The End of the World: A Love Story

  CHAPTER XXXVIII.

  SCARING A HAWK.

  Jonas was thoroughly alarmed. He exaggerated the harm that Humphreysmight do to August, now that he knew where he was. August, on his part,felt sure that Humphreys would not do anything against him; certainlynot in the way of legal proceedings. And as for the sale of SamuelAnderson's farms, that did not disturb him. Like almost everybody elseat that time, August Wehle was strongly impressed by the assertions ofthe Millerites, and if the world should be finished in the next month,the farms were of no consequence. And if Millerism proved a delusion,the loss of Samuel Anderson's property would only leave Julia on hislevel, so far as worldly goods went. The happiness this last thoughtbrought him made him ashamed. Why should he rejoice in Mr. Anderson'smisfortune? Why should he wish to pull Julia down to him? But still thethought remained a pleasant one.

  Jonas would not have it so. He had his plan. He went home from theAdventist meeting that very night with Cynthy Ann, and then stoodtalking to her at the corner of the porch, feeling very sure thatHumphreys would listen from above. He heard his stealthy tread, after awhile, disturb a loose board on the upper porch. Then he began to talkto Cynthy Ann in this strain:

  "You see, I can't tell no secrets, Cynthy Ann, even to your RoyalGoodness, as I might say, seein' as how as you a'n't my wife, and a'n'tlikely to be, if Brother Goshorn can have his way. But you're the Queenof Hearts, anyhow. But s'pose I was to hint a secret?"

  "Sh--sh--h-h-h!" said Cynthy Ann, partly because she felt a sinfulpleasure in the flattery, and partly because she felt sure thatHumphreys was above. But Jonas paid no attention to the caution.

  "I'll give you a hint as strong as a Irishman's, which they do say'llknock you down. Let's s'pose a case. They a'n't no harm in s'posin' acase, you know. I've knowed boys who'd throw a rock at a fence-rail andhit a stump, and then say, 'S'posin' they was a woodpecker on that airstump, wouldn't I a keeled him over?' You can s'pose a case and make awoodpecker wherever you want to. Well, s'posin' they was a inquisitionor somethin' of the kind from the guv'nor of the State of ole Kaintuckto the guv'nor of the State of Injeanny? And s'posin' that the dokymentgot lodged in this 'ere identical county? And s'posin' it called fer thebody of one Thomas A. Parkins, a_li_as J.W. 'Umphreys? And s'posin' itspeecified as to sartain and sundry crimes committed in Paduky and allalong the shore, fer all I know? Now, s'posin' all of them air things,what _would_ Clark township do to console itself when that toonful v'iceand them air blazin' watch-seals had set in ignominy for ever and ever?Selah! Good-night, and don't you breathe a word to a livin' soul, nur adead one, 'bout what I been a-sayin'. You'll know more by daylightto-morry 'n you know now."

  And the last part of the speech was true, for by midnight the Hawk hadfled. And the sale of the Anderson farm to Humphreys was nevercompleted. For three days the end of the world was forgotten in theinterest which Clark township felt in the flight of its favorite. And bydegrees the story of Norman's encounter with the gamblers and ofAugust's recovery of the money became spread abroad through theconfidential hints of Jonas. And by degrees another story became known;it could not long be concealed. It was the story of Betsey Malcolm, whoaverred that she had been privately married to Humphreys on the occasionof a certain trip they had made to Kentucky together, to attend a "bigmeeting." The story was probably true, but uncharitable gossips shooktheir heads.

  It was only a few evenings after the flight of Humphreys that Jonas hadanother talk with Cynthy Ann, in which he confessed that all hissupposed case about a requisition from the governor of Kentucky forHumphreys's arrest was pure fiction.

  "But, Jonas, is--is that air right? I'm afeard it a'n't right to tell anontruth."

  "So 'ta'n't; but I only s'posed a case, you know."

  "But Brother Hall said last Sunday two weeks, that anything that gin afalse impression was--was lying. Now, I don't think you meant it, butthen I thought I orto speak to you about it."

  "Well, maybe you're right. I see you last summer a-puttin' up askeercrow to keep the poor, hungry little birds of the air from gittin'the peas that they needed to sustain life. An' I said, What a pity thatthe best woman I ever seed should tell lies to the poor little birdsthat can't defend theirselves from her wicked wiles! But I see that sameday a skeercrow, a mean, holler, high-percritical purtense of a ole hatand coat, a-hanging in Brother Goshorn's garden down to the cross-roads.An' I wondered ef it was your Methodis' trainin' that taught yousech-like cheatin' of the little sparrys and blackbirds."

  "Yes; but Jonas--" said Cynthy, bewildered.

  "And I see a few days arterwards a Englishman with a humbug-fly onto hisline, a foolin' the poor, simple-hearted little fishes into swallerln' abook that hadn't nary sign of a ginowine bait onto it. An' I says, saysI, What a deceitful thing the human heart is!"

  "Why, Jonas, you'd make a preacher!" said Cynthy Ann, touched with thefervor of his utterance, and inly resolved never to set up anotherscarecrow.

  "Not much, my dear. But then, you see, I make distinctions. Ef I was tosee a wolf a-goin' to eat a lamb, what would I do? Why, I'd skeer orfool him with the very fust thing I could find. Wouldn' you, honey?"

  "In course," said Cynthy Ann.

  "And so, when I seed a wolf or a tiger or a painter, like that air'Umphreys, about to gobble up fortins, and to do some harm to Gus,maybe, I jest rigged up a skeercrow of words, like a ole hat and coatstuck onto a stick, and run him off. Any harm done, my dear?"

  "Well, no, Jonas; I ruther 'low not."

  Whether Jonas's defense was good or not, I can not say, for I do notknow. But he is entitled to the benefit of it.