Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-05-07
THE NORTH
POINT LAW
BY ARCHEY CAMERON NEW

door Of his little matched cottage and
broad smile of cOntcntmcnt bcaned OH
his wide, happy face and his keen gray
eyes twinkled.
Gosh. but this wcather'S fine" he
exclaimed to himself, and then his
glance Strayed down the road toward
the town store and a large group Of
men standing In front of it. "Plannin'
some parade, l reckon" And then he
sauntercd forth toward the store. but
not on police business. In fact. Sam
Matthews seldom went anywhere on
police Observation-Disclosures that business
was exceedingly duh ut North Point.
"Hlo. SAM" greeted some of the
men in front Of the store, as the Off
Ger hove into view. Gonna pinch
some snuff"
The joke was the oldest in North
Point. but Sam hesitated at the store
steps and grinned amiably.
| mo. just pluggin' along" he coun-
tered. humorouSly. rs he pointed to
an empty jaw. usually filled with a
quid.
And then. rs he turned his back on
the crowd of men, and was about to
enter the store, Il name came to his
ears that brought him up short.
''Classon!" Always name to be
reckoned with, unused Sam, rs he
pecred across the bridge toward Parks
borO. A name either feared. hated or
/ m f.ir CT To
be feared or hated. when the owner of
the big mills at ParksbOrO was men,
toned. Nearly % per cent Of the men
ut North Point drew ClaSSOn Wooden
mills pay cnvelOpeS-and nearly SO
per cent of them hated the owner
cordially. For he WAS hard task
master and thoroughly selfish Sam
gaZed sympatheticalIy toward his
group Of fellowtOwnsmcn as he
thought of Classon's latest offensc
against his worEers-a refusal to in
| Stall q cooperative lunch room where
! they might get their lunches ut cost.
And thinking of lunches, Sam smiled
and rcminiSccntly sighed rs he thought
of the bright, captivating and minis
! tering little angcl--who also bore the
name OF Classon.
How many Of those men. unused
/ Sam tenderly, took slices of chicken,
| bits of luscious fruit and the like in
their lunch boxes-borne to their
women folks by Dorothy Classon.
Dorothy was so unlike her father in
| every way rs to make North Pointers
forget she was a Classon-generous
to her finger-tips, lovable to her slip
per-tips, and democratic to n fault
Sam listened to the wrangling for
IL few minutes liStlcSsly-for It was all
too wcll-known to him--and was about
| to enter the store when dominant
voice in the group arrested his attcn-
| ton, and he crouchcd i'm the dark Of,
the porch to listen unseen. What he
heard chilled every fiber of his body.
| They couldn't do this thing, he
gasped. as lie crouched lower. listen
ing intent1y. And use him, Sam Mat
! thews, rs a tool for their purposes
Impossible! 1t was all very well to
hate Classon, to denounce him, revile
him. If they wOuld-but this thing
br-r-r, he shuddered. And then he
sorrowfully realized that they were
! right-they could use himZhe was
their constable.
And then. after few minutes. he
heard footsteps at his back, crunch
ing on the gravel path. They were
coming after him-after their con-
stable--to make him do his duty. He
hung his head and slightly turned his
face toward the house. Then he
breathed easier, for the footsteps
again receded up the street and he
looked up, then was startled.
He recognized the couple. 1t was
| Dorothy, and he noted regretfully her
happy profile rs she leaned on her es-
sorts arm and smiled into his face
| Sam knew of the romance of this
couple, and his warm old heart had
rejoiccd as. for months past, lie had
seen the girl stray past his home on
the arm Of George Fulton, the young
assistant superintendent Of the mills.
A fine match, he agreed. Fulton had
! fought his way through the mills to
the position he now held-pcrliaps the
! only one besides Dorothy who com
handed civil word from the elder
Classon. Before this night he had
gazed fondly ut the picture of Futon's
dark handsome head against the gold
en- head Of Dorothy as they strolled
! through North Point.
Sam Shuddcrcd now, and then he
gazed apprehensively toward the store.
! No one was I'm sight. Perhaps It
wasn't too latc-yct. He might avert
trouble after all. And no complaint
had been made to him as an officer.
He followed the pair stealtllily., and
+! then as Dorothy entered the gate of
Mrs. Waters. the widow OF an old mill