Manchester Democrat., 1919-03-19
IRVINE hAEHFLLER

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nN nolpeN On AND |
kllpaD up V1
I passed through Middlebury and
rode Into the grounds of the college
where the senator had been educated
and on out to Weybridge to see wher(
he had lived as boy. I found the
Wright homestead comfortable
white house at the head Of beautiful
valley with wooded hills behind IT.
and rode up to the door. A white
haired old lady in a black lace car
was sitting on Its porch looking out
at the sunlit fields.
''Is this where Senator Wright lived
when he was boy7" I asked.
eyes, sir" the old lady answered.
II am from Canton"
She rose from her chair.
''You from Canton!" she exclaimed,
''Why, Of all thingsl That's where my
boys home is. Tn glad to see you. Ga
an put your horse In the barn."
dlsmounted and she came near me.
*silas Wright Is my boy" she said.
at Is your nameT
Barton Baynes," answered as I
hitched my horse.
Barton Baynesl Why, Silas has
told me all about you In his letters.
He writes to me every week. Come
and sit down"
We sat down together on the porch.
''silas wrote in his 1sst letter that
you were going to leave Your place In
Cobleskill," she continued to my sur.
prise. HE said that he was glad you
had decided not to stay"
It was joyful news to me, for the
senator's silence had worried me and I
had begun to think with alarm Of my
future.
II wish that he would take you to
Warrington to help him. The Door
man has too much to do"
II should think It great privilege
to Co." I answered.
"My boy likes you." she weat on.
"sYou have been brought up Just az he
was. I used to read to him every eve.
ming when the candles were lit. How
hard he worked to make man of him.
self have known the mothers 10y.
/ can truly say, Now let thy servant
depart in peace"
..For mine eyes have seen thy cal,
vation,'" ! quoted.
'sYou see know much about you
and much about your aunt and uncle.s
said Mrs. Wright
She left me for a moment and soon
the whole household was gathered
about me on the porch, the men hav-
ing come up from the fields. They put
my horse in the barn and pressed me
to stay for dinner. which I did. As
was going the gentle old lady gave
me pair Of mittens which her distin-
guished son had worn during his last
winter In college. remember well
how tendsrly she handled theml
II hope that Silas will get you to
help him"-those were the last words
she said to me when bade her good
by.
The shadows were long when I got
to Canterbury. At the head Of its
main street I looked down upon q VII.
lage green and some fine old elms. It
was singularly quiet place. I stopped
In front Of big white meeting house.
An old man was moving In its grave
yard near the highway. Slowly he
swung his scythe.
'D you know where Kate Fullerton
lives. asked.
swell, It's purity likely that do" he
answered as he stood resting on his
srath. "I've lived seventy-two years
on this hill come the fourteenth day o.
June. an If didn't know where she
lived I'd be 'shamed Of It Do you SEQ
that big house down there in the
treesT'
could see the place at which he
pointed far back from the village street
in the valley below us, the house near
ly hidden by tall evergreens.
EYES," I answered.
"Wal, that's the Squire Fullerton
place-he's Kate's father"
docs the squire live there7"
mo, sir-not eggzac'ly. He's dyin'
there-been dyin' there for two year
er more. BY gosh It's wonderful how
hard tits fer some folks to quit breath,
In. Say, be you any o. his family7"
mo"
''Nor no friend O. his!'
"NOI"
course not. He never had a friend
IN his life-too meant He's too mean
to die, mister-too mean fer hell an I
wouldn't wonder-honest, / wouldn't
mebbe that's why God is keepin' him
here-jest to meller him up little.
Say, mister. be you In hurryr'
mo"
"Say, hitch yer hoss an come IN
here. I want to show We suthin'."
dismounted and hitched my horse
to the fence and followed him into the
old churchyard, between weather
stained messy headstones and graves
overgrown with wild roses. Near the
far end Of these thick-sown acres he
stopped.
Heres where the buryin' begun"
said my guide. '"The first hole in the