The independent. [volume], April 04, 1919, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 7

About The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
I
Tfie Light
HI nnfe
Clearing
A Tl tha North
Country l the Tim
Silas Wright
By
IRVING bacheller
. .w of "Bbao Holden." "D'rl and
ot.h.r;rr.i of th Biassed Wm--Keeping
P With Bo, Bta.
rttowrlgM. 1917. Irrtog BacfceUer)
CHAPTER X.
A party and My Fourth Peril?
Tt was a rainy Sunday. In the
TTmmIa T
uia of tne axieiuuuii uuuc
T,-ith the family umbrella a
fded but sacred implement, always
.nfofnllv Qneu, anci uoiu6, uv. -"""fa
10 rhp skin in spite of the umbrella.
Tt WHS Still raining wiicia wc aimcu
at the familiar door in Ashery lane.
Uncle Peabody wouldn't stop.
He hurried away. We pioneers rare
1; stoprea or even turned out for tte
ff'Come in," said the voice of the
schoolmaster at the door. "There's
mod weather under this roof."
He saw my plight as I entered.
Tin like a shaggy dog that's been
in swimming," I said.
Tnnn mv word, ooy, we're in luck,"
remarked the schoolmaster.
I looked up at mm.
"Michael Henry's clothes I Bore,
they're just the thing for your
I followed mm upstairs, wimuenug
hnw it had happened that Michael
Henry had clothes.
jje too'i me into nis room anu
bron-h- some handsome, soft clothes
out of a press with shirt, socks arM
boots to natch.
"There, my laddie buck, eald he,
put them on."
"These will soon dry on me," l saia.
"Pitt them on ye laggard ! Michael
Henry told me to give them to you.
It's the birthday night o' little Ruth,
my bov. There's a big cake with can
fllps and chicken pie and jellied cook
ies and all the like o that. Put them
on. A wet boy at the feast would
dampen the whole proceedings.
t nnt them on and with a great
sense of relief and comfort. They
were an admirable fit too perfect for
an accident, aitnougu at -"" -
thnncrht nnlv of their grandeur as I
stnnrt snrvevinz myself in the looking-
glass. They were of blue cloth and I
saw that they went well with my
hWl hnir and light skin. I was put
ting on mv collar and necktie when
Mr. Hacket returned.
We went below and the table was
-prr ersnd with Its ere&t frosted cake
ta&&its candles, in shiny brass sticks,
1 its iellies and preserves with the
Mem of rjolisbed pewter among them.
fife Hacket and all the children, save
iJuth, were waiting for us In the din
ing room.
"Xow sit down here, all o ye. with
Michael Henry," said the schoolmas
ter. "The little lady will be Impatient.
Til go and get her and God help us to
make her remember the day."
He was gone a moment, only, when
he came back with Ruth in lovely
white dress and slippers and gay with
ribbons, and the silver beads of Mary
on her neck. We clapped our hands
and cheered and, in the excitement of
the moment, John tipped over his
drinking glass and shattered It on
the floor.
"Sever mind, my brave lad no glass
ever peiished in a better cause. God
bless you '."
We ate and jested and talked, and
fre sound of our laughter . drowned
the cry of the wind in the chimney
end the flrureraing of the rain upon
tie windows.
Next ifiorning my clothes, which had
L'Mn IniliLT hv Thn Vitr-'hon strvi WPrP
tap lind wrinkled. Mr. Hacket came
to my r,,m hoiore I had risen.
"Mich TTpnnr wnnl1 rntriar at
"ls clothes hanging on a good boy
Jan on a nail in the closet," said he.
Sure they crivfi Tin rnmfnrt tn thp
'"ail at all."
"Well, partner, we shall be leaving
In an hour or so," said Mr. Wright as
he gave me his hand. "You may look
for me here soon after the close of the
session. Take care of yourself and go
often- to see Mrs. Wright and obey
your 'captain and remember me to your
aunt and uncle." .
"See that you keep coming, my good
boy," said the, president as he gave me
bis hand, with playful reference, no
doubt, to Mr. Wright's remark that I
was a coming man.
"Bart, Tve some wheat to be
thrashed in the barn on the back lot,"
said the senator as I was leaving
them. "You can do it Saturdays, If
you care to, at a shilling an hour.
Stack the straw out of doors until
you've finished, then put it back In the
bay. Winnow the wheat carefully and
sack It and bring it down to the gran
ary and I'll settle with you when I
return."
I remember that a number of men
who worked in Grimshaw's sawmill
were passing as he spoke.
"Yes, sir," I answered, much elated
by the prospect of earning money.
The examination of Amos was set
down for Monday and the people of
the village were stirred and shaken
by wildest rumors regarding the evi
dence to be adduced. Every day men
and women stopped me in the street
to ask' what I knew of the murder. I
followed the advice of Bishop Per
kins and kept my knowledge to myself.
Saturday came, and when the chores
were done I went alone to the grain
barn In the back lot of the senator's
farm with flail and measure and broom
and fork r.nd shovel and sacks and n'y
Iunciiei.il, in a pushcart, with all of
which Mrs. Wright had provided me.
