FullReads

“Now see here! there’s one thing that’s got to be settled. When the day comes, who’s goin’ to beat?”

An Indian, his face scarlet with much sound, and his later state not yet apparent, in that his wampum, blanket, and horsehair wig lay at home, on the best-room bed, made answer hoarsely, “We be!”

“Not by a long chalk!” returned the other, and the settlers growled in unison. They had all a patriot’s pride in upholding white blood against red.

“Well by gum! then you can look out for your own Injuns!” returned their chief. “My last gun ‘s fired.”

Settlers and Indians turned sulkily about; they rode home in two separate factions, and the streets were stilled. Isabel North went faithfully on, making her Priscilla dress, but it seemed, in those days, as if she might remain in her log cabin, unattacked and undefended. Tiverton was to be deprived of its one dramatic spectacle. Young men met one another in the streets, remarked gloomily, “How are ye?” and passed by. There were no more curdling yells at which even the oxen lifted their dull ears; and one youth went so far as to pack his Indian suit sadly away in the garret, as a jilted girl might lay aside her wedding gown. It was a sullen and all but universal feud.

Now in all this time two prominent citizens had let public opinion riot as it would,–the minister and the doctor. The minister, a grave-faced, brown-bearded young man, had seen fit to get run down, and have an attack of slow fever, from which he was just recovering; and the doctor had been spending most of his time in Saltash, with an epidemic of mumps. But the mumps subsided, and the minister gained strength; so, being public-spirited men, these two at once concerned themselves in village affairs. The first thing the minister did was to call on Nicholas Oldfield, and Young Nick’s Hattie saw him there, knocking at the front door.

“Mary! Mary!” cried she, “if there ain’t the young pa’son over to your grandpa’s. I dunno when anybody’s called there, he’s away so much. Like as not he’s heard how father carried on that night, an’ now he’s got out, he’s come right over, first thing, to tell him what folks think.”

Mary looked up from the serpentine braid she was crocheting.

“Well, I guess he’d better not,” she threatened. And her mother, absorbed by curiosity, contented herself with the reproof implied in a shaken head, and pursed-up lips.

A sad and curious change had befallen Mary. She looked older. One week had dimmed her brightness, and little puckers between her eyes were telling a story of anxious care. For gran’ther had been home without her seeing him. Mary felt as if he had repudiated the town. She knew well that he had not abandoned her with it, but she could guess what the loss of larger issues meant to him. Young Nick, if he had been in the habit of expressing himself, would have said that father’s mad was still up. Mary knew he was grieved, and she grieved also. She had not expected him until the end of the week. Then watching wistfully, she saw the darkness come, and knew next day would bring him; but the next day it was the same. One placid afternoon, a quick thought assailed her, and stained her cheek with crimson. She laid down the sheet which was her “stent” of over-edge, and ran with flying feet to the little house. Hanging by her hands upon the sill of the window nearest the clock, she laid her ear to the glass. The clock was ticking serenely, as of old. Gran’ther had been home to wind it. So he had come in the night, and slipped away again in silence!

* * * * *