Coniston, Complete

Thousand Acre Hill. When Jethro was farming,-so it was said,-he would not stop to talk politics even with

e store slowly and painfully going over certain troublesome accounts which seemed hopeless, he was thrown into

Mr. Bass?" asked the st

pped in," he answere

he garden-sha

ls and seating himself on the count

ssible. Perhaps Wetherell ind

ked presently, perceiving that

leave the city for my health. I began life keeping stor

He did not smile, but stared at the square of light that was

re was no telling from Jethro's manner whether he were enemy or friend; whether he b

f life, hev you? N-not a great

d merely stated a truth which had oft

nd Rome in brick and leave it in m

looked at

left it in marble. Fine thought." He ruminated a litt

shing," answered poo

store. S-something to have dream

ast face to face again wish the man whom Cynthia Ware had never been able to drive from her heart. Would, he mention her? Had he

have accompli

owly from the counter. He went toward the doorway that le

" he said,

But it was little Cynthia he was calling little Cynthia in the gard

d be you,

wered Cynth

ynthy-like the country

," said

-like country folks b

a. "I liked the old doctor who sent Daddy up

' Da

used to give me cookies," said Cynt

lks keep pigeo

t up on the window-sill and feed out of my hand. They kept me company while Daddy, was away, working. On Sundays we used to

he Common and go barefoot-e-c

hia, laughing again

the Common and plan

se you c

out there?"

" She hesitated a moment, and then thrust

nge curiosity, William Wetherell went to the door and watched them. There was a look on the face of Jethro Bass that was new to it as he listened to the child talk of the wondro

, Cynthy-hain't lon

nly she lifted her eyes to his with a que

ot answe

u, Cynthy-no

insipid when the delight of such a reality as taking care of a helpless father had been thrust upon her. Books, suggested Jethro. Books she had known from her earliest infancy: they had been piled around that bedroom over the roof. Books and book lore and the command of the English tongue were William Wetherell's only legaci

anging down behind the seat, the reins lying slack across the plump quarters of his horse-the same fat Tom who, by the way, had so indignantly spurned the Iced Brook Seedlings. And Jake Wheeler went along to bring back the team from Bramp

failed to cause consternation and fright in Coniston, although they never did any harm. One thing noticeable, they were always fired in Jethro's absence. And the bombardier was always Chester Perkins, son of the most unbending and rigorous of tithing-men, but Chester resembled his father in no particular save that he, too, was a deacon and a pillar of the church. Deacon Ir

don't care who hears me. It's time to stop this one-man rule. You kin go and tell hi

d uneasily, and spat, and Jake Wheeler thrust his hands in his pockets and walked away, as mu

ge agin, Chet

ster; "hain't the hull road by the Four Corners ready to

to it," answered Lem, quie

t now I'm a candidate for the Chairman of the Selectmen, if town meetin' is e

hester drove away as

be counted on in each of these little rebellions. He, too, had remained steadfast to Jacksonian principles,

-townsmen for treason; and he also thought it wise to send over to Clovelly for Bijah Bixby, a lieutenant in that section, to come and look over the ground and ascertain by his

had once done it himself), and during the three days which had elapsed since Chester had flung down the gauntlet there had been more or less of downright treason heard in the store. William Wetherell, who had perplexities of his own, had done his best to keep out of the

u be a gentleman and a student, hai

ome," said Wil

d a dictator. I'm a-countin' on you, Will Wetherell. You've got the store, and you kin tell the

group,-group that was always there. Rias Richardson, who had donned the carpet slippers preparatory

r, truculently. "N'Jethro Bass don't hold your mortgage, does he? Bank in Brampton

have to talk to me that way,

the hull town knows it-and he kin clos

he drove up with the stage, "what kind of free principle

ut that Four Corners road?" Ch

id Lem. "Git in, Will. Cynthy's over to the har

t!" Chester shouted after the

d herd's-grass, turning it to lavender in the morning sun, and the heavy scent of the wet ferns hung in the forest. Lem whistled, and joked with little Cynthia, and gave her the reins to drive, and of last they came in sight of

e a tomb as he entered its door, Cynthia clutching his fingers, and never but once in his life had he been so near to leaving

aw money?"

ell told him, falteringly, his name and business, a

thington," he said; "he has

ngton?" exclai

ller s

e president o

shered, not without trepidation, into the great man's office, and found himself at last in the presenc

le blanket cravat with a large red cameo pin. And Mr. Worthington's features harmonized perfectly with this costume-those of a successful, ambitious man who followed custom and conventio

id sharply, "what

erell, the storeke

ell who married

now that Cynthia Ware was married, or alive or dea

what he

rell, drummed with his fingers on the table, and smiled slightly. "I am happy to say that the Brampton Bank does not own this

" exclaimed Wetherel

ago-since you asked for the

feet seemed to give way u

charitable way to put it-quixotic. He doe

answer, but sat mutely staring at

up other pursuits in Boston to come up here for your health? Certainly I plac

l thought of Mr. Worthington's beaver hat, and of that gentleman's firs

where I have made my success, and there is nothing which induces more to the popular welfare than a good library." Whereupon he shot at Wetherell another of his keen looks. "I do

storekeeper, who was in no con

it, looked out, and closed it soft

nd since then he has gradually debauched the whole state, judges and all. If I have a case to try" (he spoke now with more intensity and bitternes

ng with a long finger at a grizzled man crossing the street

ding court in this town now

ket?" Wetherell que

hington did

n odor of the stable pervaded the room, and a great unkempt grizz

ley," said th

Mr. Worthington. "Never too busy

dvice, Mr.

torekeeper wen

ning came back to Wetherell as he stood in the door. And how was he to meet Jethro Bass again with no money to pay even the interest on the note? Then suddenly he missed Cynthia, hurried out, and spied her under the trees on the common so deep in conv

matter?" sai

hed, and she was plainl

laugh of vexation, "and now she says she won't tak

to him, not deigning

ake it back

u to have it,"

me to take it when you m

not made. But this was a finer distinction th

made the whistle," he obje

't make any

etter than th

retorted the casuist; "y

there are lots of people I don't like I have always

demanded Cynthia,-whi

name's Janet Duncan. Ther

nder Duncan, who had the reputation of being the richest ma

but as long as you made it for h

d he, det

tle beside him on the rail, and went off a little dis

of 'em take everything I give 'em, and ask

ell asked him, curiously, f

orthin

son of Dudley

id; "I'm tired of it. When I gr

ld be proud o

mewhat defiantly, then his glance wandered to Cynthia, and he walked over to her. He threw himself down on the grass in front of her, and l

dn't hold out for

, "that's why I laughed." Then she grew sober

are you

father. I-I think he d

a whistle for you,"

somebody else,

and by that, but he caught up

aking his way across Brampton Street, turned, and s

him, Daddy?"

ot answer. He had other

ad

es

rouble feel

But you mustn't

you ask Uncle Je

ell started as if

ynthia?" he asked sharply. "Why

to. Because he like

les to Coniston, to save the money that dinner at the hotel would cost. And so they started, Cynthia flitting hither

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