Dominie Dean

ome, too fond of 'Thusia Fragg. Poor little 'Thusia! The bright, flirting, reckless butterfly of a girl, captured soul, mind and body by her first glimpse of David's cool gray eyes, knew-as soon as Mary Wiggett announced that David had proposed and had been accepted-that David was not for he

ht make a fool of himself over 'Thusia Fragg. While his congregation did not realize what an attraction 'Thusia had had for David, they had feared her general effect on him. With David engaged to the leading elder's dau

nd in the flame of patriotism that swept all Iowa with the first call for troops and the subsequent excitement as the town and county responded and the streets were filled with volunteers Mary postponed setting a day. David and Mary were both busy during those early war days. Almost too soon for belief lists of dead and wounded came back to Riverbank, followed by the pale crip

the butterfly 'Thusia; she still danced and appeared in gay raiment and giggled and chattered; but she was a forgiven 'Thusia and did her best to be "good." Like all the youn

unpleasant. Wise "Copperheads" kept low and said nothing, but they were generally known from their antebellum utterances, and they were looked upon with distrust and hatred. The title "Copperhead" was the worst one man could give another in those days. As the war lengthened one or two hot outspoken Democrats were ridden out o

st but he volunteered nothing about his past. He was a misshapen, pain-racked man, hard-handed and close-mouthed. He rested one day in Riverbank, got from some real estate man information about

hases as necessity required. Sometimes his wife-a faded, work-worn woman

w, lowering it, and his eyebrows were like long, down-curving gray bristles, so that his left eye looked out through a bristly covert, giving him a leering scowl. The same accident had wrenched his left shoulder so that his left arm seemed to drag behind him and he walked

lined pages of the newspapers were pasted. To the post office old Hinch came on each trip to town, stopping there last before driving back to Griggs Township. Old Hinch issued from the post office one afternoon just as the postmaster was pasting the news of a Union victory

" the old man's torme

ound the corner into the main street and out of the town. After that old Hinch was "that Copperhead from Griggs Township." Silent and surly always, he was left more completely alone than ever. When he came to town the s

d. That which he was against he hated with all the bitterness his soul could command, and he was sincere in his desire that every captured Confederate be hanged. He considered Lincoln a soft-hearted namby-pamby and would have had every Confederate home burned to the ground and the women and children driven into Mexico. In business he had the same harsh but honest single-mindedness. Money was something

int, making "housewives" and doing what they could for their soldiers; they were cheered by victories and depressed by defeats, and they wept over their slain and wounded, but their attitude was one of pity and love for their own rather than of hard hatred agai

each day. There was a wholesome, full-blooded womanliness in all she did and a frankness in her affection that satisf

sunbonnet thrown back and her Paisley shawl-her finest possession-over her shoulders. Old Hinch was clambering into the wagon and had his best foot on the hub of a wheel. The missile that whizzed past David's face was an egg. It struck old Hinch on the temple and broke, scattering the yolk upon

to the faded woman in the wagon, that she might remove the stain of egg. She wiped

y asked. "Don't you know t

tered. She seemed a

now they were

uld have made no differe

said. "Everyone in front of the store saw you. Oh! I wouldn't raise my little finger to help

d on David's door. He had the handkerchief, washed, ironed and folded

said. "Sort of a 'thank you.' She 'minded

his wife's little joke. He would not enter the manse

after the buns were still made by Riverbank bakers and known as "Keller buns" and the last sight many had of David was as an old man with a paper bag in his hand, trudging up the hill

David would have thought nothing of his paper parcel of buns in any event. The buns were at the baker's and he liked them and wanted some at home, so he went to the baker's and bought them and

an old man! There!" she almost wept, pointing down the street towa

it!" h

ead farmer,"

fice and men running toward it from across the street, and he too ran. He saw the crowd sway back and

Stop this!

had been struck, but the old man had received them with his arm thrown over his head. He was tough and a few blows could not harm him. H

. Old Hinch did

club and the wagon bumped over the loose stones and away. The letter had been trampled upon by dusty feet and David's coat had received a smear of dust fr

hat to the flag," they told David, "an

"You can show your patriotism be

necessary to take the South back into the brotherhood of States, and to look upon the Confederates as returning prodigals. Old Wiggett was furiously angry. Forty years were to elapse before some of David's hearers were ready to forgive the South, and many went to their graves unforgiving.