PAGE EIGHT
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON. SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1919.
THE LIGHT
IN THE HEARING"
A TALE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
IN THE TIME OF SILAS WIGHT
IRVING BACHELLEFL
Airmen c
CBN HOLDEN. D'Bl AND I, DARREl Of THE BLESSED BIE
, KfEPINO W VITH UZZ1E. ETC. ETC
enrawr Mumowtmnw, mam una
""Soon the senator wiiTKr comms
he remarked. "I have a long letter
from him and he asks about you and
your aunt and uncle. I think that be'i
fond o' you, boy."
"I wish you would lot me know when
lie comes," I said.
"I am sure he will let you know,
nnd, by the way, I have heard from
another friend o' yours, my lad. Ye're
lucky one to have so many friends
eure ye are. Here, I'll show ye the
letter. There's no reason why I
shouldn't. Ye will know its writer,
probably. I do not."
So saying be handed me this letter:
"Canterbury, Vt,
"June 1.
"Dear Sir. I-am interested in the
hoy Hnrlou Baynes. Good words about
lilm have been flying around like
pigeons. When school Is out I would
like to hear from you, what is the rec
ord? What do you think of the soul
In him? What kind of work Is best
for It? If you will lot mo maybe I
enn help the pluus of God a liltlo. That
Is my business and yourn. .Thanking
you for rending this, I nni, as ever,
"Gods humble sorvunt,
"KATE FULLKKTON."
"Why, this Is the writing of tho SI-
lent Woman," I mild before I had read
(lie letter half throiieh.
"Eoviu1 Knte?"
"Roving Knte j I never knew her oth
er nnnip, but I saw her handwriting
lung ago."
"But look this Is a nontly written,
well-worded letter nn tho sheet Is as
white and clean ns the new snow. Un
canny woman I They say she carries
the power o God In. her right hand.
Bo do all the wronged."
"I wonder why Knte Is asking about
we," I said.
"Never mind the reason. She Is your
friend and let us thank God for It.
Think how she came to yer help lu the
old bam on' say a thousand prayers,
my lad." ' . ' v
Having come to the first flight of
(he uplands, ho left mo with ninny a
1 1 1 1 A ti'tnl hnm nn..1i 4 1. ....
h boy who is choosing his way with a
growing Bense or loneliness l
T Vunnltiwl tlia inm,., ,,-nlw.,.v A ......
little home Just In time for dinner.
They were expecting nio and It was a
regular company dinner chicken pie
: and strawberry shortenke.
How well I remember that hour with
tho doors open and tho sun shining
brightly on tho blossoming Holds and
dm Joy of man nnd hlrd and beast In
I lie return of summer nnil thu talk
iiliout tho Into visit of Almn Jones and
Mr., nnd Mrs. Lincoln!
. , Willie we wore entlng I told thorn
about tho letter of old Kate.
"Fullcrton!" Aunt Doul exclaimed.'
"Aro ye suro that was tho name, Bart?"
"Yes."
"Goodness gracious snhes alive!"
She and Undo Penbody gave eiu'h
other looks of surprised Inquiry.
"Do ou know anybody by that
Dame?" I allied.
"Wo used tii," said Aont Peel as she
resumed her eating. "Can't bo she's
one' o' the- Sam Fullertons, ohii it?
"Oh, prob'ly not," sniil Uncle Peu-
liody. "Buck East thoy's more Fuller
tons than ye could shake a stick at.
A week later we bad our raising.
Uncle Penbody did not want a public
raising, but Aunt Deel had had her
way. We had hewed nnd mortised and
bored the timbers for our new home.
