Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1920-01-02, Page 7JANUARY 2,1920 EXPOSITOR iiiiiiltlitilltiiluiimi llrltlitlilmmile, David Harum by EDWARD NOYES WESTCOTT TORONTO WILLIAM BRIGGS -{-1899 411111111111111111 H11111111111111111111111111111,' (Continued from last week.). Here Mr. Harum paused,pinching his chin with thumb and inex finger, at€d mumbling his tobacco. John, who had listened with more attention than interest—wondering the while as to what the narrative was leading up to—thought something might prop- erly be expected of him to show that he had followed it, and said, "So Mrs. Cullom has -kept this last piece clear, has she?" "No," said David, bringing down his. right hand upon the desk with emphasis, "that's jest what she hain't done, an' that's how I come to tell ye somethin' of the story, an' more on't 'n you've cared about hearin', meb- be." "Not at all," John protested. "I have been very much interested." "You have, have you?" said Mr. Hamra. "Wa'al, I got somethin' I want ye to do. Day after to-morro' 9a Chris'mus an' I want ye to drop Mis' Cullom a line, sornethin' like this, 'That hat. Mr. Return um toldY et say that' • at that morgidge ` he holds, havin' ben past due fer some time, an' no int'rist Navin' ben paid. fer, let me see, more'n a year, he wants to close the matter up, an' he'll see her Chris'mus morn - in = at the bank at nine o'clock, he havin''niore time on that daye but that, as fur ashe can see,. the bus'nis won't take very long'-•--somethin' like that, you understand?" - "Very well, sir," said John, hoping that his employer would not see in his face• the disgust and repugnance he felt as he surmised what a scheme e was on foot, and recalled what he had heard of Harum's hard and un- scrupulous ways, though he had to admit that this, excepting perhaps: the episode of the counterfeit moneys was the first revelation to him per. sonally. But this seemed very -bad to him. •- "All right," said David cheerfully, s'pose it won't take you long to find out what's in your stockin', an' if you hain't nothin' else to do Cris' mus mornin' I'd like to have you open the office and - stay 'round a spell ' till I git through with Mis' Cullom. Mebee the' '11 be some papers to fill out or witness or somethin'; an' have that skeezicks ` of a boy make up the fires so'st the place'll be warm." "Very good, sir," said John, hoping alit the interview was at an end. But the elder man sat for some minutes apparently in .a brown study and- occasionally a smile of sardonic cunning wrinkled his face. At last he -said: "I've told ye so much that I inay as well tell ye how -I come by i. • that morgidge. 'Twont take ' but a, iniWri�et theno you can run an' play," han e added with a chuckle. "I trust . 1 have not betrayed any impatience," said John, and .,instantly conscioua of his .infelicitous expres- sion, aded hastily, ` "I have -really been very much interested." . "Oh, no," was the reply, "you hain'tbetrayed none, but I know ° old fellers like megen rally tot a thing twice over while they're -at it. Wa'al," her: went on, "it was like this. After Charley Cullom got to be some grown he helped to keep the pot a -bilin', ,'n Tout they gof on sone better. Bout seven year ago, though, he up an' got mar- ried,- an' then the fat ketched fire. Finally he allowed that if he had some money he'd ` go West 'n take up some land, 'n git along 'like pussly 'n. a flower gard'n. He ambitioned that if his mother 'd raise a thousan' dol- lars on her place he'd be sure to take care of the nt'rist, an' prob'ly pay_ off the r' `'. le in almost no time. WW'al, she d e it, 'an' off he went She didn't cohie to me fer the -money, because—I durs_iio—at any rate she 'didn't but got it of 'Zeke Swinney. "Wa'al, it turned out jest 's any fool might 've predilictid, fer after the first year, when 'I reckon he paid it out of the thousan', Charley never paid no int'rist. The second year he was jet gettin' gain', an' the _ next year he lost a hoss jet as he was ca)'- latin' to pay, an' the next year the grasshoppers smote him, 'n so on; an' the outcome was that at the end of' five years, when the morgidge had one year torun, Charley'd paid one year, an'shedy paid one, an?she.