Tt vas a lonely place with woods
on three sides of the field and a road
on the other. I kept laying down
beds of wheat on the barn floor and
beating them out with the flail until
the sun was well over the roof, when
I sat down to eat my luncheon. Then
I swept up the grain and winnowed
but the chaff and filled one of my
sacks. That done, I covered the floor
again and the thump of the flail eased
my loneliness until in the middle of
the afternoon two of my schoolmates
came and asked me to go swimming
with them. The river was not forty
rods away and a good trail led to the
swimming hole. It was a warm, bright,
day and I was hot and thirsty. The
thought of cool waters and friendly
companionship was too much for me.
I went with them and stayed with
them longer than I intended. I re
member saying as I dressed that I
should have to work late and go with
out my supper in order to uish my
stint.
It was almost dark when I was put
ting the last sack of wheat into my
cart, in the gloomy barn and getting
ready to go.
A rustling In the straw where I j
stood stopped me suddenly. I heard
stealthy footsteps in the darkness. I
stood my ground and demanded:
"Who's there?"
I saw a form approaching In the
gloom with feet as noiseless as a cat's.
I took a step backward and, seeing
that it was a woman, stopped.
"It's Kate,"-, came In. a hoarse whis
per as I recognized her form and staff.
"Run, boy they have Just come out
o' the woods. I saw them. They will
1 take you away. Run."
j She had picked up the flail, and now
sue put il ill my uauus uuu gave uic
a push toward the door. I ran, and
none too quickly, for 1 had not gone
fifty feet from the barn In the stubble
when I heard them coming after me,
whoever they were. I saw that they
were gaining and turned quickly. I
I an-
"I guess mine are drv now.'
'Thev'
fcn o' Baldur could keep a light heart
them. Sure ye'd be as much out
" Place !1 Q CiinKni, I rv sv
bats, if j. .
.. tiiic uui lor your uwu
comfort think o' the poor lad in the
. o mai. iiruu a.uu
Phased to see them on ye it would be
Mhame to reject his offer. Sure, If
er Were dry yer own garments
Wfl be good enough, God knows,
t iliohael Henry loves the look o'
m these togs, and then the presl-
Jet is in tr..
That
n, black as ink, on my coat and
"U'isers. ATr trw4. iv
pmion that it might have come from
e umbrella, but I am quite sure that
n had T,r.tf.-.i 4i - . -
,l --rn.cu mem iu save me irom
"c ast ho
ho out i am t
had spotted them to
e last homemade suit I ever wore,
-n,.. Hula, o.uu &cc)j ij.ii:iiaci
TJ'S m my back. In any event I
more save at chore time.
Sallv
bov u went witn tne wills
ey;;aTnd Lgave no need to me- 111 ner
a' . ha,i no more substance than
caS!?'i U seemed to me, although I
i bZi at her father given her
ETctc . ' Ui " ana naa some re
sets, in -j - . - - ...
iJlie my Knowledge that
moctw aiuiougn tney reiatea
;fly t0 Amos.
ana S afternoon 1 saw Mr. Wright
forth if presIdent walking back and
together Dri"ge as they talked
rtver L 6 bIacksmith shop, by the
Passed Z. U1"s mem, as
broadciot wo statesmen were In
.hats tT e imen and beaver
Aey stopped as I approached
I Had Time to Raise My Flail and
Bring It Down Upon the Head of
the Leader.
had time to raise my flail and bring It
down upon the head of the leader,
who fell as I had seen a beef fall un
der the ax. Another man stopped be
yond the reach of my flail and, after
a second's hesitation, turned and ran
away in the darkness.
I could hear or see no other motion
in the field. I turned and ran on
down the slope toward the village. In
a. moment I saw someone coming out
pt the maple grove at the field's end,
just ahead, with a lantern.
Then I heard the voice of the school
master saying:
"Is it you, my lad?"
"Yes," I answered, as I came up to
him and Mary, in a condition of
breathless excitement.
I told them of the curious adventure
J. had had.
"Come quick," said the schoolmas
ter. "Let's go back and find the man
In the stubble."
I remembered that I had struck the
path in my flight just before stopping
to swing the flail. The man must have
fallen very near It. Soon we found
where he had been lying and drops of
fresh blood -on the stubble.
"Hush," said the schoolmaster.
We listened and heard a wagon rat
tling at a wild pace down the road
toward the river.
"There he goes," said Mr. Hacket.
"His companions have carried him
away. Xe'd be riding in that wagon
now, frerself, my brave lad, if ye hadn't
a made a lucky hit with the flail
God bless ye!"
"What would they 'a' done with
me?" I asked.
"Oh, I reckon they'd 'a took ye off,
lad, and kep ye for a year or so until
Amos was out o' danger," said Mr.