I be neighbors came with pikes and
iii'ipeu io raise ana tny and cover
them. A great amount of human kind
tioss went Into the beams, and rafters
ol that home ami of others like It. I
knew that Tho Tiling wus still nllvc
In the neighborhood, but even that
could not paralyze the helpful hands of
Iiokb people, indeed, vlmt was said
ot my Lucie Penbody was nothing
wore or less than n kind of conversa
tional firewood. I cannot think that
liny one really believed it.
vv e IiikI r cheerful day. A barrel of
Hard eliler had been set up In the door
yard, and I remember that some drank
it too freely. The he-o-hoe of the men
as tliey lifted on the pikes and the
wound of the hammer ond beetle rang
sn uie nlr from morning until night
Mrs. Rodney Barnes and Mm. Dorothy
cnnie to help Aunt Deel with the cook
ing nnd a gr"nt dinner wns served on
an Improvised labia In tho doorynrd.
where the stove was set up. The
tdilnglc nnd sheathes nnd chipboard
were on before the day ended.
Uncle Peabmly nnd I put in the
floors and stairway nnd partitions.
More than once In the days we were
'working together I tried to tell him
what Snily had told me, but my cour
age failed.
TV day cume, shortly, when I hnd
to speak out, and I took the straight
wny of my duty as the needle of the
compass pointed. It wna the end of
n summer ilny an ! we had watched the
tlu.sk fill the valley ond come creeping
up tiie slant, sinking the bowlders and
thorn tops in IU flood, one by one. As
K.1 rat lookln.T out. oftbo open door
thnt evening r fuoT TueuT vTuaTT EuTTy
had told me of the evil report which
had traveled through the two towns.
"Damn, little souled, narrer con
tracted" Uncle Peubody, speaking in
a low, sad tone, but with deep feeling,
cut off this highly promising opinion
before It was half expressed, and rose
and went to the water pail and drank.
"As long as we're honest we don't
care what they say," he remarked as
he returned to his chair.
"If they won't believe us, we ought
to show 'em the papers ayes," said
Aunt Deel. . '
"Thunder an' Jehul I wouldn't go
'round tho town tryln' to prove thnt I
ain't a thief," said Uncle Feabody. "It
wouldn't make no dilTor'nce. They've
got to have somethln' to pluy with.
If they want to use my name for a
bean bug let 'em as long as they do It
when I ain't lookln'. I wouldn't won
der If they got sore hands by an' by.", j
I never heard liim speak of It aguin. :
Indeed, although I knew the topic wnsi
often in our thoughts it wus never'
mentioned in our homo but once after'
that, to my knowledge. j
Wo snt for a long time thinking ns,
tho night came on. i
That week a letter came to me from
tho sonntor. Announcing the day of
Mrs. Wright's arrival in Canton and
isklng me to meet and assist her In
jetting the house to rights. I did so.
She was a pleasant-faced, amiable
womnn and a most enterprising house
I Remember My First Task Was Mend
ing the Wheelbarrow.
cleaner. I remember that mv first
task was mending the wheelbarrow.
"I don't know what Silas would do
If ho wore to get home nnd find his
wheellinrrow broken," said she. "It Is
almost an inseparable companion of
Ids."
. The schoolmaster and his family
wore fishing nnd camping upon the
river, and so I lived nt the senator's
house with Mrs. Wright nnd her moth
er until he arrived, Whnt a wonderful
bouse it was, In my view I I wns awed
by Its size nnd splendor, Its soft car
pets and shiny brass and mahogany.
Vet It was very simple.
I hoed the garden and cleaned its
paths nnd mowed the doorynrd and did
some, painting In the house.
The senator returned to Canton that
evening on the Wntcrtown stage. He
greeted me with n fatherly wnrinth.
Again I felt that strong appeal to my,
aye In his broadcloth and flue linen
and beaver hat ami In the splendid
Jlgnlty and courtesy of his manners, j
"Pve had good reports of you, Bart,!
md I'm very glad to see you," he said.1
"I believe your own marks hove!
heen excellent In the lust year," I ven
tured. "Poorer than I could wish. The
teacher has beet, very kind to me " he
anghed. "What have you been study-
ingr
"Latin (I always mentioned the
Latin first), algebra, arithmetic, gram
mar, geography nnd history."
