FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87  
88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   >>   >|  
, and therefore, perhaps, their assertions had caused Elias to doubt the evidences of his own senses. At any rate, the Prophet resolved to put the reform of Pharaoh to the test of texts, and he raised his voice and declaimed. Britt came to the front door and mildly entreated the Prophet to walk in. "I'll be glad to listen to you. Isn't it a good idea to tell me, man to man, in my office what's wrong with me, instead of standing out there in the snow, telling the neighborhood?" The Prophet went in, having first slapped his hand on his breast, urging action, "'Go in, speak unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his hand.'" He trudged forth, after a time, and walked along slowly toward Usial's house, clawing his hand above his ear with the air of a man trying to solve a perplexing puzzle. CHAPTER XI SACKS AND MOUTHS--ALL SEALED Every now and then the fad of a new trick puzzle--a few bits of twisted wire, or a stick and a string--will as effectually occupy the time of an entire community as a cowbell will take up the undivided attention of a cur, if the bell is hitched to the cur's tail. The folks of Egypt had a couple of brain-twisters to solve. What had happened to Tasper Britt? How did it happen that Cashier Vaniman was holding on to his job? His townsfolk knew Britt's character pretty well, and they had much food for speculation in his case. There were some who ventured the suggestion that Hittie's remonstrating spirit had come to him in the night watches. Other guesses ran all the way down the scale of probability to the prosaic belief that Britt had decided that it was not profitable to go on making a fool of himself. It was agreed that Britt had a good eye for profit in every line of action; and it was conceded, even by those who did not believe all that was said about spiritist influences in these modern days, that if Hittie really had managed to get at him it was likely that her caustic communications would knock some of the folly out of him. Egypt did not know Vaniman, the outlander, very well. Gossip about his reasons for remaining were mostly all guess-so; the folks got absolutely nothing from him on the subject. He did not discuss the matter even with Squire Hexter and Xoa. Frank and Vona had definitely adopted the policy of waiting, and he resolved to take no chances on having that policy prejudiced by anybody carrying random stories to Britt, re
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87  
88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Prophet
 

action

 

Vaniman

 
Hittie
 

puzzle

 

Pharaoh

 

resolved

 

policy

 

remonstrating

 

spirit


suggestion

 
ventured
 

Hexter

 
Squire
 
watches
 

guesses

 

speculation

 

prejudiced

 

holding

 

carrying


happen

 

Cashier

 

stories

 

random

 

townsfolk

 
waiting
 

probability

 

adopted

 

character

 

chances


pretty

 

belief

 
Gossip
 

modern

 

reasons

 

influences

 

Tasper

 

remaining

 

spiritist

 

managed


caustic
 
communications
 

outlander

 

discuss

 

agreed

 
making
 

decided

 
matter
 
profitable
 

profit