White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-05-06
DEVILTRY ON RAT ROAD
By GEORGE F. PEABODY

"Thunderation!" parked Hobe Bar
rett when his father, old Pap Barrett
finished that squeaky, high pitched re
cital. "Thunderation!" he roared
again, "this'll never do! Can't stand
for this. Pap. Don Paul's got to &c
and quick, too. That's all there be
to it,"
But though his heavy, rasping voice
rang with determination there was
something else in it as well; some
thing Pickering in his little eyes ;
eyes that cleaned like small, pale
green marbles beneath thick, matted
brows; something that few had ever
seen in the eyes or heard in the voice
of the hairy giant. Fear, it was; stark
downright fear.
If the old man noticed it he gave
no sign, but then, he too was stricken
with it. His bleared old eyes looked
like bits of wet glass; his bony hands,
always trembling with palsy, now &C
tually shook His white beard, stain
ed down the middle a vile brown by
tobacco juice, shook too as his quaver-
ing voice poured out a stream Of male
dictions and scared apprehensions.
care you sure?" asked Hobe, the
seeming impossibility of the thing
fathering a sudden doubt.
"Sufe?" walled old Pap, sure?
Course be. Didn't see her? Want
1 down there on purpose? Didn't l
see that burn scar on her wrist? l
tell We, boy, trouble'll be poppin on
Rat Road afore two weeks pass!"
Fear overpowered him again. you'll
think o. somethin', boy, won'e ye?
You won't let 'em send old Pap to Jail,
will ye? You'll"
"Shut up!" growled Hobe, chow be
l goin' to think of anything with you
squealin' like pig under gate?
what'd you tell herr"
ooh, l made it good, l did," the old
man piped craftily. "She went away
so young that she's most forgot every
thing. l told her we thought the
gypsies stole her, an we hunted an
hunted but never could find her. No,
no. Therell be no trouble from her.
She don't even suspect anything. It's
that darned lawyer at Stony Harbor
thatll git us! If he finds out she's
here-if he finds out"
"Shut up Quit your blubberin'
again snarled Hobe. "He amt goin'
to find it out" he continued. Hes
across the pond anyway for three
months an when he gifts back she'll
be gone, that's all. She's got to bel"
he added savagely. "If that close
mouthed, lynX-eyed Paul had let on
anything about his wife bein' born
around here-but no, not word he!
He's as silent as the blasted rats he's
here for!" Rambling and cursing
giant shuffled to the stove, slid the
damper open and eXpertly shot a
stream Of tobacco juice through the
narrow slot. "Git somethin' ready to
eat" he ordered. I'm goin' to set
out on the porch an think this thing
out"
But Don Paul was strange man,
and his wife was as strange as he.
Hobe Barrett Thought" the thing out
and set about accomplishment of his
purpose, but six months effort ended
in utter failure. Don Paul was still
housed in the weatherbeaten house
on Rat Road, and Lois, and the boy
David, and the baby girl were with
him. Lonely solitude was no new
thing to them and that fact Hobe had
stumbled over. Perhaps the dark
haired, clear-skinned woman had hop
ed for neighborliness from those who
lived near her; perhaps in those faint
recollections of early childhood there