The Touch of Abner

A IN

have been less than human had his heart not thrilled at the vision before him. Jess was in her brightest mood. Her face glowed with abounding health, and her dark eyes beamed with animation as she talked with her mother about her plans for the future, and of the approaching

ner pushed back his cha

s wife asked. "You don't seem to be you

ok sick,

u ate. But you act like a sick man

r; it's me heart. Tha

ed. "Why, daddy, I didn't

ist about the time I asked ye'r mother

t over it," Mrs.

didn't take long after we got hitched, an

or pity sakes, Abner? It c

artin

wom

in' female woman, an

er! A widow! What d

an' she's the one who's given

w suddenly pale. But Mrs. Andrews showed no signs of uneasiness. She k

he's welcome to all the heart you've got, Abner

heeding his wife's sarcasm, "an' she's go

e kink in your heart if you undertake to handle such a br

and Abner glared at his wife. "I only said me heart ach

exclaimed. "Who a

hey are. Her little boy died yesterday, an

idea there was such nee

Gospel truth. Widder's

an't anything be done for them? The children should be look

l attend to that fer a while

phan Home rea

ked keenly into his daughter's fa

ere building one at Glucom. There wa

about it fer years, but I guess that's as fer as

ce at his wife, picked up

, daddy?" Jess asked, af

?" Mrs. Andr

he day I came home he got so excited when I picked up a

What di

hat if I looked at it there would be a terrible explosion. I told him there must be someth

t it. I never knew that he brought the

to her. Was there something in it that he did not wish her to see? she asked herself. The more she thought about it the more determined she became to find out wher

tearing them out of the ground. "Give me somethin' to shake me timbers an' I kin work like the divil," he had often said. "I kin never accomplish as much in hayin' time as when a thund

re that this case of destitution would revive a greater interest in the building of the institution, and that he might be called upon at any moment for the thousand dollars he had offered. How he was to raise that amo

he station, as well as her recent conversation at the dinner table. That she was determined to go in a few weeks seeme

! Uplift! Umph! I wouldn't mind gals studyin' sich things if they'd use common sense. But to galivant off to e

field, toward the main highway. And, as he looked, a car containing one man came suddenly into si

r exclaimed. "What in the world kin the critter want o

p when he was makin' Ikey Dimock. It is sartin' sure, judgin' from Ikey's ears and brains, that he intended him to be a jackass. But He must have changed his mind,

s sharp tongue and biting sarcasm. They seldom met without a wordy battle of one kind or another. They never came to blows, as the hardware merchant had consider

es as he now drew near. His face was contorted with a smile,

er?" he accosted.

arent astonishment, "I hadn't thought about it

nheeding the sarcasm. "You don't take time

s tryin' to wring a livin' out of this darn place.

round until they rested upon the big gravel

o light I have to keep the place anch

must be light. Rathe

pretty reliable, an' doesn't do any kinky tricks. Ye kin ginerally dep

rpret the meaning of his words. But Abner's face was perfect

ious of human natur

ake me produce to town, an' give it away. Yes, actually give it away, fer I don't make enough profit to keep a shirt on a flea. But when them storekeepers sell the stuff wh

nking of his own big profits in hardware. "It is a wonder you do

give it up," A

fortunate that I ca

hy

want to buy

med. "What de ya want this p

e summer, and this farm will suit us fine. The view is excellent, and th

s goin' to sell, d

you are going to give

're goin' to give up the hardware bizness, too. But I shall keep the place fer the sake of the sit

amazement. He gave a slight st

few hundred ye

may be more, fer I can't tell how

vel

achin' the Abner Andrews stage that

! Arriv

ssary fer a man to be sich a bein' to live on a place like this. That's wh

do you?" Isaac queried, while

n't git any set-back, which would de

here all by yourself?" Isaac bante

' about that. I'll

! Along w

poultry; 'spe

ee

ill have reached the goose stage by that time, if I'm not much mistaken. Most likely you'll be there,

ld stand. His face reddened,

g me?" he demanded. "You owe

geese I should apologize to. I didn

uted, now fully aroused. "You're

en. But I'll know you, Ikey, fer no one could ever mistake that nose, even when it's changed into

n't come here to be insulted, but to hav

sulted me over an' over agin, an' thought it was all right. But two kin play at

look that Isaac re

time ye come to buy this place, bring ye'r shot-gun along. I don'

nstable, that's

e hoe. That's as fer as they'll git, fer I'm king on me own ground, an' so long as I mind me own bizness I defy anyone to me

-day, and have made a great bluster, but you'll come down with a flop when you'r

nded. "What bizness is it of yours, I'd like to

you haven't got

'll y

on't

'r scared. Ye k

only bluffing when you offered that thousand dollars, and you can

he skin-game,

game! What

what I git, an' mighty thin skinnin' it is. But

stened across the field, boarded his car and drove furiously

fer the situation or fer the sake of his health he wants this place, that's quite sartin. Dimock's no

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