Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-10-30
"BE LIKE
UNTO THE
ARCHANGELS"
BY JAMES Q. HYATT
% by Short Story Pub. Coz


to shoot. 1t was autumn; yet
the sun unscrewed us so imme-
diately when we walked abroad that
we were forced to seek the shelter of
pines and dusty scrub oaks, as often
as they fell across our path.
We were lying one afternoon, under
a row OF young frs on the crest Of
ridge, when the gaunt figure of an old
man labored up the slope toward us.
IF all the world d lay about in the
shade like you 'uns and me-not In
terferln' with Nature-she'd get her
hand In again on her own hook" he
said, throwing himself down beside us.
What he may have looked like when
his features were normal we never
knew. At this advanced period he
wore so inflated nose of such &C.
centric modelling that his eyes couldn't
count for much and his mouth was
only suggested under a fippant gray
beard
"Tm the Archangel" he said sweetly,
and smiled at us.
Crawford shrugged himself a trife
nearer his gun and smiled back again.
There's no crack" he assured us
Immediately. That's been my title
for three years. got 1t because
held my hand from gorln' a man under
false provocation."
Tell us about It," we said
He found stone to rest his back
against, and threw open his shirt at
the throat
These hot summer days slzzle Just
as they did then-crlsp your throat
like Goals curl bacon. I'd mined all
this country In the gold days, and held
my own with the dizziest dog of 'em
all In hndin the color and epicurlng
the liquids run drinking fountain
In opposition to the Dead Falls, up
Mokelumne way, and counted on Joa-
quin and his band for maxim pot
for me regular once week-but faint
what l started out to say"
The old man fell into reverie. He
seemed to see only the ends of his toes
about the Archangel," Crawford
prOdded.
"Yes-the Archangel. That's a mat
ter Of three short years aback."
This gentle old man stood up, and
hitched savagely at his trouser band
before he sat down again.
"Adolphe - his named tell you,
wouldn't it2 Chin beard-julcy voice
and hands a-curvin' through the air.
Well. Adolphe and me set up backln'
and minln' together five years aback.
l stayed on and on with him because
his bread'd make you hungry in your
sleep
"'Twas flour for that very bread that
| went a-ridin into town for one sum
mer day. There was real estate
dude d come up. Socks we called
him. Actual-he went round In wormy-
lookin' things held up by garters /
Well, Socks he tucked folded news
paper under my saddle-fap, just as /
was tightening up to go home.
Read that says he. It's time all
you fellers settled down to ralsln' fam
lilies, SOS we could have a population
and school districts and churches, and
sich. Never no hope Of dom anything
with lot of bachelors
well, d you know, it struck me like
wisdom from the mouth Of babes? I
rode along a-tryln' Of my best to read
that paper. Not beln' over profuse In
acquaintance with learnln', and the
sun strikin' the white clay like look
ln'-glass, tucked 1t away and whistled
till the barkIn' of the dog realized me
was home.
Later, when the smoke went out Of
the chimney, curtin through the trees,
Adolphe and me sat out on the saw
bucks a-readn' of that paper-the
Matrimonial Messenger.
"By your names, sirs, there was
three pages Of 'um saying how en-
chantln' they was
Tall women and short women, and
young women and old women, women
with children and women without,
women that could work, and sew, and
cook, and women that could sing, and
dance, and talk. Every blamed one of
'em wlllin to send their photograph,
swearin' their faces was their fortunes
all their life
"'Twasn't long before we'd settled
between two OF 'em, but Adolphe, he
was for one, and me for the other
Whats 1t to your sez !. You
uln't marryin' Of her, are your
'He couldn't but admit the fact.
'Stlll-there's my llvin' round her.
he says
"'Twas wldder, remember,
AdOlphe was set on. She'd raven
locks, and what she'd most pride in
was her cooltin', and her SEWN, and
her lovln' heart. ! argued long. |
needed him favorable, If II was to be
peaceful-llke. | remember tellln' OF
him that we didn't need cO0kln' and
SEWN. being used all our lives TO
managln' these. What we wanted was
somethin' amusin and up In learnln',
SOS we could feel spiritual proud, you
know. I asked him If we'd ever strike
II rich, what'd we do with wife that
couldn't dance and talk with the best
OF 'em.
Anyway, seem II was my business,
and I was set like jumper on
claim, Adolphe, he give in. The woman
what made my heart feel empty said
she was eighteen She was decorated
with yellow hair and eyes like copper
ore. She could talk French, and under
stood German. and could play the
planner. She'd marry u man that