thg
say we are too young to be thinking
about love and that we have got y
stop it. How can stop it? guessf
would have to stop living. But V
shall have to depend upon our me1t
cries now. I hope that yours is 4
good as mine. Father says no mob
letters without his permission, and p
stamped his foot so hard that thiE
he must have made dent in the fIod
Talk about slavery-what do you thiK
of that? Mother says that we nut
wait--that it would make father !
great deal Of trouble If it were know
that I allowed you to write. I gu%
the soul of old Grimshaw is still II
lowing you. Well, we must stretch d
| that lovely day as far as we can. p
| the third Of June, 1874, we shall 3D.
| be twenty -one-and I suppose that Ne
Tcsssa.-1 lcss.ssss we 1ITease then. The ~
is long way off, but / will agree (
meet you that day at eleven in til
morning under the old pine on til
river where I met you that day ali
you told me that you loved me. Il
either or both should die our souls Wi
know where to find each other. a
you will solemnly promise, write the5
words and only these to my motherI
Amour omnia vincit, but do not sid
your name.
"SALLY."
What a serious matter it seemed t
me then! I remember that it CAV,
Time rather slow foot. wrote tht
words very neatly and plainly on
sheet Of paper and mailed it to Mrs
Dunkelberg. I wondered If Sally woult
stand firm, and longed to know til,
secrets of the future. More than eve
| was resolved to be the principal wit
ness in some great matter, as m,
friend in Ashery lane had put 1t.
I was eight months with Wright &
Baldwin when I was offered clerk
ship in the office of Judge Westbrook
at Cobleskill, in Schoharie county, al
two hundred year and my board.
knew not then just how the offer haG
come, but knew that the senator must
have recommended me. I know now
that he wanted q reliable witness OF
the rent troubles which were growing
acute in Schoharie, Delaware and Co.
lumbia counties.
| 1t was trial to go SO far from
home, as Aunt Dee1 put 1t, but both my
aunt and uncle agreed that 1t was '.for
the best"
How 1t wrung my heart, when Mr.
Purvis and got into the stage at Can.
ton, to see my aunt and uncle standing
BY the front wheel looking up at me,
How old and lonely and forlorn they
looked Aunt Deel had her purse in
her hand. / remember how she took a
dollar out of It'll suppose It was the
only dollar she had--and looked at II
a moment and then handed 1t up to
me.
@Ygn better take 1t, she said. sTm
'fraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembledI
nave always kept that dollar.
lcouldn't see them as we drove away.
The judge received me kindly and
gave Puryis q Job in his garden.
was able to take his dictation In sound
hand and spent most Of my time in
taking down contracts and correspond
ence and drafting them into proper
form, which had the knack of doing
rather neatly. I was impressed by the
immensely Of certain towns in the
neighborhood, and there were some
temptations in my way. Many people,
and especially the prominent men, in
dulged In ardent spirits.
We had near rs there d little section
OF the old world which was trying, In a
half-hearted fashion, to maintain it.
self In the midst OF democracy. II
was the immortal life of the PATRONS
"a relic Of ancient feudalism which
had its beginning in 1920. when the
West Indies company issued its char
tor Of privileges ana exemptions. THAT