Hacket. "Maybe they'd drowned ye in
the river down there an' left yer
clothes on the bank to make it look
like an honest drowning. The devil
knows what they'd 'a done with ye,
laddie buck. We'll have to keep an
eye on ye now, every day until the
trial is over sure we will. Come, we'll
go up to the barn and see If Kate is
there." ,
' Just then we heard the receding
wagon go roaring over the bridge on
Little river. Mary shuddered with
fright. The schoolmaster reassured us
by saying:
"Don't be afraid. I brought my gun
In case we'd meet a painter. But the
danger is past."
He drew a long pistol from his coat
pocket ind held it in the light of the
lantern.
The loaded cart stcod in the middle
of the barn floor, where I had left It,
but. old Kate had gone. We closed
the barn, drawing the cart along with
us. When we came into the edge of
the village I began to reflect upon the
strange peril out of which I had so
luckily escaped. It gave me a heavy
sense of responsibility and of the.
wickedness of men.
I thought of old Kate and her broken
6ilence. For once I had heard her
speak. I could feel my flesh tingle
when I thought of her quick words
and her hoarse, passionate whisper. .
I knew, or thought I knew, why she
took such care of me. She was in
league with the gallows and could not
bear to see it cheated of its prey. For
some reason she hated the Grimshaws.
I had seen the hate In her eyes the
day she dogged along behind the old
money lender through the streets of
the village when her pointing finger
had seemed to say to me: "There,
there is the man who has brought me
to this. He has put these rags upon
my back, this fire in my heart, this
wild look in my eyes. Wait and you
win see what I will put upon him."
I knew that old Kate was not the
irresponsible, witless creature that
people thought her to be. I had begun
to think of her with a kind of awe as
one gifted above all others. One by
one the things she had said of the
future seemed to be coming true.
As we were going into the house the
schoolmaster said:
"Now, Mary, you take this lantern
and go across the street to the house
o' Deacon Binks, the constable. You'll
find him asleep by the kitchen stove.
Arrest his slumbers, but not rudely,
and, when he has come to, tell him
that I have news o' the devil."
Deacon Binks arrived, a fat man
with a big, round body and a very
wise and serious countenance between
side whiskers bending from his temple
to his neck and suggesting parentheses
of hair, as If his head and Its acces
sories were in the natsire of a 6ide
Issue. He and the schoolmaster went
out of doors and must have talked to
gether while I was eating a bowl of
bread and milk which Mrs. Hacket had
brought to me.
When I went to bed, by and by, I
heard somebody snoring on the little
porch under my window. The first
sound that reached my ear at the
break of dawn was the snoring of
some sleeper. I dressed and went be
low and found the constable in his
coonskin overcoat asleep on the porch
with a long-barreled gun at his side.
While I stood there the schoolmaster
came around the corner of the house
from the garden. He put his hand on
the deacon's shoulder and gave him
a little shake.
"Awake, ye limb o the law," he de-
"Awake, Ye Limb o the Law."
manded. "Prayer is better than
sleep."
The deacon arose and stretched
himself and cleared his throat and as
sumed an air of alertness and said it
was a fine morning, which It was not,
the sky being overcast and the air
dark and chilly. Mr. Hacket removed
his greatcoat and threw it on the stoop
saying :
"Deacon, you lay there. From now
on I'm constable and ready for any act
that may be necessary to maintain the
law. I can be as severe as Napoleon
Bonaparte and as cunning as Satan, If
I have to be."
While I was milking the deacon sat
on a bucket In the doorway of the
stable and snored until I had finished.
He awoke when I loosed the cow and
the constable went back to the pasture
with me, yawning with his hand over
his mouth much of the way. The dea
con leaned his elbow on the top of
the pen and snored again, lightly,
while I mixed the feed for the pigs.
Mr. Hacket met us at the kitchen
door, where Deacon Binks said to him :
"If you'll look after the boy today
Til go home and get a little rest."
"God bless yer soul, ye had a busy
nUrht." said the schoolmaster with
Ollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
ililiilllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICN
s
Your
Goun
ty Laggin
g?
Most cotton counties in the State have already pledged their
farmers to a reduction in acreage. To them we extend our con
gratulations and thanks. Their citizens are the salt of the earth.
They are determined that the South's prosperity shall continue
and obligations to the other counties be fulfilled.
Have You Failed to Do Your Part:
Will your county be one of the few slacker counties in the cotton
belt? The answer is to be found in YOUR attitude. If YOU
"let George do it" YOU and YOUR neighbors and YOUR coun
ty are going to be branded.
Public opinion is going to hold up for PUBLIC SHAME the indi
vidual, the county or the State that does not follow the "Infallible
Plan."
Hold all Cotton and Reduce Acreage One-Third
North Carolina Cotton Ass'n.
f
P. . We expect to publish at an early date the names of the
slacking counties.
v.
Illllllllllllllll!llllllllllllll!li!!i!ill!lllllllllllllllllllll!ll!!lllillllllilllllfllll!lllllllllll!llllllllllll
9
smile.
He added as he went into the house :
"I never knew a man to rest with
more energy and persistence. It was
a perfect flood o' rest. It kept me
awake until long after midnight."
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
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