-stood to owe three years' int'rist . How old Swinhey come to h Id off so was her, it was in the nature of a temp'- shea,tli that s e used to pay a cuss ten dol- rary loan, but she wasso tickled she'd lars or so ev'ry six reenths 'tt git no have signed most anythin' t that credit fer it, an' ` no receipt an' no ertic'ler time. 'Now' I• saysue her, witniiss 'n he knowed the ro 't was 'you an'}' - go p p Ysettlewith oldto - an �- S improving all the time. He may have fetch -it, but don't you say a word had another reason, but at any rate where you got the money,' I says:. he 'let her -run, and got the shave 'Don't ye let on nothin'--stretch that reg'lar. But at the time I'm tellin' conscience o' your'n if nes'sary,' I you about he'd begun to cut up, an' says, 'an' be.:pertie'ler if he asks you allowed that if she didn't settle` up if Dave Harum give. ye the money the int'rist he!d foreclose, an' I -•,got you jest say, "No, he didn't" That wind on't an' 1 run across her one wont be no lie,' I gays, 'because I day an' got to tallyn' with her, en' aint givin' it to ye,' I says. Wa'al, she gin me the hull narration: 'How she done as I tori her. Of course ' c doyou owetheold critter?' ?' mu htc lite I Swinneysus. icron..d fust st off that PI says. 'A ,hundred an' eighty dollars,' was mixed up in it, but she stood him she says, 'an' where , I'm goin' to git off so fair an' square that ` he didn't it,' she says, the Lord• onlyknows.' know jest what to think, but his 'An' He won't, tell . ye, I reckon,' I claws 'was cut fer a spell, anyway, says: ' Wa'al, of \; course I'd -known ! "Wa'al, things Went on° fer a while, that Swinney had a morgidge because till I made up my mind. that I ought it was a matter of record, and I , to relieve Swinney of - some of his knowed 'him well enbugh to give a ' anxieties about worldly bus, nis, an' guess what • his game .:was goin' to ; I dropped in oir him one mornin' an' ' CHAPTER XVIII, 'be, an' more'n that I'd had- my eye passed the time o' day, an' after we'd on that piece an' parcel an' h figured eased upour minds on the subjects Considering Johns relations with ? David Harum, it was natural that that he wai t anwlil slier a citizen 'n of each. -other's health an'such like I ' at he should wish to think as well of him I was." <.: ("Yes,"' said John to him- : says, 'You hold' a morgidge on the self, "where . the, carcase is the vu1-i, Widder Cullom's place, don't ye?' Of , as possible, and he had not (or thought he had not) allowed his mind to bey tures are gathered together,") . > ( course he couldn't say nothin' but 'influenced "'Wa'al' I sa. s to her after we'd ! ' es.' `Doe s , • maby the disparaging re- Y y s shekeep up the int'rist had a little 'more talk, `s'pose you all right?' I says'. `I don't want to marks and insinuations which had g y been made• to him, or in his presence_ come 'round to' mfr .place to inorro' I be pokin' my nose into your hus'nis,' 'bout 'leven o'clock an' mebbe we c'n f I a. 'an' don't tell me nothin' you concerning his ,employer, He had cipher this thing out. : I don't say ' don'ts want to.' Wa'al, he knowed made up his mind to form his opinion positive that we kin,' I says, 'but meb- W an' upon his own experience with the Dave Harum was Dave Harum e, mebbe.' So thaafternoon I sent that he might, 's well spit it out,, an' mane and so far it had not only been pleasant over to the country seat an'got a he says, `W a'al, she didn't jay nothin' pI _ant but favorable, and far from description an' hada second morgidge , fer justifying the half -jeering, half- drawed up fer two hundred dollars, an' Mis' Cullom, signed itmighty quick. I had the morgidge made one day after date, 'cause, as I said to down`off the stool a nd renched bl r' Dyed Fkr se if,yawning,�I.�v;azed it enough fer one day. Dontfergit ,to send Mis' Cullom that notice, an' make itu an u o to. I inn ite the thing off my mindt s trip.' g "Very well, sir," said John, "but let me ask, did Swinney assign the mortgage without any trouble'?" "0 Lord! yes," was the reply. "The; Wa'n't nothin' thal else fer - him to do. I. had another twist on him that T hain't mentioned. But he put up a great I show of doin' it to obleege nee. Will, thanked him an' so on, an' when we'd t through h ast if g I him he wouldn't ' 7 take • over to. the 4 Eagll an' take some -thin , an' he looked kind shocked an' said he ' never drinked nothin'. It was 'gin his princ',ples, he said. Ho, ho, ho, ho! Scat my—4 Prine'ples!" and John heard him chuekling to him- self all the way out of the office. g r..