He asked about my aunt nnd nncle
nnd I told him of nil that hnd befallen
ur, save the one thing of which I hnd
spoken only with him nnd Sally.
"I shall go up to see them soon," he
Mild.
The people of the little village had
learned thnt he preferred to be let
alone when he had Just returned over
the long, wearisome way from the
scene of his labors, Eo we had the
evening to ourselves.
Mrs. Wright, being weary after the
dny's work, went to bed early and, at
his request, I sat with the senator by
the fire for an hour or so. I have al
ways thought it a lucky circumstance,
tUt 111.- UO&t'U UHI W VU Vjl!J v.m..v
ana gave me advice ana encourage- taking down contracts and correspontf
ir.ent which have had marked effect ence and drafting them into proper
upon my career. - form, which I had the knack t doing
I remember telling him that I wished rather neatly. I was Impressed by the
to be a lawyer and my reasons for it immensity of certain towns in the
He told me that a lawyer was either a neighborhood, and there were some
pest or a servant of Justice and that temptations in my way. Many people,
his chief aim should be the promotion and especially the prominent men, in
of peace and good will in his commun- dulged in ardent spirits.
Ity. He promised to try and arrange We had near us there a little section
for my accommodation In his office in of the old world which was trying, in a
the autumn and meanwhile to lend me half-hearted fashion, to maintain it
some books to read while I was at self in the midst of a democracy. It
,,ome- I as the manorial life of the patroons
"Before we go to bed let us have ' a relic of ancient feudalism which
settlement," said the senator. "Will had its beginning in 1829. when the
you kindly sit down at the table there
and make up a statement of all the
time you have given me?"
I made out the statement very neat
ly and carefully and put it in his
hands.
"That is well done," said ho- "I shall
wish you to stay until the day after to
morrow, If you will. So you will please
add another day.'
I amended the statement and he paid
me the handsome sura of seven dollars.
I remember that after I went to my
room that night I stitched up the open
ing in my Jacket pocket, which con
tained my wealth, with the ueedle and
thread which Aunt Deel had put in my
bundle, and slept with the Jacket un
der my mattress.
CHAPTER XV.
I Use My Own Compass at a Fork In
' the Road.
Swiftly now I move across the bor
der Into manhood a serious, eager,
restless mnnliood. It was the fusliion
of the young those days.
Mr. Wright came up for a day's fish
ing In July. My uncle and I took bim
up the river. u
While we ate our luncheon he de
scribed Jackson and spoke of the fa
mous cheese which he had kept on a
table In the vestibule of the White
llouso for his callers. He described
his fellow senators Webster, Clay.
Tjina ni, wi t. t
nncn. vmiiuuu UIIU Ul'ULUU, XiCIUflll-
ber tllut Webster wns, In his view, the ! se1ttleTrs ,n the neighborhood of Bald
least of them, although at his best the! win Heights for nonpayment of rent,
greatest orator. We had a delightful Ue t,d me what 1 knew- tDHt there
day, and when I drove back to tho vll-: J8 bitter feellnS against the patroons
If. go with him thnt night he told me 1 ln tnat vicinlty nl that I might en
that I could go Into tire office of Wright j counter PPsition to tho Bervlce of
& Baldwin after harvesting. I tue wrlfc If 80 1 wns nt to Pss Uie
"It will do for n start." lie Rn,l "A
little later I shnll try to find a better
place for you."
My life went on with little In it
worth recording until the letter came.
I speak of It as "the letter," because
of Its effect upon my career. It was
from Sully, and it said:
"Dear Bart : It's all owr for a long
time, perhaps forever-that will de
pend on you. I shall be true to you,
if you really love me, even If I avo to
wait many, many years. Mother and
father saw and read your letter. Vhcy
say we are too young to be thinking
about love and that we have got to
slop It. How can I stop it? I guess I
would have to stop living. But we
shall have to depend upon our mem
ories now. I hope that yours is as
good as mine. Father says no more
letters without his permission, and he
stamped his foot so hard that I think
he must have made a dent in the floor.
