The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-14
CHAPTER VII

My great-grandmother married into Tambay," Maurie Sears told her.
 "Yes. I know" Juddy said That makes us something, doesn't it?"
 T remember Cousin Selene, as a boy" he said. "She was right beautiful. Anyone could tell you were her daughter. She married out Of the South He couldn't quite keep out of his voice that Selene Maurie had smeared the Tambay escutcheon by taking up with Yankee.
 Maybe you won't want to claim inc for relative when you know what I'm here for" And she let him have it.
 The shock wiped his family smile clean off. "Tambay?" he said. "A tourist camp? Tambayn
 T thought maybe the Feederia might have broken you in to the idea" said.
 He never looked at me. eve all thought the the barbecue wagon was temporary. I cant sec why this lady should want to settle in a place like Tambay."
 Keep the sob out of your throat and I'll tell you, pal" ] said. Its the old back to- the soil yen. Believe it or not, I'm a sucker for nature. Birds, bees and butterflies, they get me down Well, show me a place where na- lures had it's own way more than at Tambayl"
 Juddy gave that little, low chuckle of hers. "SWeetbriar and the messy mortgage she said.
 For while young MT. Sears gave an impersonation of the chief mourner at a Maurie funeral un- til he found it got him nowhere Then he listened while Juddy ex- plaiIed that she only wanted to know what she could do with teh property in case; nothing was settled. That cheered him a little. But pretty soon that handsome face of his filled up again with Grade-A reproach.
 You have right pleasant lot of kin folks around here, Cousin, " he said. T reckon there would be some sore feeling over this. "
 "Mom," Juddy said, Look out. We're liable to get ourselves cut by the county"
 T don't mean that" he said. But of course he did.
 Another thing, while I'm here" she said. "The Hanging Tree is on Tambay property, isn't it?"
 "Yes. Why?"
 I'm going to have it cut down"
 No" he said, and his voice was hard. That you can't do."
 Why can't I?"
 Nobody in the country would dare touch that tree
 Then I'll send away and get someone"
 He'd be killed" he said quiet ly.
 She was getting white around the lips. T believe you believe in these horrible lynchings!"
 knew the answer before he spoke. Strangers don't under stand these things" It's more than half true, too.
 Before things could get mean CT, l cut in. Then the University can't gum up any building plans, can they?"
 Not as long as you don't en- croach," he said That's a 99- year lease. It runs out next year It gives them the right of ab- original research only. All subsoil rights except the Indian discover 1es are reserved to Tambay." He smiled at Juddy. So. Cousin, If Loren Oliver strikes an ore-lode, you can legally claim the gold"
 Juddy smiled back at him. guess she figured that we'd been pretty rough with him. Do you believe there's gold at Tambay?"
 No, I don't. But plenty do There are probably people pan ming Tambay Stream right now. By the way, has Holster Mowry been around to see you yet?"
 No. Who is he?"
 He's one of the believers in the Tambay gold legend. He's Sheriff"
 T know him." I said. He ambled In the other day to size me up. He's got green gold teeth and grease in his smile and he