^pn1,ow..r NCE our newspapers were divided into three classes ---"Grit," Tory," and "Inde- pendent." In the . case of "Grit and "Tory" papers, if you knew what the party policy was, you always knew what they were go-, ing to say. The "Independent" paper usually died. Then came . - The Toronto Star with its slogan, "A Newspaper, Not An -Organ." That slog an used tc cause smiles. But, as the years passed, its significance was appre- eiated. The Star does not iieare ' much about who wins elections. It cares a great dealabout winning causes. And it is a noteworthy thing about the causes advocated by The Star, that most of them have been adopted and incorporated into the laws of the community, Isere is a paper that, if it is giv- ing a Government general support, does not wait to see what that Government is going to say or' do on any particular issue, before ex- preng itself. The anxiety is sometimes on the part of the Gov - r. ernment, to know .,what The Star is going to 'say. / In buying The Star you may be sure you are getting exactly .what the phrase saysr--` `A Newspaper, Not An Organ." You are getting a live paper full of news, full of ideas, entertaining, informing,, stimulating—in short you are get- ting CANADA'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER Where other- papers are content with merely recording the news, The Star chronicles that news in brilliant style, so that the reader gets the human -interest '.side of every story and understands the inner meaning of things that would otherwise he obscure: The Star is as much a `. `.,Woman's" paper as a man's. Women like it, not l merely for the Departments which 'are devoted exclusively to women's interests, but also 'for its bright and entertaining way of presenting all the news. The Star rs always in the forefront of progressive - movements--- supreme in sports.—a believer in the saving grace of humor --a live newspaper, full of news and full of interesting- illustrations. Three months' trial subscription will put you on friendly terms with this great- est of daily papers—and will cost y ou only $1.25; $2.00 for .6 months' subscription—$3.00 for a year. - To Publishers. Toronto Stan Taa'onto:=. Dear Sirs: Please enter -me as a subscriber to The Toronto Star for money order for $ • .. • .. • • .• Name and address 3ri full; months—far which please find enclosed stamps or • • •441/ *. • • 4 .04* •.•:!•0 • •.•• t. •• • • • w• • • • • •.. •! .. �••1...• •i •4 $ •44 • •• •• i •1 ••..♦ i.• • 1, . (Please writ• plainly, and say whether Mr., Mrs, Miss, or Rev.) • 4 • - . • .. .. • • . .. .• • • • .• rs•••••••• ethie • forked over the ` hull amount. 'But malicious talk that had come to his he says,'thatshe'll I hain't no notion;ears. It had been made manifest to come to time agin.' `Aa' s'posin' she him, it was true, that David was cap- don'ts I says, 'you'll take the prop'ty, able of a sharp bargain in certain see no other way,' won't ye ?' `Don't ; lines, but it seemed to him that it he says, an' lookin' up quick, `unless was more for the pleasure of rmaieh- you over :bid me,' he says. 'No,' I ;lug his wits against another's than `I hain't buyin' no. real . estate j for any gain involved. Mr. Harum says, Iest now, but the thin I come in fer ' was an experienced and expert horse - says, `leavin' out he pleasure of ' man, who delighted above all things Navin' a . talk with you, was to say i in dealing in and trading horses, and that I'd take that morgidge off'm your John soon discovered that, in that hands.' community. at least, toe'get the best "Wa'al, sir, he, he, he, he! Scat of a "hoss-trade" by almost any my---! , At that he looked at rile t means was considered a venial sin,' if fer a minute with his jaw on his neck a sin at all, and the standards of an' then he hunched himself, 'n drawed ordinary business probity were not in his neck like a maid turtle. `No,' expected to govern those transactions. he says, `I hain't Bufferin' fer the i David had said to him once when money, an' I guess I'll keep the morg- idge. It's putty near due now, but mebbe I'll let it run a spell. I guess the secur'ty's good fer it.' `Yes,' - I says, '.I reckon you'll let it run long enough fer the widder to pay the taxes on't once more anyhow; I guess the secur'ty's 'good enough to take that resk; but how 'bdut my secur'ty?' I says. 'What d'you mean?' he says. 