Talk about slavery what do you think
of that? Mother says that we must
wait that It would make father a
grent deal of trouble if it were known
that I allowed you to write. I guess
the soul of old Grlmshaw is still fol-
lowing you. Well we must stretch out "
mat lovely day as far as we can. On
the third of June, 1841, we shall both
be twenty-one nnd I suppose that we
cun do as we please then. The day
Is a long way off, but I will agree to
meet you that day at eleven In the
morning under the old piuo on the
river where I met you that day and
you told me thnt you loved me. If
either or both should dlo our souls will
know where to find each other. If
you will rolemnly promise, write those
words and only theso to my mother
Amour omnia vlnelt, but do not sign
your name.
"SALLY."
What a serious matter it seemed to
me then! I remember tlmt it gave
Tlino a rather slow foot. I wrote the
words very neatly and plaluly on a
sheet of paper und mailed It to Mrs.
Dunkelberg. I wondered if Sally would
stand firm, and longed to know the
secrets of the future. More thnn ever
I was resolved to be the principal wlt
t.oss iu some great matter, us my
friend In Ashery lane had put It.
I was eight months with Wright &
Baldwin when I was offered n clerk
ulilp In the ofllce of Judge Westbrook,
at Cubleskill, In Schoharie county, at
two hundred a year nnd my board. I
Knew not then just how the offer hnd
orae, but knew that the senator must
i:nve recommended inc. I know now
that be wanted a
reliable witness of i
the rent troubles which were growing
acute In Scliohnrio, Delaware and Co
lumbia counties.
It was a trial to co so far from
m)de , wM ,.for
I How It wrung my heart, when Mr.
Purvis nnd I got Into the stage at Can
ton, to see my aunt and undo standing
by the front wheel looking up nt me.
How old nnd lonely nnd forlorn they
looked! Aunt Deel hnd her purse In
her hand. I remember how she took a
dollar out of it I suppose it wns the
only dollar she hnd nnd looked nt it
a moment and then handed it up to
me.
"Ton better take it," she snld. "I'm
frald you won't have enough."
ITow her hand nnd lips trembled I I
have always kept thnt dollar.
I couldn't see them as we drove away.
The" judge received we kindly and
gave Purvis a Job ln his garden. I
was able io take his dictation In sound-
pun(1. nnd. spent most of.mv time.ll
Wert Indies company issued its char-
ter of privilege and exemptions. That
charter offered to any member of the
company who should, within four
years, bring fifty adults te the New
Netherlands and establish them along
the Hudson, a liberal grant of land, te
be called a manor, of which the owner
or patroon should be full proprietor
and chief magistrate. The settlers
were t0 De exempt from taxation for
ten years, bnt under bond to stay in
one place and develop it. In the be
ginning the patroon built houses and
barns and furnished cattle, seed and
tools. The tenants for themselves and
their heirs agreed to pay hlra a fixed
rent forever in stock nnd produce and,
further, to grind at the owner's mill
and neither to hunt nor fish.
Judge Westbrook, in whose office I
worked, was counsel and collector for
the patroons, notably for the manors
ot Livingston and Van Renssalaer
two little kingdoms In the heart of the
great republic.
Mr. Louis Latour of Jefferson coun
ty whom I hnd met In the company of
Mr. Dunkelberg, came during my last
year there to study law in the office of
the Judge, a privilege for which he was
indebted to the influence of Senator
Wright, I understood. He was a gay
Lothario, always boasting of his love
nffulrs, and I liod little to do with him.
I One flay in May near the end of my
two years. In Cobleskill Judge West-
uroon cave me two writs to serva on
: "'"'. "ring incra oncu ana ne
would give them to the sheriff.
"I do not insist on your taking this
task upou you," he added. "I want a
man of tact to go and talk with these
people and get their point of view. If
you don't care to undertake it I'll send
another man."
"I think I would enjoy the task," I
said ln Ignorance of that hornet's nest
buck ln the hills.
