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Show j The; Light in the Clearing 1 of the NORTH COUNTRY in the TIME of SILAS WRIGHT I Tr TT? 17T TJtf"' "R A rTJTTT T T?T Author of Eben Holden, D'H and I, barrel of the H IV I IV V I IN VJ 0VrlJJUjLlLl. Blessed Isles. Keeping Up Witfe JLizzie, Etc., Eve. Copyright by Irving BaobpJlcr S; : : . - 1 4 Again Grimshaw laughed between his teeth as he looked at my uncle. In his view every man had his price. "I see that I'm the mouse an' you're the cat," he resumed, as that curious laugh rattled in his throat. "Look a' here, Baynes, I'll tell ye what I'll do. I'll cancel the hull mortgage." Again Uncle Peabody rose from his chair with a look in his face which I have never forgotten. How his voice rang out ! "No, sir !" he shouted so loudly that we all jumped to our feet and Aunt Deel covered her face with her apron and began to cry. It was like the explosion ex-plosion of a blast. Then the fragments frag-ments began falling with a loud crash : "NO, SIR! YE CAN'T BUT THE NAIL ON MY LITTLE FINGER OR HIS WITH ALL YER MONEY D N YOU !" It was like the shout of Israel from the top of the mountains. Shep bounced into the house with hair oh UNCLE PEABODY SPURNS BRIBE OFFERED BY GRIMSHAW TO SEAL BART'S LIPS. Synopsis. Barton Baynes, an orphan, goes to live with his uncle, Peabody Baynes, and his Aunt Deel on a farm on Rattleroad, in a neighborhood called Llckitysplit, about the year 1S26. He meets Sally Dunkelberg, about his own age, but socially of a class above the Bayneses, and is fascinated by her pretty face and fine clothes. Barton also meets Roving Kate, known in the neighborhood as the "Silent Woman." Amos Grimshaw, a young son of the richest man in the township, town-ship, is a visitor at the Baynes home and Roving Kate tells the boys' fortunes, predicting a bright future for Barton and death on the gallows for Amos. Barton meets Silas Wright, Jr., a man prominent in public affaire, who evinces much interest in the boy. Barton learns of the power of money when Mr. Grimshaw threatens to take the Baynes farm unless a note which he holds is paid. Now in his sixteenth year, Barton, Bar-ton, on his way to the post office at Canton, meets a stranger and they ride together. They encounter a highwayman, who shoots and kills the stranger. Barton's horse throws him and runs away. As the murderer bends over the stranger Barton throws a stone, which he observes wounds the thief, who makes off at once. A few weeks later Bart leaves home to enter Michael Hacket's school at Canton. Amos Grimshaw is arrested, charged with the murder which Bart witnessed. ' T i :ipfiir CHAPTER IX Continued. 10 ' To my utter surprise he resumed his talk .with me as the young man went away. "You see all ways are north when you put this lodestone near the needle," he went on. "If it is to tell you the truth you must keep the lode-stone lode-stone away from the needle. It's that way, too, with the compass of your soul, partner. There the lodestone is selfishness, and with its help you can make any direction look right to you and soon you're lost." He bound the last bundle and then we walked together toward the house, the senator carrying his sickle. "I shall introduce you to the president," presi-dent," he said as we neared our destination. des-tination. "Then perhaps you'had better bet-ter leave us." J could not remember that I had ever been "introduced" to anybody. I knew that people put their wits on exhibition ex-hibition and often flung down a "snag" - by way of demonstrating their fitness for the honor, when they were introduced intro-duced in books. I remember asking rather timidly: "What shall I say when when you introduce me?" . "Oh, say anything you want to say," he answered with a look of amusement amuse-ment "I'm kind o' scared," I said. ' irYou needn't be he was once a poor boy just like you." ' "Just like me!" I repeated thoughtfully, thought-fully, for while I had heard a good deal of that kind of thing in our home, it had not, somehow, got under my jacket, as' they, used to say. "Just like you cowhide and all the son of a small freeholder in Kin-derhook Kin-derhook on the Hudson," he went on. "But he was well fed in brain and body and kept his heart clean. So of course he grew and is still growing, That's a curious thing about men and Vomen, Bart. If they are in good ground and properly cared for they never stop growing never! and that's a pretty full word isn't it? We had come in sight of the house. I lagged behind a little when I saw the great man sitting on the small piazza with Mrs. Wright. I see viv- my life ayes ! We been lookin' up the road for an hour eyes ! You come right into the house this minute min-ute both o' you." The table was spread with the things I enjoyed most big, brown biscuits bis-cuits and a great comb of honey surrounded sur-rounded with its nectar and a pitcher of milk and a plate of cheese and some jerked meat and an apple pie. "Set right down an' eat I just want to see ye eat ayes I do !" Mr. Grimshaw came soon after we had finished our luncheon. He hitched his horse at the post and came in. "Good day," he said, once and for all, as he came in at the open door. "Baynes, I want to have a talk with you and the boy. Tell me what you know about that murder." "Wal, I had some business over to Plattsburg," my uncle began. "While I was there I thought I'd go and see Amos. So I drove out to Beekman's farm. They told me that Amos had left there after workin' four days. They gave him fourteen shillins an' he was goin' to take the stage in the mornin.'