'I mean,' says 1, 'that I've sgot a -sec- ond morgidge on that -prop'ty, an' I begin to tremble fer my security. You've jest - told me,' I says, 'that you're goin' to foreclose an' I cal'late to protect myself, an' I don't cal'late,'. I says, 'to have to go an' bid on that prop'ty, an' put in a lot more money to, save my investment," unless I'm 'bleeged to—not much! an'' you can jest sign - that morgidge 'over to me, an' the sooner the quicker,' 1 says." David. brought his hand down on his thigh with, a vigorous slap, the `fellow of the one which, John could imagine, had emphasized his demand upon Swinney. The story, to which he had at first listened with polite patience merely, he had found more interesting as it.went on, -and_ , excus- ing himself, he 'brought up a - stool, and mounting it, said, "And what did 'Swiliney say to that?" Mr. Harum emitted a gurgling chuckle, yawned his quid - out of his mouth, tossing it over his shoulder in the general di- • • ., i erection of the waste basket; and bit off the end of a cigar which he found by slapping his waistcoat pockets. John got down and fetched him a mateh, which he scratched in the vi- cinity of his hip pocket, lighted his cigar (John declining to join him on some 'plausible pretext, having on a previous occasion- accepted one of the brand), and after rolling it around with his 'lips=.and tongue to the effect that the lighted end described sundry eccentric curves, located it firmly with an upward angle in the left-hand cor- ner of his mouth, gave it a' couple of vigorous puffs, and replied to John's question. • "Wa'al, 'Zeke Swinney was a per- fesser of religion some years ago, an' mebbe he is now, but what he said to me on this pertic'ler occasion was that he'd see me in hell fust, an' then he wouldn't. "Wa'al,' I says, 'mebbe you wonft, mebbe you will, it's alwus a pleasure to ,meet ye, I says, 'but in that case this morgidge bus'nis '11 be a ques- tion fer our executors,' I says, `fer you don't never foreclose that morg- idge, an' don't you fergit it,' I says.' ,< "Oh you'd like to git holt o' that prop'ty yourself. I see what you're up to,' he says. - "Look a -here, 'Zeke Swinney,' I says, `I've got an int'rist in that prop'ty, an' I propose to p'tect it. You're goin' to sign that morgidge over to .me, or I'll foreclose and sur- rygate ye,' I says, `unless you allow to bid in the prop'ty, -in which case we'll - see whose weasel -skin's the longest. But I guess it won't come to that,' -I says. `You kin takeour choice,' I says. `Whether Ie warf'to git holt o' that prop'ty myself ain't neither here nor there. Mebbe I do, an' mebbe I don't, but, anyways,' I says, 'you don't git it, nor wouldn't ever, for if I -can't make you sign over, I'll either do what I said or I'll back the wider in a defence fer usury. Put that in your pipe an' smoke it,'I says. " `What do you mean?' he says, git- tin' half out his chair. "I mean this,' I , says, 'that the fust six months the widder couldn't pay she gin you ten dollars to hold off, an' the next time she gin you fifteen, an' that you've`'bled her fer shaves to the tune of sixty odd dol- lars in three years, an' then got your int'rist in full.' • "That riz him clean out of his chair," said David. " `She can't prove it,' he says, shakin' his fist in the air. "‘Oh, ho ! ho!' I says, tippin' my chair back agin the wall. 'If Mis' Cullom was to swear how an' where she paid you the money, givin' chap- ter an' verse, and showin' her own mem'randums even, an' I- was - to swear that when 1 twitted you with gittin' it you didn't deny it, but only said that she couldn't prove it, how long do you think it 'ould take, s Freeland -Coup jury ihid.agin yet 1 slow, "Z,eke $vdspe3 , I18714 V you�=wati born he suspected that John's ideas might have sustained something' of a shock, "A hogs -trade ain't like anythin' eine. A feller may be straighter 'n a string in ev'rythin' else, `an' never tell the truth that is, the hull truth ---about a hoss. I trade hosses with hoss- traders. They all think they know, as much as I do, an' 1 dunno but what they do. They hain't learnt no diff'rent anyway, an they've had Ounces enough. If a feller cone to me that didn't think he knowed any - thin' about a Koss, an' wanted to buy on the square, he'd git, fur's I knew, square treatment. At any rate I'd tell him all 't I knew. Bitt when one o' them smart Alecks conies