I "Take Purvis with you," he said.
!"TIe can take enre of the horses, and
i as those back-country folk are a little
I lawless it will be Just as well to have
I a witness with'you. They tell me that
Purvis Is a man of nerve and vigor."
I had drafted my letters for the day
nnd was about to close my desk and
start on my Journey when Louis La
tour came in nnd announced that he
had brought the writs, from the Judge
ond was going with mo.
i "I wouldn't miss it for a thousand
dollars," he remarked. "By Jove I
think we'll have a bully time."
"I don't object to your going but
you must remember thnt I am In com
mand," I said, a little talten'bnck, for
I bad no good opinion either of his
prudence or his" company.
"The judge told me that I could go
but that I should be uuder your or
ders," he answered. "I'm not going to
be a fool. I'm. trying to establish a
reputation for good sense myself."
We got our dinners nnd set out soon
after one o'clock. I had read the
deeds of the men we . were to visit
They were brothers nnd lived on ad
joining farms with leoso3 which cov
ered three hundred and fifty acres of
land. Their great-grandfather hnd
ogroed to pay u yearly rent forever of
ulsty-two bushels of good, sweet, mer
chantable, winter wheat, eight yearling
cattle and four sheep In good flesh nnd
sixteen fat hens, all to be delivered In
the city of Albany on the first day of
January of encli year. So, feeling that
I was engaged In a just cause, I brave
ly determined to serve the writs if
possible.
I rode in silence, thinking of Sally
ond of those beautiful days now rocod-
!ng Into tho past and of my aunt and
wcle. I had written a letter to them
every week nnil cue or the other5 hnd
.answered It Between the lines I had
detected the note of loneliness. They
had told me the small news of the
countryside, now narrow nnu mo
t notonous it nil seemed to mo then!
' Rodney Barnes had bought a new
j ft. mi: John Axtell had been hurt In a
pnvln I
"Hello, mister!"
I started out of my reveries with
liltlo jumn of surprise, A bi, rouh
dressed, bearded ri-;r, 5r6o"ci in the mid
dle ir i0 TOiuf with a gun on his
blioulder. . .
"Where ye goin'?"
"Up to the Van Heusen place."
"Where do ye hail from?"
"Cobleskill." -
"On business for Judge WestbrookT"
Tcs."
I'Writs to serve?"
"Yes," I answered with no thought
of my Imprudence
"Sny, young mnn,Jv hokey nettle!
I advise you to turn right around and
go back."
"Why?"
'Canse if ye try to serve any writs
ye'll git into trouble."
"That's interesting I hnswered. "I
am not seeking a quarrel, but I do
Mnnt to see how the people feel about
Uie payment of their rents,"
"Say mister, look down into that val
lev there.", the stranger begun. "See
A Big, Rough Dressed, Bearded Man
Stood in the Middle of the Road
With a Gun on His Shoulder,
ail' TeTn""nouses-Ty,fethe little
houses o' the poor. See how smooth
tne land Is? Who built them houses?
Who cleaned that land? Was it Mr.
Livingston? By hokey nettle ! I guess
not. The men who live there built the-
houses an' cleaned the land. We ain't
got njithln' else not a dollar! It's all
gone to the landlord. I am for the
men who made every rod o' that land
an' who own not a single rod of It.
Tears an' years ago a king gave It to
a man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on unother. The deeds say
that we must pay a rent o' so many
bushels o' wheat a year but the land Is
no good for wheat,' nn' ain't been for
a hundred years. Why, ye see, mis
ter, n good many things have happened
In three hundred years. The land was
wlllln' to give wheat then an' a good
ninny folks was wlllln' to be slaves. By
bokey nettie ! they hnd got used to it
Kings an' magistrates an' slavery,
didn't look so bad to 'era as they do
now. Our brnlns have changed that's
what's the matter snme ns the soil
Jins changed. We want to be free like
other folks In this country. America
has growed up around us but here we
are Hvla back ln old Holland three
hundred years ago. It don't set good.
