The Touch of Abner

XPECTE

nk of the tree, his eyes riveted upon the front page of The Live Wire, which the mailman had just left. So intent was he upon what he was reading that he

asy," Abner presently remark

his visitor, and without a

squatting down upon the grass. "Must be mighty interes

per and looked quizzic

egan, "what were y

rday! What de ye mean?

er. Ye must have been one o' them ancients ye've told

What's that dirty sheet say

t it

t tr

waylaid a girl drivin' along Main street; that she beat yo

feet in an instan

at it says?

en't I jis

'? Doesn't it tell who the gal

ye'rself," and Zeb

he incident, and the fact that the girl was the daughter of the Attorney General added all the more to the interest. The story was distorted beyond a

his anger, and when he had finished readin

eve that?"

true?" Z

ag? It's a lie, a d-n lie, an' I'm goin' to punch th

ed. "Ye might have to punch seve

Why can't they leave decent honest people alone? They've got more ink than brains. If they'd spend some of their energy writin' about

tin' the Home on that dum

to buy the hole, which is a dam sight

sk you fer

terday fer the money, I burnt the end of his nose with the cigar I wa

at did

e floor, chair an' all. He got the jo

ackshaw's not likely to fergit a thing like th

nt nose, an' I don't care a blu

to be in hot

ers are in with me. I've got a pretty tou

b agreed, as he rose to his f

more irritated than usual over the article which had appeared in The

es with Abner Andrews," he muttered, "even thoug

o the house for a drink of buttermilk. As he came out

e dining-room and into the hall-way. Glancing through the small windo

d when Abner tried to

rowled. "What's the ma

er, the key turned, the lock moved, and Abner pulled the door open with a savage yank. Great was

rry to give you so much trouble.

eps here, an' liv

your place

so, when Tild

s," the woman explained. "She'

ow she's out pickin' berries with Tild

s not too mu

it might be fer Belle. Come in an

he left, Abner ushered th

' make ye'rself at

udied the room most critically, from the old-fashioned pia

ere," she mused. "What an ignorant and uncouth man that farmer is.

horn sounded upon her ears, and again sh

n ordinary country girl! I wonder if her father knows where she is, and what she is

d, sat down upon a chair near

ked. "Tildy'll think the house is on fire. S

" and the woman glanced out of th

ad, considerin

is magnificent

ock told me

. Dimoc

see me when I was

?" The woman seemed unusually

buy my place,"

your

summer place fer hi

ome to any

t anxious to sell, 'spe

hy

im don't jibe

wn him for so

he was pickin' pin-feathers off his mother's ch

nly left the woman's face, and she straig

d family, so I unders

t man I ever saw at steerin' clear of a job. Why, when he was with me on my old Flyin' Scud

rate, was he not?" the woma

ryin' to take care of his neighbors' property. Everythin' he could git his hands on he would ta

thief?" the woman demanded. "You see

in jail fer stealin' oats from Bill Armstrong's barn. Ye kin call that anythin' ye li

of the elder Dimock. She glanced toward the door as if medit

eam engine, pantin' an' puffin', when I blow the horn at this time of the day. I wish to

I might add, unpleasant, manner," the woman retorted. "I am

cially sich a one as tha

what his father did. He, at any rate, is above reproac

aginst Ikey so long as he's hand an' glove with the Government. It 'u

to do with Mr. Dimock?" the wo

l could tell ye that. The Government has made Ikey Dimo

! In wh

e-offs in all sorts of government work? That's the way Ikey Dimock made his money, an' he's nuthin' more'n a chip off the old block. They called it stealin' when his dad took

e. She had risen to her feet, her face

o I am?" she wi

elf? If ye don't, ho

, and I shall tell my husband what you h

ey; better tell him somethin'

h an insolent way before," the woman prote

feet. "If the truth of many things was known it 'ud be better fer all co

elling his wife that a visitor was in the parlor. He sat down u

I knew her the minute I sot eyes on her. She didn't like what I said about the Dimocks. But I could