The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1922-05-03

~ Il
buy that hotel up there. III run
for mayor and be a superintendent
like old man Essex" He stopped
short. painting little as moisture
suddenly cleaned in his eyes. We
we're engaged, Allen"
The man gravely said: "Congra,u-
!ationsH and turned his head.
Allen Grass was thrty-two. He
knew the boy at his side was sixteen.
and he also knew that he was older
than his years-much older. In
town his friends called Grass "a
bookish' man, and considered him
queer. He was given to solitude. the
hills and his dreams. Therefore he
knew men, and the boys heart lies
dangerously near to mans. In his
loneliness he had envied the little ro-
nance Of his young friend; even mar
yelled at it. Smith. he thought, would
either die young or be power in the
land. As he watched the fallen
shoulders OF the boy he found hope i'm
the bulldog chin that jutted out in
suilen defiance to the Old Hen. His
thin, short lips were drawn tight be-
meath his short fiat nose. His nu-
merous freckles had gone almost
gray and his huge ears stood out on
his bare head 1t was the face Of
a fighter sullen now, but good to
look at. The boy knew no defeat;
he longed to conquer, and Allen
Grass ben; forward his own face
lighted with the Inspiration of the
moment
You can never BE- the first Re
publican Governor of Virginia If you
remain here" lie spoke as man to
man, earnestly. honestly, and strange
Is jubilant. Remember, you prom
iscd your mother you were going to
De the first Republican Governor OF
Virginia" lie paused, Strengthened
up, and whistlcd to his dogs. She's
counting on you" he added simply.
Then he crossed the street. climbed
the fence to the old hotel yard and
jumped lightly to the ground to dis
appear in the darkness.
Pm going to look your hotel over.
Governor" he called from the hill
side. Looks sort Of rundown IN
there in the moonlight"
Oliver turned and walked SLOWLY
by the long brown town hall and up
the street to the brick church on the
hill. Allen was right, he had to 90
Virginia needed him. And if he was
Governor the Old Hen would come
oil her high horse.
The church was lighted Tor the
prayer-meeting hour and he went in
TO take last look at the big window.
Once in the building the great ST.
lence, the mellow light and the in
spring presence OF the sacred win
dow in the semiwing brought new
peace TO his heart and he sat down.
He must have watched the window
for long while for the storm doors
suddenly ratified him back to thu.
world and he slid quickly beneath
a pew The janitor was making his
last round before the prayer-meeting
hour. He circled the church and
came to halt before the memorial
window
III hit had been anybody but a
rich oman they'd never "a got their
name on the thing" Oliver heard
the janitor say to himself. "An' the
Ole Man Grayson a-bleeding' us poor
devils 70 death to get his'nw
The man left the church with a
bang OF the storm doors. Oliver
erawled from beneath the pew, great
blotches OF red in each cheek
"Darned snobr he snapped. sit
ting flat on the carpeted iioor. Just
because the Old Man hits widows and
orphans with his old mortgage bus
mess he wants to take it out on that
poor woman"
lie regarded the window with rev
erance. The anger slowly faded;
soft sympathetic CLEAN entered his
eyes. What woman she must have
been to get her name in all those col
orr on a window as big as the whole
end of most peoples houses! No
wonder zippie-Zip was so hcwi!der-
ingiy lovely Suppose he had heard
things about Zippie's mother-trying
things that made him want to fight.
There had been fearful rumpus
| raised about her when Zippie was ton