Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-08-08

Americana wen. nov, you have
come q long wayl"
FROM the middle west. Nebraska
] don't suppose you've heard OF u.
The old woman showed her gums
( IN q pleased smile II have. indeed, str.
I knew Of someone who went to that
Z part years ago. Let me sect msss
i be so years ago. Yet remember 1t very
clear"
Elihu's pulse quickened. It was Prov
I idential, his coming upon this old woEfi~
an sweeping her path. At last he would
hear something about his grandfather
at first hand
Did he go from this part9" he
asked.
Eyes, sir, from this very place. MY
father Was head gardener here then.
And his father was. before him. NOW
it's my own son. We've worked on this
estate for generations"
You'll be sorry to see it sold, I
guess"
The old woman's eyellds grew red
Sorry, sir That's hardly the word It's
terrible. It's seeing the end of every
thing you thought would go on for
ever. It's the old gentry that cares for
brings things when you're sick OF helps
you when you're in trouble"
THE Tarringtons were like that,
ehp"
'They were indeed, sir. Especially
the old lord that's lately died. He was
an invalid, but he had himself wheeled
all about in his bath chair and he
knew the troubles and happiness Of
every cottager"
I've got to bring her to the point, he
thought, and asked: What relation
was he to the one that went to Amer
leap"
She stared blankly.
The one that went to America" he
repeated anxiously, afraid that she was
having lapse Of memory. What re-
lation was he TO the old lord2Y
But she was quite clear in her head.
She gave a scornful laugh. Him! Him
related to Lord Tarringtonl Bless my
soul-he wasn't anything to Lord Tar
ringtonl He was my own brother, Elihu
Hayball."
She's crazy, thought Elihu. She's in
her dotage. She's got everything mixed
up. She said:
1t was young Elihu Harrington who 4
went TO Nebraska"
She stared at him suspiciously. How
should you know aught OF him?"
He forced himself to speak in an Off
hand way.
Wei. I used to live next door 70 the
TarTingtons when was a kid. I re-
member the old gentleman real well"
She peered inquisitively up at him.
Good Lord, he thought, what II she
sees my resemblance to theml
What was he like?" she asked "Is
he long dead? What family did he
have2"
He was a nice old gentleman,
though sort Of proud and quiet with
strangers. He's been dead 20 years. he
left one son. He's dead. too"
All dead eh?" she repeated sadly.
"An dead Dear me, that's sad. That's
very sad
Il wonder what put it into that
young Elihu'S head to go out there"
he said.
She gave him shrewd look. He had
bis own reasons. But they weren't bad
ones. He wasn't a bad lad. He'd just
got into the sort Of trouble many q
young man does. But the master that
vas the father Of the one just dead
vas hot tempered and pretty hard on
lim. And my own father was harder .
;till-so he left. He flung off in a tenn
per and went to America. And he did
veil there, too. He wrote to me three
lines and he told me he was doing well.
lie was engaged to the daughter of
farmer But he was vexed
VAIL nlC WllCu bOtQ nun WI1dL
thought Of him for changing his name
7ayball was good enough for him. 1t
vas plain tmpudence for him to take
he name Of his betters, and so I told
him. And told him he'd no right to
marry girl under a false name. He
night go to jail for it, I told him. He
vas vexed at that and he never wrote
% me again"
Elihu asked thoughtfully, why do
he oh Dc
Wen, he was always an uppish lad.
lie liked fine ways and fine names.
Ind think he had a feeling that If he
oOk the old lords name he was getting
ven with him for the injustice he
bought he had done him. He'd never
tked the name Hayball. He was an odd
ad."
Stiil Elihu was unconvinced. He
ould not bring himself to believe this
4 his grandfather. Yet 1t sounded
traight enough. He said:
Il don't suppose you have q picture,
4 your brother2 I'd be interested to
ee IL could recognize in 1t the old
entleman I remember"
Indeed, / have, sir Come In and
II gladly show it to you" She led
be way into the low oak beamed room.
rom the drawer Of a dresser she took
n old lacker box and out of it the yell
1wed photograph Of a young man.
1ihu recognized in 1t the duplicate Of
ne he possessed His father had had
mis- photograph enlarged and framed
hung now In Elihu's own home.
He had forgotten how time was pass
lg. He might have stayed longer to
slk with the old woman but a clock
Dove the fireplace struck one. Ruth
ould wonder what on earth had be-
,me Of him. He felt very unreal. He
oked into the face of the old woman
no was his aunt and saw in It a gro