The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-04-24
Copyright, by Irving Bachellerl
CHAPTER XV-Contlnued.

up to the Van Heusen place"
"Whcre do ye hail from?"
"Coblesliill."
"On business for Judge Westbrook?"
'Yes."
"Writs TO server"
"Yes," ] answered with no thought
of my imprudence
Say, young man, by hokey nettie
/ advise you to turn right around and
go back"
"WhyY
"Cause if We try TO serve any writs
yell git into trouble"
That's interesting" answered. II
am not seeking quarrel, but / do
want to see how the people feel about
the payment Of their rents"
Say mister, look down into that val
ley there" the stranger began. "See
all them houses-they're the little
houses o the poor See how smooth
the land is? Who built them houses?
Who cleaned that land? Was it Mr..
Livingston? BY hokey nettie l guess
not. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
got nothin' else-not dollar! It's all
gene to the landlord. l am for the
men who made every rod O. that land
an who own not a single rod of 1t.
ears an years ago king gave it to
man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay rent O. so many
bushels o wheat year but the land Is
No good for wheat, an amt been for
hundred years. Why, We see, mis-
ter, good many things have happened
In three hundred years. The land was
willin' to give wheat then an q good
many folks was willin' to be slaves. BY
hokey nettie! they had got used to it.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
didn't look so bad to 'em as they do
now. Our brains have changcd-that's
what's the matter-same us the soil
has changed. We want to be free like
ether folks in this country. America
has growed up around us but here we
are livin bnck in old Holland three
hundred years ago. 1t don't set good.
we see lots o. people that don't have
TO he slaves. They own their land an
they amt worked any harder than we
have or been any more savin'. That's
why | say we can't nay the rents no
more an We mustn't try to make us.
BY hockey nettie! You'll have trouble
If We do"
The truth had flashed upon me out
Of the words of this simple nan. Un
Ill then | had heard only one side OF
the case. If ! were to be the servant
of justice. as Mr.. Wright had advised
what was to do? These tenants hat
been Grlmshawcd and were bein.
Grimshawed out of the just fruits O
their toll by the feudal chief who's,
remote ancestor had been kings ia
vorite. For half moment | watched
the wavcring needle of my compass
and then:
IF what you say Is true l think yo,
are right" l said.
81 don't agree with you" said youp,
Latour. "rhe PATRONS have clea
title TO this land. If the tenants dom
want to pay the rents they ought t,
get out and make way for Others"
Look here, young man, my name 1
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger. "
live in the first house on the right
hand side o the road. You may tel
the judge that l won't pay rent n
more-not as long as l live-and
won't git ont, either"
"Mr. Latour, you and Purvis may e
on slowly-Ill overtake you soon"
said.
They went on and left me alone wit
Curtis. He was getting excited and
wished TO allay his fears.
Don't let him try to serve no wit
or there'll be hell to pay in this "a
ley" said Curtis.
"In that case l shall not try to serv
the writs. I don't want to stir Qp tn
neighborhood, but I want to know tn
facts. l shall try to see Other teEant
and report what they say. 1t may lea
TO settlement"
We went on together to the top c
the hill near which we had been StanC
ing. Far ahead | saw cloud Of dus
but no signs of Latour and Purvi
They must have spurred their horse
into a run. The fear came to me thG
Latour would try to serve the writs |
spite of me. They were in his Docke
What fool / had been not to Gull fc
them. My companion saw the look c
concern in my face.
81 don't like that young feller," sal
Curtis. "He's In fer trouble"