a-. long and cal'lates to do up old -Dave, why,; he's got to take his chances, that's all. An' mind. Ye,' asserted'. David; shaking his forefinger impres- - sively, "it ain't only thein fellers. I've been wase stuck two or three time by church members in good standin' than anybody I ever dealed with. Take old Deakin Perkins. He's a terrible feller fer church bus'nis; c'n pray an' psalm -sing to beat the Jews, an' in spiritual' matteres en ' read his title clear the hull- ttime, but -when it comes to boss-tradin' you got to git up very early in the mornin' or he'll .skin the eye-teeth out of ye. Yes, sir! Scat my—i I believe the old critter makes bosses! But the dea- kin," added David,, " , he, he, lie! the deakin hain't ha ly spoke to the- fer some eonsid'able time, the dea- kin hain't. He, he, he! "Another thing," he went on, "the' ain't no gamble, like a boss. .You may think you know him through an' through, an' fust thing you know he'll be cuttin' up a lot o' didos right out o' nothin', It stands to reason that sometimes you let a hoss go all on the square—as you know him—an' the feller that gits him don't know how to hitch him or treat him, an' he acts like a diff'rent hose, an' . the. feller allows you swindled him. You see, 'bosses gits used to places an' ways to a . certain extent, an' when they're changed, why they're apt to diet diff'rent. Hosses don't know but -dreadful little, really. Talk about ,hoss sense—wa'al, the' ain't no . such thing." - Thus spoke David on the subject of his favorite pursuit and pastime, and John thought then that he could understand and condone. some things he had seen and heard,- at which at first he was inclined to look askance: But this matter of the Widow Cul- lom's was a different thing, and as he realized that he was expected to play i part, though a small one, in it, his heart- sank within him that he had so far cast his fortunes upon the good will of a man who could plan and carry out so heartless and cruel an undertaking as' that which had been revealed to him that afternoon. -He spent the evening in his room try- ing rying to read, but the widow's affirs persistently thrust themselves .upon his thoughts. - Ali the unpleasant stories he had heard of David came to his mind, and he remembered with misgivings seine things which at the time had seemed regular and right enough, but which took on a different color in the light in which he found himself .recalling them. He- debated with himself whether he should not decline to send Mrs. Cullom the no- tice as he had been instructed, and left it an open question when he went to bed. He wakened somewhat earlier than usual to find that the thermometer had gone up, and the barometer down. The air was full of a steady down- pour, half snow, half rain, about the moat disheartening combination which the worst climate in the world --that of central New -York--can furnish. He passed rather, a. busy day in the office in an atmosphere redolent of - the un- savory odors raised by the proxim- ity of wet bootsauid garments to the big - cylinder stove outside the . counter, a compound of stale - .smells from kitchen and stable: After the bank closed be dispatched Peleg g . Hopkins, the office boy, with the note for Mfrs, Cullom. He had abandoned his half formed intention to revolt, t bad shade the. pato not only a little peremptt as Was fli' patible with, a clear intheation Skirt, Also a "Diamond Dyes" Make Shabby JustLike New—So Rasl+ Don't worry about perfect tine "Diamond Dyes," guarantees a new, rich, fadeless color to an wheth er wools silk,l' en cotton goods-=dressesblouses, linen, os children's coats, draperies,—ever &Direction Book is in package. To match any material, ,bay' cat show you =`Diamon i Dye" Color Caru,R,,. when he was requested to build the; fires on Christmas day, and expressed .. his opinion that "if there wasn't Bible agin workin' on Chris'mus, the' `+ ter be", but when John opened _t door of the bank that morning found the temperature in comfor contrast . to the - outside air. The - weather diad changed again, and a blinding snow storm, accompanied by a buffeting gale from the north- west, made it almost impossible t see a path and to keep it. In the central part of the town some tenta- tive efforts had been made to open walks, but these were apparent only as slight and tortuous depressions in the depths of snow. In the 