The Touch of Abner

IN

workroom, littered with boards, tools, and shavings. Adjoining was the blacksmith shop, for Zebedee was a handy man, and combined carpentering with

and was measuring it with his two-foot

," was the ch

er," was the

society pig, I s'pose," Abner bantere

off the planed board, laid it carefully aside and picked up another. Abne

"Ye look as if ye'd been to a funeral. Hav

ng reply. "I haven't been to any funeral,

s eyes grew suddenl

enton's l

Never heard a word abo

'm makin' his

, isn't it? I thought the undertaker i

nton's too poor to buy a casket, so that's why I've tackled the job. Guess t

Dipht

starv

say so! Didn't know

to keep her family that she's gone under. I wouldn't b

she got money from the compan

st of it, accordin' to what

f a dozen ten-cent cigars every day. It

hadn't pumped it out of her. She's a game one, all right. But I do

ny are

chap who died was the young

on of sincere sympathy came into his eyes

we kin git them in

Abner asked

ooked up from his work. "You gave a

anged! I didn't

hold these boards

driven in two nails, he straightened h

give a thousand to that

de ye think

but next door to

retorted. "Ye must have inherited it f

give a thousand dollars to that Home than I am to buy out the whole of Glucom. How in the wo

'll square up all right, so ye needn't bust any

le on, then, if them Dent

d then stopped and looked out of the door. Present

t to git fer that job

xpect, an' that's nuthin

pping the ten dollar bill which had been given to him by the

me skin is scorched. There, don't ask me where I got it," he added, as Zeb started to speak.

nt to fight fer?" Zeb

The sight of that ten-spot m

if that's the way ye feel. I've no

of chances. Now, look, Zeb, who was the great-great-great-grandfather of

ths. But now, instead of launching forth in defence of his pet theory, h

egan, "I've b

y. "A bit out of the ordinary, eh? I tho

"an' if you'd do the same occasionally,

l ye'r neighbors' pigs by

en makin' fools of ourselves by always squabblin' over things of little real value.

nterestin', thoug

on't seem altogether right fer two men like you an' me to spend so much time over

much that escapes

that Denton

ght they was

k much about them

right, Zeb

t poor little dead boy last night, an' talked to the widder, an' saw the pinc

t way meself, 'specially when Tildy was afte

ids was hungry an' ye gave them nuthin' to eat; they was thirsty an' ye never gave them any fresh milk; they was almost naked an' ye didn't give them any clothes. If ye had done them things that little Denton boy wouldn't have died.' That's what

big red handkerchief,

t up when I think

ut stood very still with his eye

now," he at l

rkin' at these

ighty pesky job it

ght ye had t

t hadn't been fe

e-cle

ep or set anywheres, so I generally roost on the wo