We see lots o' people that don't have
to be slaves. They own their land an'
they nin't worked any harder thnn we
have or been any more savin'. Thnt's
why I say, we can't pay the rents no
more an' ye mustn't try to make us.
By hokey nettle ! You'll have trouble
if ye do.".
The truth hnd flashed upon me out
of the words of this simple man. Un
.til then I had heard only one side of
the case. If I were to be the servant
of Justice, as Mr. Wright had advised,
what wns I to do? These tenants hnd
been Grlmshnwed nnd were being
Grimshawed out of the Just fruits of
4Iw1m tnlt f.n IK. , 1 . . . . .
j i w.v.i iuu uj iuc leuuui cniei wnose
iciuuie nuL-esiur uuu ueen a King s Ta-
vorlte. For half a moment I watched
the wavering needle of my compass
nnd then: '
"If whnt you say is true I think you
are right," I snld.
"I don't agree with you," said young
Lntour. "The patroons have a clear
title to this land. If the tenants don't
want to pay the rents they ought to
got out ond make wny for others."
"Look here, young man, my name Is
.Tosinli Curtis," said the stranger. "I
live in the first house on the right
hand side o' the road. You may tell
the judge that I won't pay rent no
more not as long as I live and I
won't git out, either."
u -i'rvIS may go
on slowly 1 11 overtake you soon," I
sal(1, ' "
They went on and left me alone wflh
Curtis. He was getting excited and I
wished to allay his fears. .
"Don't let him try to serve no writs
or there'll be hell to pay in this val-
ley," said Curtis.
ItHf-M T ........ . . .1 T ,
"In that case I shall not try to serve
the writs. I don't want to stir up the
neighborhood, but I want to know the
facts. I shall try to see other tenants
and report what they say. It may lead
to a settlement."
We went on together to the top of j
the hill near which we had been stand- j
ing. Far ahead I saw a cloud of dust
but no signs of Latour nnd Purvis, j
They must have spurred their horses I
Into a run. The fear came to me that
Latour would try to serve the writs ln
eplte of me. They were In his pocket 1
What a fool I bad been not to call for
them. My companion saw the look of
concern, in my face.
"I don't like that young feller," said
Curtis. "He's ln fcr trouble." - ,
lie ran toward his house, which was :
only a few rods beyond us, while I
stnrted on in pursuit of the two men
at top speed. Before my horse had
taken a dozen jumps I heard a horn
blowing behind me nnd its echo In the
hills. Within a half a moment n dozen
horns were souuding In the valleys
around me. What a contrast to the
nnlet in which we had been riding was
this pandetuoulum which had broken
loose In the countryside, A little ahead
,Mr,djr.m.!VU.n",nS U' SfnSf
fields. My horse had begun to lather,
foi the sun was hot My companions
were far ahead. I could not see the
dust of "t heir heels now. I gave up try
ing to catch them ond checked the
speed of my horse and went on at a
walk. The horns were still sounding.
Some of them seemed to be miles
awny. . About twenty rods ahead I saw
three rides r rtmre costumes come
out of a dooryard and take the ruua
at a wild gallop in pursuit of Latour
end Purvis. They had not discovered
me. I kept as calm as I could In the
midst of this excitement.
I passed the house from which the
three riders had just turned into the
road. A number of women and an old
man and three or fonr children stood
on the porch. They looked at me In
silence as I was passing and then be
gan to hiss and jeer. It gave me a
feeling I have never known since that
day. I Jogged along over the brow of
the bill when, at a white, frame house,
I saw the center toward which all the
men of the countryside were coming.
Suddenly heard the hoof-beats of
a horse behind me. I stopped, aad
looking over my shoulder saw a rider
approaching me in the costume of an
Indian chief. A red mask covered bis
face. A crest of eagle feathers circled
the edge of his cap. Without a word
he rode on at my side. I knew not
then that he was the man Joslah Cur
tis aor could I at any time have
sworn that It was he.