. He left some time in the night an' took Beekman's rifle with him, so they said. There was a piece o' wood broke out o' the stock o' the rifle. That was the kind o' gun that was used in the murder." It surprised me that my uncle knew all this. He had said nothing to me of his journey or its result. "How do you know?" snapped Mr. Grimshaw. "This boy see it plain. It was a gun with a piece o' wood broke out o' the stock." "Is that so?" was the brusque demand de-mand of the money lender as he turned to me. "Yes, sir," I answered. "The boy lies," he snapped, and turning to my uncle added: "Yer mad 'cause I'm tryin' to make ye pay yer honest debts ain't ye now?" Uncle Peabody, keeping his temper, shook his. head and calmly said: "No, I ain't anything ag'in' you or Amos, : but it's got to be so that a man can travel the roads o' this town withuui gettin' his head blowed off." Mr. Dunkelberg turned to me and asked : "Are you sure that the stock of the gun you saw was broken?" "Yes, sir and I'm almost sure it was Amos that ran away with It." "Why?" "I picked up a stone and threw It at him and it grazed the left side of his face, and the other night I saw the scar it made." My aunt and uncle and Mr. Dunkel. berg moved with astonishment as I spoke of the scar. Mr. Grimshaw, with keen eyes fixed upon me, gave a little grunt of incredulity. "Huh ! Liar !" he muttered. "I am not a liar," I declared with indignation, in-dignation, whereupon my aunt angrily stirred the fire in the stove and Uncle Peabody put his hand on my arm and said : "Hush, Bart! Keep your temper, son." "If you tell these things you may be the means of sending an Innocent boy to his death," Mr. Dunkelberg said to me. "I wouldn't be too sure about 'era if I were you. It's so easy to be mistaken. You couldn't be sure in the dusk that the stone really lilt him, could you?" I answered : "Yes, sir I saw the stone hit and I saw him put his hand on the place while he was running. I guess it hurt him some." "Look a' here, Baynes," Mr. Grimshaw Grim-shaw began In that familiar .scolding tone of his, "I know what you want an' we might jest as well git right down to business first as last. You keep this boy still an' I'll give ye five years' interest." Aunt Deel gave a gasp and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Uncle Peabody changed color as be rose from his chair with a strange look on his face. He swung his big right hand In the air as he said: "By tho eternal Jumplu' " He stopped, pulled down the left sleeve of his flannel shirt and walked to tho water pall and drank out of the dipper. "Say, Mr. Grimshaw, I'm awful sorry for ye," said my uncle as he returned to Ids chair, "but I've always learnt this boy to tell tho truth an' the hull truth. I know the danger I'm In. We're gettin' old. It'll be hard to start over ag'ln an' you can ruin us If ye want to an' I'm as soured o' ye as a mouse in a cat's paw, but this boy has got to toll the truth right, out plain. I couldn't muzzle him If I tried-"-ho's too much of a man. If you're soared o' the truth you inns' know Unit Aiiioh Is guilty." Mr. Grimshaw shook his bead with linger and boat the floor Willi the end of bis cane. "Nobody knows anything o' Hie kind, ISnyncs," said Mr. Dunkelberg. "or course Anion never thought, o' killing anybody. JIo'H a linnnloss kind of a boy. I know him well and so do you. Under the elnumistanooM Mr. Grimshaw Grim-shaw Is nfriild that Burl's story will make It (llfllcult for Amos to prove hlH Innocence." Uncle Peabody Hhoolc Ills head will) a look of (Inline:::). - . ... , . . "It is a 'pleasure to be here and a regret to call you back to Washington," Washing-ton," said the president as they shook hands. "I suppose that means an extra session," ses-sion," the senator answered. "First let me reassure you. I shall get away as soon as possible, for I know that a president is a heavy burden bur-den for one to have on his hands." "Don't worry. I can get along with almost any kind of a human being, especially es-pecially if he like pudding and milk as well as you do," said the senator, who then introduced me in these words : "Mr. President, this is my young friend, Barton Baynes, of the neighborhood neigh-borhood of Lickitysplit in the town of Ballybeen a coming man of this county." "Come on," was the playful remark of the president as he took my hand. "I shall be looking for you." I had carefully chosen my words and I remember saying, with some dignity, dig-nity, like one in a story book, although with a trembling voice: "It is an honor to meet you, sir, and thank you for the right to vote when I am old enough." Vividly, too, I remember his gentle smile as he looked down at me and said in a most kindly tone: "I think it a great honor to hear y'oti say that." He put his hands upon my shoulders and turning to the senator said : "Wright, I often wish that I had your modesty." "I need it much more than you do," the senator laughed. Straightway