Part 24 (1/2)
”Well,” he said, dropping his work and looking up to impress me, ”I'm a man that'll soree hat I hadn't ought to, just to be friendly like I did that way a lot o' ti about particular salvation I'm a little more liberal myself I believe in universal redean tellingabout particular salvation and wanted to knohether I didn't agree with him
I didn't, and told hiainst me, and he ain't never spoke a word tobesides a religious disagreement in this local situation until one day I happened to come into a second friendly contact with the post of the characteristics of certain individuals, and I ht when you take him the way he wants to be taken When you don't you'll find hihtforward and honest,” I said
”There ain't anything you can tell ly ”Not a thing I've lived with hiht here in toith hiether Man and boy, there ain't ever been a thing that Elihu has agreed with, without he could have the running of it You can't tellabout hi at the war about the man's manner bespoke a touch of heart-ache, as if he were privately grieving
”What was the trouble between you two?” I asked
”It's more'n I could ever find out,” he replied in a voice that was really mournful, so difficult and non-understandable was the subject to him ”Before I started to work for this office there wasn't a day that I didn't ood n, and he never failed to callWhen I started to work for this office I noticed he took on a cold ht have done, but I couldn't Finally I wrote and asked hi between us if he wouldn't set a tiht talk it over and co” He paused and then added, ”I wish you could see the letter he wrote me Comin' from a Christian man--from him to me--I wish you could see it”
”Why don't you show it to me?” I asked inquisitively
He went back into the office and returned with an ancient-looking document, four years old it proved to be, which he had been treasuring
He handed e, and I read:
”MATTHEW HOLCOMB, ESQUIRE,
”DEAR SIR:--In reply to your letter asking ht talk over the trouble between us, would say that the timent
”Very truly, ”ELIHU BURRIDGE”
His eyes rested on an with:
”I never said one word against thathe could take offense at, not one thing I don't kno alike that”
”Perhaps it's political,” I said ”You don't belong to the same party, do you?”
”Yes, we do,” he said ”Soht that maybe it was because I had the support of the shi+pyard when I first tried to get this office, but then that wasn't anything between him and me,” and he looked away as if the mystery were inexplicable
This shi+pyard was conducted by a ionistic as this region in which it had had its rise Old Mr
Palure in the streets and private charocery store, coal-yard, sail-loft, hotel and other institutions were conducted in its interests His opinion was always foremost in the decision of the local authorities He was still, reticent, unobtrusive Once I saw hi a cripple up the lane to the local Baptist Church
”What's the trouble between Burridge and Pal to think that here, if anywhere, lay the solution of the difficulty
”Two big fish in too sree, eh?”
”They both want to lead, or did,” he said ”Elihu's a beaten h, now” He paused and then added, ”I'ood man at heart, one of the kindest men you ever sahen you let hiood to the poor, and he's carried more slow-pay people than any man in this country, I do believe He won't collect an old debt by law Don't believe in it No, sir Just a kind-hearted man, but he loves to rule”
”How about Palmer?” I inquired