'out- skirts the unfortunate pedestrian had to wade to the knees. As John went behind - the counter his eye. was at once caught by a: small parcel lying on his desk, of white note paper, tied with a cot- ton string, which. he found to be ad- dressed, "Mr. John - Lenox, Esq., Present," and as he took - it up it seemed heavy for its size: Opening it, be found a tiny'stOCif- ing, knit of white wool, to which Was "' pinned a piece of paper with th,e leg- end, "A Merry Christmas from Aunt Polly." Out of the stocking fell a packet fastened with a rubber strap. Inside were five ten -dollar gold pieces and a slip of paper on which was written, "A Merry Christmas front Your Friend David Harum." For a. moment John's 'fie burned, and there was a curious smarting of the eyelids as he held . the little stock- ing and its contents in his Surely the hand that hath • wri "Your Friend" -on that scrap paper. could not be the hand of an oppressor of widows and orphi nE "This," said John to himself, "is what he meant when 'he supposed' it wouldn't take me long to find - out what was in my stocking.' " The door opened and a bleat and whirl of wind and snow rushed in, ushering - the tall, bent form of the Widow Cullom. The drive of the wind was so strong that Jahn vaulted over the low dash copnter to_ push the doer shut again. The poor wo- nian was white with snow from the° front of her old worsted hood to the bottom of her ragged skirt. "You are Mrs. Cullom?" . said John. "Wait ` a moment till I brush off the snow, and then come to the fire in the baek room. Mx. Harum will be in.. directly, expect." "Be I much late?' she ask %lade 's much haste 's I could. It don't appear to me. 's if 1 ever see a blusteriner day, 'n I ain't as strong as 1 used to be. Seemed as if 1 never would git here." "Oh, nh," said John, as he establish- ed her before the glowing grate 'ark the Franklin stove in the bank par- lor, "not at all. Mr. Harum has not come in hiinself yet. Shall you mind if 1 excuse myself, a moment while you make yourself as comfortable as possible?" She did not apparently hear him. She was ttembling from head to foot with cold and fatigue and nervous excitement., Baer dress.. was soaked'to the knees; end as she - sat down and put up her feet lei the fire John saw a bit of a thin cotton stocking and her deplorable shoes, almost in a state of pulp. A snow= obliterated path ; led from the back door of the office to David's house, and John snatched his hat and start- ed for' it on a run. As he stamped off,, some of the snow on the veranda the door was opened for him by Mree Bixbee "Lord sakes!" she exclaim- ed. "What on earth be you a vortin' 'round for such a morin' 's this with out no overcoat, an' on a. dead rung _ What's the matter?" is "Nothing serious," he answered, "but I'm in a great hurry. Old Mrss. Cullom has walked up from her house to the office, and she is wet through and almost perished; I thought you'd send her some dry shoes and stocking, an old shawl or blanket to - keep her wet skirt .off her knees and a drop of whisky something: - She's all of a trenible, and I'm afraid she will have a chill." "Certain!. certain!" said the kind creature, and she bustled out cf. the ' room, returning in a minute or two, with - an armful' of - comforts. "There's a pair of bedroom, slips line with lamb's wool, an' a pair of woolen stoekin's, an' a blanket shawl This 3 here petticut, 't ain't what yed call bran' new, but it's warm and-n1r, f'table, an' I' don't believe she's got much of anythin' on 'ceptin' her dress, an' I'll git ye the whisky, but; P —here she looked deprecatingly at -John--"it ain't gen'ally known 't we keep the stuff in the house. I don't know as it's right, but though David don't hardly ever touch- it he will have it . in the house." "Oh," said John, laughing, you may trust my discretion, and we'll swear Mrs, • Cullom to secrecy," "Wa'al, all right," said Mrs. bee, joining in the laugh as rh brought the bottle; "jest a minut'' I make a passel of the. ,. keep the snow out.. There, now, guess'you're fixed, sem' you lan hurry back 'fore she'° ltet hes a chill." "Thanks very*imueh," said John a: he started away. "1 have somethini to say to wou besides .'Merry -Chri mail,' but I Must wait till snot! time," When. ..Johnsgot back to the off David had Pot .preceded hal. "Wealwikiniffhe wag saying, l3 eiinssd'.able Yon gotstart t• t1