The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-05-15
CHAPTER xvII-continued.

house and my uncle and Purvis coming
In from the twenty-acre lot with q
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 Pea
body came down the standard of his
load and walked toward me.
"Say, stranger, have you seen any
thing of a Teller by the name O. Bart
Baynes?" he demanded.
"Have yOu?" I asked.
mo, sir, I amt. Gosh Almighty
Say what have We done with that boy
of our'n?"
what have you done to our houseY''
1 asked again.
Built on an addition"
That's what I've done to your boy"
answered.
Thunder an lightnin'! How you've
raised the roof" he exclaimed as he
grabbed my satchel. Dressed like a
statesman an bigger'n a bullmoose.
I can't 'rastle with you no more But,
say, I'll run We a race. 1 can beat We
an carry the satcheI, too"
We ran pell-mel 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 a
silence! Off in the edge Of the wood
land L heard the fairy flute of d wood
thrush,
"Purvis, you drive that load on the
floor an put up the hOsses," Uncle
Peabody shouted in a moment. eff
you don't like it you can hire mother
man. I won't do no more till after
dinner. This slave business is played
out"
"All right" Purvis answered.
you bet it's all right. I'm fer abo-
lition an I've stood your dOmineerin',
nigger-driver ways long enough fer
one mornin'. If you don't like it you
can look for another man."
Aunt Deel and I began to laugh at
this good-natured, make-believe scold-
ing of Uncle Peabody and the emo
tional strain was over. They led me
into the house, where a delightful sur
prise awaited me, for the rooms had
been decorated with balsam boughs
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass of
vfolets, framed in moss, occupied the
filled with the odors of the forest,
which, as they knew, were dear to me.
I had written that they might expect
me some time before noon, but I
begged them not to meet me in Can
ton, as wished to walk home after
my long ride. So they were ready for
me.
remember how they felt the cloth
on my back and how proudly they sur
veyed IT,
Couldn't buy them goods round
these parts" said Uncle Peabody.
''Nor nothin' like 'em-no, sir"
''Feels a leetle bit like the butternut
trousers" said Aunt Deel as she felt
my coat.
ayes, but them butternut trousers
amt what they used to be when they
was young and Timber" Uncle Peabody
remarked. Seems so they was get
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheaded-
like. specially where set down.
"AyesI Wal I guess a man can't
grow old without his pants CROWN
old, too-ayes said Aunt DeeI.
eff yer legs are in 'em ev'ry Sunday
they ketch it of ye," my uncle an
swered. Long sermons are hard on
pants, seems to me-
"An' the longer the legs the harder
the sermons-in them little seats over
t the schOolhouse- !" Aunt DeeI
added by way Of justifying his COM
plant. There wouldn't be SO much
wear in a ten-mile walk-no!"
The chicken pie was baking and the
strawberries were ready for the short
cake.
"rve been wal1erfn' since the dew
was off gittin' them berries an VIZ,
'ets-ayes - said Aunt DeeI, now busy
With her work at the stove.
"Aunt, you look as young as ever"
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said with
mock severity:
"Stop that! W'yi You know better
ayes %
How vigorously she stirred the fire
then.
ST can't return the complimentary |
soul! how you've changed-ayes I" she |
remarked
Il hope you amt 1T no more, Bart. |
can't bear to think o. you flynn at |
folks an poundin' of 'em. Don't seem |
rtght-no. 1t don'tl"
Why, Aunt Deel, what in the world |
do you mean?" I asked.
tits Purvis' brain that does the |
poundin', 1 guess" said my uncle. |
Its kind o. got the habit It's a 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 go to cllmbin' trees
as soon as they see ye comm an that
you pull the trees up by the roots to
git at EN-"
"a certain amount OF such deviHry
is necessary to the comfort of Mr..
Purvis,'' remarked. IF there is no
body else to take the responsibility
for It he assumes 1t himself. His imag-
ination mas 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