A crowd had assembled around the
house ahead. I could eee a string of
horsemen coming toward it from the
other side. I wondered what was go
ing to happen to me. What a shouting
and Jeering in the crowded dooryard I
I could see the smoke of a fire. We
reached the gate. Men in Indian masks
and costumes gathered aroand us.
"Order I Sh-sh-sh," was the loud com
mand of the man beside me in whom I
recognized or thought that I did the
voice of Joslah Curtis. "What has
happened?"
"One o' them tried to serve a writ
an' we have tarred an' feathered him."
Just then I heard the voice of Pur
vis shouting back In the crowd this
impassioned plea :
"Bart, for God's sake, come here."
I turned to Curtis and snld:
'Tf the gentleman tried to eerve the
writ he acted without orders and de
serves what he has got. The other fel
low is simply a hired man who come
along to take care of the horses. He
couldn't tell the difference between a
writ and a hole in the ground."
"Men, you have gone far enough,"
snld Curtis. "This man Is nil right.
Bring the other men here and put 'em
on their horses an' I'll escort 'em. out
o' the town." . . .
They brought Latour on n rail
amidst roars of laughter. What a bear-
They Brought Latour on a Rail Amidst
Roara of Laughter.
like, poultrified,'be-poodled object he
was burred and sheathed in rumpled
gray feathers from his hnlr ta htn
heels. The sight and smell of hlra
scared the horses. There were tufts
.
of feathers over his ears and on his
cbln. They had found great Joy in
spoiling that aristocratic livery In
which he had arrived.
Then came poor Purvis. They hod
just begun to npply the tor nnd feath-
ers to him when Curtis hnd stopped
the process. He had only a shaking
mff of long feathers around his neck.
Tllev IIfted the runaways Into their
saddles. Purvis started off nt a gallon.
shouting "Come on, Bart," but they
stopped Tilra.
"Don't be In a hurry, young feller,"
said one of the Indians, and then there
was another roar of laughter.
"Go bock to yer work now," Curtis
snouted, nnd turning to mo added:
"You ride along with me and let our
feathered friends follow us."
So we stnrted up the rond on our
war bock to Cobleskill. Our guide left
us nt the town line some three miles
beyond.
Latour was busy picking his arms
nnd slfotilders. Presently he took off
his feathered coat and throw it away,
saying:
"They'll have to pay for this. Every
one o' those jackrnbbits will have to
settle with me.'
"You brought it on yourself," I sold.
"You ran awny from me annkgot us all
Into trouble by being too smart. You
tried to be a fool nnd succeeded be
yond your expectation." .
It was dark when I left my com
panions in Co'bleskHI. I changed my
clothes and had my supper nnd found
Judge Westbrook In his home and re-
e.,n WU1! CurtiS "nd ,0Ur:
...... ....c u ,uy view or me euua-
t;on back in the hills.
I observed that
he gave the lntler a cold welcome.
I shall send the sheriff and n
posse," he said with a troubled look.
"Pnrdon me, but I think It will make
a bad matter worse," I answered.
"We must not forget that the pa
troons are our clients," he remarked.
In Uie next week or so I buliaued my
self of the rectitude of my optnlonsL
Then came the most critical point 1b
my history a conflict with Thrift and
Fear on one side end Conscience orx
the other.
The judge raised my salary. I want- .
ed the money, but every day I would '
have to lend my help, directly or indi
rectly, to the prosecution of claims
which I could not believe to be Just.
My heart went out of my work. I be-'
gan to fear myself. For weeks I had
ot the courage to take issue with the
learned judge.
One evening I went to his home de
termined to put an end to my unhap
piness. After a little talk I told hint
frankly that I thought the patroons
should seek a friendly settlement witb v
thalr tenants.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because their position Is unjust;
on-American and untenable," was my
answer.