I left them with an awkward bow and blushing to the roots of my hair. As I neared the home of Mr. Hacket I heard hurrying footsteps behind me and the voice of Sally calling my name. I stopped and faced about. How charming she looked as she walked toward me ! I had never seen her quite so fixed up. "Bart," she said. "I suppose you're not going to speak to me." "If you'll speak to me," I answered. "J love to speak to you," she said. "I-ve been looking all around for you. Mother wants you to come over to dinner with us at just twelve o'clock. You're going away with father as soon as we get through." I wanted to go but got the notion all at once that the Dunkelbergs were In need of information about me and that the time had come to impart it. So then and there that ancient Olympus of our family received notice as it were. "I can't," I said. "I've got to study my lessons before I go away with your father." It was a blow to her. I saw the shadow that fell upon her face. She was vexed and turned and ran away from me without another word and I felt a pang of regret as I went to the lonely and deserted home of the schoolmaster. At twelve-thirty Mr. Dunkelberg came for me, with a high-stopping horse In a new harness and a shiny, still-running buggy. He Wore gloves and a beaver hat and sat very erect and had little to say. "I hear you met the president," he remarked. "Yes, sir. I wns" introduced to him this morning," I answered a bit too proudly, and wondering how he had I heard of my good fortune, but deeply gratified at his knowledge of It. "What did he have to say?" I described the Interview and the looks of the great man. Not much more was said us we spoil wuy toward the deep woods and the high hills. I was ea'ger to get home but wondered won-dered why ho should he going with me to talk with Mr. Grimshaw and my uncle.. Of course I suspected flint It had to do with Amos, but how I knew not. lie hummed In the rough going and thought fully flicked the bushes with his whip. I never knew u more persistent hummer. Aunt Deel shook bands with Mr. Dunkclliorg and then caino tJ nie and wild : "Wal, I'.iirl: Paynes! I never was ho chid fo : ! anybody in all the days o' "No, Sir! Ye Can't, Buy the Nail on My Little Finger 'or His With All Yer Money Damn You!" end and the chickens cackled and the old rooster chipped his wings and crowed with all the power of his lungs. Every member of that little group stood stock still and breathless. I trembled with a fear I could not have defined. Mr. Grimshaw shuffled out of the door, his cane rapping the floor as if his arm had been stricken with palsy In a moment. Mr. Dunkelberg turned to my aunt, his face scarlet, and muttered an apology apol-ogy for the disturbance and followed the money lender. "Come on, Bnrt," Uncle Teabody called cheerfully, as he walked toward the barnyard. "Let's go an' git in them but'nuts." He paid no attention to our visitors visi-tors neither did my nunt, who followed fol-lowed us. The two men talked together to-gether a moment, unhitched their horses, got into their buggies and drove away. "Wal, I'm surprised at Mr. Horace Dunkelberg tryin' to come it over us like that ayes ! I be," said Aunt Deel. "Wal, I ain't," said Uncle Peabody. "01' Grimshaw has got him under his thumb that's what's the matter. You'll find he's up to his cars in debt to Grimshaw prob'ly." As we followed him toward the house, he pushing the wheelbarrow loaded with sacks of nuts, he added : "At last Grimshaw has found some-thin' some-thin' that he can't buy an' he's awful surprised. Too bud he didn't learn that lesson long ago." He slopped his wheelbarrow by the steps and we sat down together on the edge of the stoop as he added : "I got mad they kep' pickin' on mo so I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. We'll start up ag'ln somewhores If we have to. There's a good many days' work In me yet." As we carried the bags to tho attic room I thought of the lodestone nnd the compass and knew that Mr. Wright had foreseen what was' likely to happen. hap-pen. When we came down Undo Peabody Pea-body said to me: "I feel sorry, awful sorry, for that boy." We siient a silent afternoon gathering gather-ing apples. After supper we played old sledge and my uncle had bard work to keep us In good countenance. WO went to bed curly and I lay long, hearing Hie autumn wind In the popple loaves anil thinking of that great thing which had grown strong wit bin us, little by llllle. In the candle Unlit.. ' Bart encounters a new peril as a result of his knowledge regarding re-garding tho crlino of which Amos Grlmuhaw is accused. How Bart escaped .. from the danger that menaced him Is told In tho next Installment. (TO 1114 CONTINUUM.) Mm tar "It Is an Honor to Meet You, Sir, and Thank You For the Right to Vote-When Vote-When I am Old Enough." Idly, as I write, the full figure, the ruddy, kindly fa'-e, the large nose, the gray eyes, the thick halo of silvered l.alr extending from his collar to the bald top or his head. lie rose and sail in a deep voice : "He sows 111 luck who hinders the reaper." Mr. Wright, hung his sickle on a fiiiall tree In the dooryurd and an- r.'.oi,.,j: "Tl:" plowman has overtaken the i i - ' j'v .;bh nt. I bid y:i;i wel-' wel-' b'ji. boni"." . . |