Part 35 (2/2)

”When she's my wife,” he had boasted to Tell Mapleson, ”I'll put a stop to all this Baronet friends.h.i.+p. I won't even let her go there. Marjie's a fine girl, but a wife must understand and obey her lord and master.

That's it; a wife must obey, or your home's ruined.”

n.o.body had ever accused Tell Mapleson's wife of ruining a home on that basis; for she had been one of the crushed-down, washed-out women who never have two ideas above their dish-pan. She had been dead some years, and Tell was alone. People said he was too selfish to marry again.

Certainly matrimony was not much in his thoughts.

The talk at the tavern table that evening ran on merrily among the young people. Albeit, the Sabbath hour was not too frivolous, for we were pretty stanch in our Presbyterianism there. I think our love for Dr.

Hemingway in itself would have kept the Sabbath sacred. He never found fault with our Sunday visiting. All days were holy to him, and his evening sermons taught us that frivolity, and idle gossip, and scandal are as unforgivable on week days as on the Sabbath Day. Somewhere in the wide courts of heaven there must be reserved an abode of inconceivable joy and peace for such men as he, men who preach the Word faithfully through the years, whose hand-clasp means fellows.h.i.+p, and in whose tongue is the law of kindness.

”Say, Clate, where's Bud going?” Somebody called across the table. Bud was beside Marjie, whose company was always at a premium in any gathering.

”Let him tell; it's his secret,” Clayton answered. ”I'll be glad when he's gone”--he was speaking across to Marjie now--”then I'll get some show, maybe.”

”I'm going to hunt a wife,” Bud sang out. ”Can't find a thoul here who'll thtay with me long enough to get acquainted. I'm going out Wetht thomewhere.”

”I'd stay with you a blamed sight longer if I wasn't acquainted with you than if I was,” Bill Mead broke in. ”It's because they do get acquainted that they don't stay, Bud; and anyhow, they can run faster out there than here, the girls can; they have to, to keep away from the Indians.

And there's no tepee ring for the ponies to stumble over. Marjie, do you remember the time Jean Pahusca nearly got you? I remember it, for when I came to after the shock, I was standing square on my head with both feet in the air. All I could see was Bud dragging Jean's pony out of the muss. I thought he was upside down at first and the horses were walking like flies on the ceiling.”

Marjie's memories of that moment were keen. So were O'mie's.

”Well, what ever did become of that Jean, anyhow? Anybody here seen him for five years?”

The company looked at one another. Bud's face was as innocent as a baby's. Lettie Conlow at the foot of the table encountered O'mie's eyes and her face flamed. Dr. John Anderson was explaining the happening to Tillhurst and some newcomers in Springvale to whom the story was interesting, and the whole table began to recall old times and old escapades of Jean's.

”Wasn't afraid of anything on earth,” Bill Mead declared.

”Yeth he wath, brother,” Bud broke in, while Bess Anderson blushed deeply at Bud's teasing name. Bill and Bess were far along the happy way of youth and love.

”Why, what did he fear?” Judson asked Dave Mead at the head of the table.

”Phil Baronet. He never would fight Phil. He didn't dare. He couldn't bear to be licked.”

And then the conversation turned on me, and my virtues and shortcomings were reviewed in friendly gossip. Only Judson's face wore a sneer.

”I don't wonder this Jean was afraid of him,” a recent-comer to the town declared.

”Oh, if he was afraid of this young man, this boy,” Judson declared, ”he would have feared something else; that's it, he'd been afraid of other things.”

”He was,” O'mie spoke up.

”Well, what was it, O'mie?” Dr. John queried.

”Ghosts,” O'mie replied gravely. ”Oh, I know,” he declared, as the crowd laughed. ”I can prove it to you and tell you all about it. I'll do it some day, but I'll need the schoolhouse and some lantern slides to make it effective. I may charge a small admission fee and give a benefit to defray Bud's expenses home from this trip.”

”Would you really do that, O'mie?” Mary Gentry asked him.

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