He rose and gave me his hand and
a smile of forbearance in considera
tion of my youth, as I took it
I left much Irritated and spent at
sleepless night in the course of which
I decided to cling to the ideals of Da-,
vld Hoffman and Silas Wright
In the morning I resigned my place
ond asked to be relieved as soon as
the convenience of the judge would
allow It He tried to keep me with
gentle persuasion and higher pay, but
I was firm. Then I wrote a Ring letter
te my friend the senator.
Again I had chosen my way and with
due regard to the compass.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Man With the Scythe.
It was late In June before I was able)
to disengage myself from the work of
the judge's office. Meanwhllo there
hud been blood shed bnck in the hills.
One of the sheriffs posse had been se
verely wounded by a bullet and had
fnlled to serve the writs. The jndga
had appealed to the governor. People
were talking of "the rent war."
What a joy entered my heart when
was aboard tho steamboat, at last.
and on my way to all most dear to niel
As I entered Lake Champlnln I con
sulted the map and decided to leave
the boat at Chimney Point to find Kate
Fullerton, who had written to the
schoolmaster from Canterbury. Mr
aunt had said In a letter that old Kate
was living there nnd that a great
change had come over her. So I went
ashore and hired a horse of the ferry
man. I passed through MIddlebury and
rode Into the grounds of the college,
where the senator hnd been educated,
and on out to Weybrldge to see where '
he had lived as a boy. I found the
Wright homestead n comfortable
white house at the head of a beautiful
valley with wooded hills behind it
nnd rode up to the door. A white
haired old lndy In a blnck lace cap
was sitting on Its porch looking out
at the sunlit fields.
"Is this whore Senator Wright lived
when he was a boy?" I nsked.
"Yes, sir," the old lady answered.
"I am from Canton."
She rose from her chnlr.
"You from Canton !" she exclaimed.
"Why, of nil things ! That's where my
boy's home Is. I'm glad to see you. Go
an' put your horse ln the barn."
I dismounted and she came near me.
"Sllns Wright is my boy,? she said.
"What Is your name?"
"Barton Baynes," I answered as I
hitched my horse.
"Barton Bnynest Why, Sllns had
told me all about you in his letters.
He writes to me every week. Come
and sit down."
We snt down together on the porch.
"Silas wrote In his last letter that
you were going to leave your place In
Cobleskill," she continued to my sur-
prIse- "IIe snl'J tIl!lt 1,8 was glad yon
mlu "eciueu not to stay."
It wns Joyful news to me. for the
renntor's silence had worried me and I
had begun to think with alarm of my
future.
"I wish that he would take you td
Washington to help him. The poor
man has too much to do."
"I should think it a great privilege
to go," I answered.
"My boy likes you," she went on.
"You have been brought up just as he
was. I used to read to him every eve
ning when the caudles were lit. How
hard he worked to make a man of him
self I I have known the mother's Joy.
I can truly say, 'Now let thy servant
depart In peace.' "
" 'For mine eyes have seen thy sal
vation,' " I quoted.
"You see I know much about yon
and much about your aunt ond uncle,"
said Mrs. Wright
She left me for n moment and soon
the whole household wns gathered
about me on the porch, the men hav
ing come up from the fields. They put
my horse iu tho barn and pressed me
to stay for dinner, which I did. As I
was going the gentle old lady gave
me a pair of mittens which her distin
guished son hod worn during his last
winter in college. I remem'.er. well
how tenderly she bandied tlieml
"I hope thnt Silas will get you to
help him" those were the last words
she said to me when I bade her good
by. The shadows were Ion? when T tr
to Canterbury. At the . head of its
urn in wi rnot i in,.!, .! .i ..
ree nnd some fine old elms. It
was a s neuhirlv n,,it -!., i . ..
in front of n hi rt.i(a .i u-'
An old man was mowing In its grave-!
yard near the highway.
Slowly h
nng nis scythe.
"Do you know where ITnto t?nii-i
lives?" I asked.
"Well, it's pnrty likely that I do," he)
answerpri no o a
.JAeldcdiiodtowithrk. srath. Zo y
(Continoei Monday) .